COXSWAIN John King of Bridlington has been awarded the Institution's bronze medal for gallantry for a service described in the official report as 'long, frustrat- ing and hazardous'. At the end of it the life-boat saved the life of a woman cook from a German motor vessel. The other members of the Bridlington crew have been accorded the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum.

Reporting on the service, the inspector of life-boats for the area, Commander L. F. L. Hill, R.D., R.N.R., wrote: 'This service proved the worth of the boat and all its equipment without any doubt, every single item having been used at some point. The crew must have been tested to the limits of their endurance and their courage and resolution was proved time and again. I cannot speak too highly of this crew who maintained their efficiency throughout, despite working in soaking clothing for over 14 hours in air temperature of 16°F as recorded at Bridlington.'The long story of the rescue by the Bridlington life-boat began on the after- noon of 4th February, 1968, when the honorary secretary, Mr. A. W. Dick, learnt at 3.57 from the coastguard that a small German coaster, Maria F, was dragging on to a lee shore one mile east by south of Bridlington harbour. After checking the situation Mr. Dick ordered the maroons to be fired at 4.24. There was a force 9 south easterly gale with a very rough sea. There were showers of sleet and snow, and visibility was down to half a mile in the squalls. It was rather more than an hour after low water, and there was a south-going stream.

Coxswain John King had been granted leave of absence for the day, and Second Coxswain John Simpson was therefore in command when the life-boat, William and Mary King, which is one of the 37-foot Oakley class, was launched at 4.34.

During this operation punishing seas continually swept over the tractor drivers.

DRAGGING BOTH ANCHORS The life-boat made for the coaster, which was now only half a mile from the harbour entrance. The coaster was fully laden. She was dragging both anchors and was being swept from stem to stern by heavy seas. Second Coxswain Simpson worked the life-boat in towards her, but although the coaster's crew could be seen in the wheelhouse, no contact could be made with them as they refused to come on deck.

In the conditions prevailing it would not have been possible to put a man on board from the life-boat, and Second Coxswain Simpson therefore kept the life- boat as close as possible until he found that the coaster was no longer dragging.

It was then seen that a mooring buoy used by the RAF had fouled her propeller.

The time was now 6.25, and the Maria F was within a quarter of a mile of the harbour piers.

As the tide was rising Second Coxswain Simpson decided to wait until high water, which was at 6.40, and then to enter the harbour to discuss the situation with Mr. Dick and the coastguard. This was done and Coxswain King was embarked.

At 10.3 Coxswain King learnt from the coastguard that the coaster was flashing 'F' to indicate that she was disabled. He immediately took the life-boat out of the harbour into heavy, breaking seas. He tried once again to make contact but without success. By this time the coaster had ceased flashing. Coxswain King worked the life-boat in towards the coaster, but she was washed away by several heavy seas which broke completely over the life-boat. He therefore decided to anchor to windward and veered down on to the casualty.

REFUSED TO LEAVE At the first attempt the life-boat was carried too far to the north east. The anchor was therefore recovered and re-laid. The life-boat veered down a second time, and contact was now made with the German crew. The full dangers of their position were explained to them but they refused to leave their ship. They did, however, agree to flash the life-boat if the coaster began to break up.

Coxswain King therefore weighed anchor and hove to just clear of the broken water. He took the view that at low water the Maria F would be on the bottom and in danger of breaking up. Further gale warnings had been issued, and at 12.15 a.m. he made a further run in towards the coaster. Once again, despite all the efforts of the life-boat crew, no contact was made with the crew of the coaster.

The Maria F was now aground; she was pounding badly and was being swept by continuous heavy seas. Coxswain King therefore reported to the coastguard that it was impossible to make contact and that he would continue to stand by outside the broken water.The Maria Fthen sent out a visual distress signal. The life-boat was anchored and again veered down on the casualty. Throughout this operation the members of the crew operating the anchor were almost continuously under water. The coxswain could not be certain of the position either of the coaster's cables or of the cable of the fouled RAF mooring buoy. His difficulties were increased by the fact that the tide was now at right angles to the breaking seas.

The life-boat was checked within 20 yards of the coaster, both vessels being constantly swept by heavy seas. In spite of continual use of the engines the life- boat was ranging so much that no survivor could have jumped aboard her with any certainty of landing in the boat. Coxswain King did not consider it would be possible to use the breeches buoy in the conditions prevailing as the life-boat was continually being laid on her beam ends. He therefore decided to weigh anchor and try another position.

PROPELLERS FOULED The seas were now running too close together to allow the slack of the anchor cable to be hauled in quickly enough to prevent it from fouling the life-boat's propellers, and the cable was forming a bight which floated down the weather side. Coxswain King therefore ordered the cable to be cut. Just before he did so both propellers were in fact fouled, as the tide had drifted the cable across the bow of the life-boat. The life-boat now lay with her starboard quarter to the seas, and her cockpit was being filled continually.

Coxswain King now asked for the Flamborough life-boat, Friendly Forester, which is one of the 35-foot 6-inch Liverpool class, to be launched to go to the help of the German coaster while his own propellers were cleared. All hands aboard the Bridlington life-boat formed a human breakwater while the engine room hatch was opened to gain access to the propeller freeing tool. But for this there would have been a real danger of the engine room being completely flooded. It was decided to clear the leeward or port shaft first. This was done by Crew Member George Traves with the help of Mechanic Roderick Stott. As they carried out their task they were under water most of the time.

LIFE-BOAT BEACHED Once the port propeller had been cleared attempts were made to clear the starborad shaft, but this was found to be impossible. Coxswain King therefore went full speed ahead on the port engine until the line attached to the starboard propeller parted. He then sent a message that he intended to beach the life-boat in order to clear the starboard shaft. The life-boat returned to harbour for the second time and was beached at 2.20. The propeller was cleared, the life-boat was launched again half-an-hour later, and she then returned to the casualty.

Having no anchor, Coxswain King decided to work back to the coaster by keeping the boat head on to the seas. Parachute flares were used to light up the scene. The Flamborough life-boat had already arrived and it was decided that she should stand by outside the broken water.

The crew of the Maria F still refused to leave their ship. The coastguard therefore fired a rocket line across her from the harbour, but the coaster's crew did nothing to make it fast until instructed how to do so by loud hailer from thelife-boat. At the same time the life-boat maintained contact by VHP radio with the portable coastguard set ashore. The securing of the line from the coastguard's rocket was not effected until 4 a.m.

At 4.20 the German coaster again asked for help. By this time the seas had gone down slightly, and the Bridlington life-boat managed to manoeuvre close in. It was still too rough for the life-boat to remain alongside, but one member of the coaster's crew jumped. This was the woman cook. She landed in the fore cockpit of the life-boat, fracturing her arm and wrist. The remainder of the coaster's crew, after witnessing this, decided to remain on board as their ship was again afloat and was not making water.

The life-boat sent a radio message for an ambulance to be waiting and returned, with the injured woman aboard, into the harbour at 4.55. This gave the life-boat crew a chance to have some hot food and a change of clothing, and the life-boat continued to stand by in the harbour as the weather was now improving.

At 8.30 the Maria F asked for a boat to be sent to her. The wind and sea had both dropped and the life-boat took out a German master, who spoke English.

After a discussion with him the master of the Maria F was embarked in the life- boat and brought ashore to contact his owner and arrange for tugs to be sent.

At 11.25 the life-boat returned the master of the Maria F to his ship and stood by until the tug Lady Alma took over. She then returned to the beach at 1.10 p.m.

and was rehoused and ready for service again 35 minutes later.

The members of the Bridlington crew, to whom the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded, were: Second Coxswain John Simpson, Bowman Denis Atkins, Motor Mechanic Roderick Stott, Assistant Mechanic Richard Cranswick, and Crew Members George Traves, Fred Walkington, Brian Bevan, Brian Fehton and Harry Woods..