On the evening of 9th November, 1969, the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston life-boat was manoeuvred seven times alongside a severely listingJDanish ship, a service for which Coxswain John Bryan has been awarded the R.N.L.I.'s bronze medal for gallantry.

At 7.45 that evening Coxswain Bryan learnt from H.M. Coastguard of a message intercepted from the Danish motor vessel Karen Bravo. This stated: 'Our cargo has shifted and we have engine trouble. We need tug assistance immediately. We are heading on a course 326° and our position is 52° 42' N, 02° 04' E. Will keep going until our engine packs up and if the list gets any worse we will take to the little rubber boat.'Two minutes after the coxswain had learnt of this message the maroons were fired, and six minutes later the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston life-boat Khami, which is one of the 44-foot steel class, left her moorings.

There was a westerly gale of force 7/8 with a rough sea and a heavy north westerly swell. There were rain squalls and lightning, and visibility was poor.

The tide was two hours after high water springs.

The life-boat made a very rough passage of about 8| miles to the area of Cross Sand lightvessel. Through the use of her radar it was estimated that the casualty was five miles to the south east. Course was altered and the life-boat came up with the Danish vessel at 9.35.

The Karen Bravo was hove to, heading north west. She was pitching very heavily and had a list to port of some 20°. Her port side and rails were awash and heavy seas were breaking over her bow.

VERY COLD The wind by now had veered to the north west and was gusting to force 10 with a very rough, confused sea and a heavy north westerly swell. The cold was intense and the rain squalls and lightning continued.

The master of the Karen Bravo asked for five members of his crew to be taken off and at the same time warned the coxswain to keep clear of the ship's thrash- ing propellers.

Coxswain Bryan decided to take the men off from amidships on the starboard side of the Danish vessel. With excellent judgment he placed the life-boat's port bow alongside seven times, each time synchronising the life-boat's move- ments with the heavy range of the seas in order to reduce to the minimum the distance the men would have to jump.

So successful were these manoeuvres that five men were taken off, none of them having to jump more than 10 or 12 feet on to the fore-deck of the life-boat and into the arms of two crew members who were securely lashed inside the forward guard rails. Two other members of the life-boat crew, who were stationed abreast the wheelhouse, passed the survivors to the after cabin.

STOOD BY The life-boat then stood by to escort the Danish vessel. Her master attempted to correct the vessel's list by transferring the oil fuel. About midnight the two vessels began to make for Gorleston harbour at a speed of about two knots, the life-boat following the Karen Bravo. Gorleston harbour was reached about 3 a.m. on the morning of 10th November, and the life-boat reached her berth at 3.15.

In addition to the award of a bronze medal to Coxswain John Bryan the thanks of the R.N.L.I, inscribed on vellum have been accorded to the other four members of the crew: Second Coxswain Alfred Thorn, Assistant Mechanic George Bowles, Crewman Gordon Bell, and Crewman Charles Plane.CRAIGHALL HOAX CALL When a deck-hand from Anstruther, Scotland, was found guilty of sending a false distress radio call alleging that the fishing vessel Craighall was in distress, he was fined £400—the maximum penalty—and was ordered to be detained for three months. It was estimated that the hoax cost up to £10,000 and that, in addition to other services, three life-boats were called out.

Apart from false distress calls the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications is concerned with all cases of illicit radio use. Members of the public who are aware of such activities are encouraged to report cases..