ON Sunday, 9th November, 1969, the Eastney IRB was called out five times.

For their efforts that day Dr. Ian McLachlan, Mr. Peter Banister and Mr Brian Needle have all been accorded the thanks of the R.N.L.I, inscribed on vellum.

The first call came at 2.15 p.m. when Dr. McLachlan, who is the honorary secretary, learnt from the auxiliary coastguard at Eastney that a Piccolo surf- board dinghy with a man clinging to it was being swept out of the harbour. The wind was west to north west, gusting to 60 knots (force 11). The sea inside the harbour was confused, and it was overcast. The tide was half ebb.

A RECONNAISSANCE Dr. McLachlan decided that the IRB should be taken out of the boathouse but not launched until he had made a reconnaissance of the situation. After doing this he decided to take the boat out himself with two volunteers, Peter Banister and Brian Needle.

After putting out the IRB found that a Gemini craft manned by five members of the Eastney Cruising Association had already picked up the capsized dinghy. The IRB stood by the Gemini in the confused seas until she was out of trouble. Both boats had some difficulty in negotiating the seas in the entrance to Langstone harbour.

One minute after the IRB had been launched the Eastney Coastguard passed on an R/T message that a fishing boat with an outboard engine had broken down near the Mulberry harbour wreck inside Langstone harbour. When it was considered that the Gemini was safe the IRB made for the fishing boat. She found that the Langstone ferry had taken the fishing boat, which had two men on board, in tow and the IRB escorted them to the Eastney ferry pontoon.

A few minutes later, at 2.45 p.m., a Coastguard runner told Dr. McLachlan that a converted pontoon was in trouble near the Mulberry harbour wreck and that three men who had scrambled on to the wreck were waving for help.

A minute after this the IRB put out. She reached the wreck with difficulty, secured the pontoon to it and took the three men on board. Eastney pontoon was reached after a rough passage back and the three survivors were landed.

FOURTH ALARM The fourth alarm was received at 2.55 when the Coastguard reported that a 10-foot dinghy was being swept out of the harbour with a man on board waving for help. The IRB now made for Gunner Point and at about three o'clock succeeded in beaching the dinghy on the Hayling Island shore and rescuing its occupant. Again there was a rough passage back to Eastney coastguard station, the IRB being continually flooded and having to be baled out.

The final service followed another report from the coastguard. This was received at 3.10, when Dr. McLachlan was told that a fishing boat, which had two men on board, had anchored off the north west end of Baker Island and needed help. The IRB set off on the three-mile trip up harbour at 3.15. The continuous spray driving over the boat put the radio telephone out of action.

The fishing boat was found anchored in shallow water, and during the run in the engine of the IRB had to be unlocked to allow it to tilt when it hit the bottom. The two men from the fishing boat were taken on board, and Mr.

Banister and Mr. Needle then had to go over the side and wade in up to their chests to get the IRB off shore. The engine was started and with the skeg of the engine bumping over the bottom the IRB was manoeuvred into the channel.

She eventually reached her station at 3.50 when the two men were landed.

In addition to the awards to the IRB crew, letters of thanks, signed by the Secretary of the R.N.L.I., Captain Nigel Dixon, R.N., were sent to the five members of the Gemini crew..