Biscaya sinks AT 0144 on December 13, 1974, Great Yarmouth and Gorleston honorary secretary was informed by Gorleston Coastguard that the 493 ton motor vessel Biscaya had been in collision with a French tug and tow in position 52°24'N 02°55'E. Lowestoft lifeboat had already been launched and Gorleston lifeboat crew were assembling to attend another casualty to the north; after consultation between the Coastguard and the two honorary secretaries, it was agreed thatLowestoft lifeboat should divert to the inshore casualty north of Gorleston and Gorleston's lifeboat, Khami, should go to the assistance of Biscaya, some 45 miles east south east of Gorleston.

Khami, a 44' Waveney class lifeboat, slipped her moorings at 0154. The wind was north north west, severe gale force 9 gusting storm force 10, with heavy breaking seas of 20' running against an ebbing tide. Predicted high water at Yarmouth Roads had been at 2111, December 12. It was cloudy with showers; visibility six miles.

Coxswain/Mechanic John Bryan set course 112°M from Gorton Light Buoy at 0225, making good a speed of 12 knots in quartering seas. Some 12 miles clear of the land the swell lengthened, causing Khami to surf frequently until on two occasions the swell carried the boat into the trough with bows awash and she slewed to port, her guard rails under water. Second Coxswain David Bennington kept a lookout aft to warn Coxswain Bryan of approaching large swells, estimated at 25', and the coxswain had to work continually at the helm to maintain course.

At 0500 the lifeboat asked Biscaya to fire flares, but they were not sighted.

However, at 0515 a Nimrod aircraft, which had taken off from St Mawgan at 0304, arrived at Khami's position after locating the casualty. The aircraft directed the lifeboat to alter course to 145°M and at 0546 flares were seen. Due to the height of the seas Biscaya was not detected on radar until within a range of three miles.

For some hours before the ebb tide slackened at 0530 Biscaya had beendrifting south south east. By 0600 the flood tide was running southerly at 1.5 knots and the ship was located in position 52°16.5'N 02°58'E. The barge, having parted her tow at 0407, was some 9 miles south south east of this position with the French tug in attendance.

Khami came up on Biscaya at 0630 and found the ship listed slightly and stopped in the water with pumps working on the forward compartments where damage had been sustained by striking the barge towline and the 475' barge.

Biscaya''s steering gear was out of action; her stern had swung into the barge after the collision. The five-man crew were safely on board and the master thought that the vessel would be saved. Salvage tug Titan was on her way from Ijmuiden and was expected to arrive at 1030, so Coxswain Bryan said he would stand by until Biscaya was safely in tow of the tug. Swedish cargo vessel Hans Oscar had remained standing by since 0245, but continued her passage when the lifeboat arrived.

The weather remained severe, with wind north north west force 9 and a heavy north north west swell; the tide was flooding southward, so the seas moderated slightly.

Titan arrived at 1034 and a portable pump, attended by a tug crew member, was placed aboard Biscaya whose own pumps had ceased working at 0859. The pump, however, could not adequately be man-handled into position and was not operated, and at 1045 Biscaya's list increased to 45°. Three of her crew took to a liferaft and were immediately picked up by Khami. The master, chief engineer and the tug crew member remained onboard until 1125 when the vessel began to settle as the list increased to 65°.

Coxswain Bryan took Khami into the lee of Biscaya, close to the port bilge keel, and called for the three remaining men to abandon ship. The angle of the ship's hull and the heavy swell made it very difficult for them to scramble over the side into the lifeboat. The master injured his shoulder, wrenching it as he hung from the guardrails over the nearhorizontal ship's side. During the transfer Biscaya's hull could be felt surging against the underside of the lifeboat and only the coxswain's expert seamanship ensured the safety of the survivors; they were recovered only three minutes before the ship finally sank at 1145.

The tug crew was returned to Titan and Khami set course west by north to close the coast as soon as possible; Coxswain Bryan was concerned about fuel shortage, but a speed of 11 knots was made good into the head seas. The wind moderated slowly to north north west force 6 in the two hours after leaving Biscaya.

Khami closed the coast at Sizewell at 1545 and altered course northward in moderate north-north-west winds and slight seas. She arrived at Gorleston at 1825 and was refuelled, ready for service, at 1919. The survivors were met by the ship's owners and the lifeboat station's honorary medical adviser, and then taken to the Missions to Seamen hostel.

For this service a bar to his bronzemedal was awarded to Coxswain/ Mechanic John Bryan. Medal service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain David Bennington and Crew Members Brian Coleman and Herbert Appleton. A letter of appreciation was sent to the honorary secretary, DrR. Cox..