South Western Division Tanker aground GUERNSEY LIFEBOAT, the 52' Arun Sir William Arnold, had been called out at 2250 on July 14, 1975, to escort a fishing boat under tow into harbour.

She returned from this service at about 0100 on July 15 and had just finished securing to her moorings at St Peter Port and closing everything down when, at 0128, a mayday call from Point Law was received at the Port Signal Station. The duty signalman sent a watchman to shout from the jetty to the lifeboat crew as they were about to embark in theirboarding boat to come ashore, and thus was the lifeboat alerted for the second time at about 0135.

Sir William Arnold left her moorings again at 0145 and, learning via VHF from St Peter Port that the casualty was aground on Le Puits Jervais on the extreme south-west tip of Alderney, Coxswain John Petit set course 040°M for that position, which was 19 miles distant. The tide was in the second hour of ebb, the weather fine with good visibility, the wind south south west force 6 to 8. The sea condition was slight to moderate until clear of the lee of Guernsey when it soon became rather rough.

On passage the lifeboat established radio contact with the master of Point Law, a tanker of some 1,500 gross tons, 250' long, in ballast from Guernsey to the Isle of Grain. The master said that there were rocks ahead of him, down his starboard side and astern of him. On arrival at the scene at 0245, however, the lifeboat illuminated the area with parachute flares, searchlight and Aldis lamp and these revealed that the hopedfor access to the port side of the vessel was precluded by the fact that she was hard against the base of the cliffs on that side. She lay in a sort of gully with her bows eastwards, the cliff and shore all along her port side, and rocksall round except for the small opening through which she had entered and which now exposed her starboard quarter to seaward. The forefoot of the vessel was high and dry and the tide was ebbing, so it was apparent to Coxswain Petit that the crew of the casualty were in no immediate danger.

The wind was now freshening to a fairly steady force 8 and the master appeared anxious for half of his crew of 12 to be taken off straight away. In view of all the circumstances, however, the lifeboat coxswain and crew persuaded him that it would be wiser to wait until daylight before this was attempted, so long as none of them was injured or required urgent medical attention.

Sir William Arnold then stood by, being held by her engines stern to the sea within 100 yards of Point Law. At about 0300 MFV Christmas arrived and lay off astern of the lifeboat. She carried Alderney pilots on board who were able to advise Coxswain Petit when he enquired regarding rock hazards nearby.

Meanwhile, Alderney Fire Brigade and Cliff Rescue Team arrived at the top of the 300' cliffs and helped in illuminating the area with searchlights.

At first light, at about 0400, Coxswain Petit closed to about 70 yards of Point Law to start taking off the six men. The master was told by the lifeboat to put his inflatable liferaft into the water and for his six crew to enter it by the rope ladder which was already hanging over his starboard side aft, so that they could transfer to the lifeboat's inflatable dinghy, one at a time, and be hauled back to the lifeboat. Rescue by breeches buoy was not favoured because of the amount of oil on the water, and also there were doubts about whether the tanker might be carrying spirit which would make the firing of a rocket line dangerous.

The dinghy was considered too smal for more than one crew if survivors were also to be embarked and Crew Member John Robilliard volunteered to take it alone. The lifeboat lay stern to sea, head to casualty, so that if any rocks were encountered only the stem would be hit, and the propellers would be clear to go astern. A very heavy ground swell was lifting the lifeboat before the onshore gale so that she tended to surf in towards the beach ahead of the breakers, and Coxswain Petit had frequently to put the engines full astern to hold his position.

On the first run in to the casualty, the outboard engine of the inflatable dinghy stalled, and the recoil starter safety pawl jammed in the flywheel so that it could not be restarted. John Robilliard, with difficulty, managed to row back to the lifeboat which Coxswain Petit now brought to within about 20 yards of Point Law. It was then decided to unship the outboard engine and row to the casualty with a line attached to the dinghy from the lifeboat's bow.

The inflatable dinghy was veered downfrom the lifeboat with the helmsman rowing it to counter the effect of cross eddies between the rocks and of breaking seas. On a number of occasions both the liferaft and the dinghy were swamped by breakers and by seas washing back from the side of Point Law, There was much diesel oil floating on the water and making the surface of both the inflatable boats and the oars slippery and difficult to handle. This oil also impregnated the ropes being used and covered the decks of the lifeboat. After two trips, other crew members tried to persuade John Robilliard to let them relieve him in the dinghy, but he insisted on carrying on.

After four complete rescue runs had been made, Deputy Coxswain Alfred Ogier, who was in constant communication with the tanker's master on Channel 16 VHF, was informed that of the final two off, one was injured and would be transferred by Neil Robertson stretcher.

John Robilliard decided that it would be extremely difficult to transfer this man to the inflatable dinghy and fatal for the injured man if the stretcher should be dropped into the rough water in the process. He therefore told the sixth survivor, who was accompanying the man on the stretcher, to stay in Point Law's liferaft with him. John Robilliard then secured the dinghy to the liferaft and the tanker was told to veer away the liferaft's line while both boats were hauled back to the lifeboat. On final arrival alongside at about 0500 John Robilliard was found to be completely exhausted.

Having taken these last two aboard, the lifeboat then told the tanker to haul back her liferaft and leave it lying at fairly long stay so that it would be ready should it be needed later to take off the remaining six crew members.

Sir William Arnold then lay off and stood by until Point Law had finally settled. Then, having been informed by St Peter Port radio that a French helicopter was standing by, and with the master's concurrence, Coxswain Petit set course for Alderney to land the six men already taken off.

Point Law's master had summoned the assistance of a French tug, which had arrived at about 0600, because he hoped to try to get afloat again on the rising tide. Three fireman had been put aboard, by a line rigged from the cliff, to help the remaining crew pump out the ship's flooded compartments.

Sir William Arnold arrived at Alderney Harbour at about 0700 where she remained until 0900. Coxswain Petit then returned to stand by the tanker while towing was attempted. However, the wind and swell, and the extremely limited room to manoeuvre, combined to make it impossible for the French tug even to attempt the operation. Soon the ship began to pound on the rising tide so that there were fears for the safety of those left on board. She was starting to break up.

The master then decided to abandon ship, and the French helicopter, which had been standing by at the airport, was called in to lift off the six crew and three fireman one by one and deposit them on the cliff top. The lifeboat stood by until this operation was completed and then departed, at 1115, for St Peter Port where she arrived at 1215.

For this service a bar to his bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain John Petit and the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Emergency Mechanic John Robilliard. Medal service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain Wilfred Savident, Assistant Mechanic Robert Vowles and Deputy Coxswains Alfred Ogier and Lloyd de Mouilpied.

Coxswain Petit was awarded his bronze medal in 1963 when the lifeboat, then under the command of his father, Coxswain Hubert Petit, rescued nine crew members of the motor ship Johcm Collett. Hubert Petit was awarded the gold medals of both the RNLI and the Norwegian Lifeboat Institution on that occasion.

South Western Division Award for Scout MARTIN RUDDY, a 14-year-old Scout from Ilfracombe, has been awarded the bronze medal for gallantry and an inscribed wristwatch for rescuing four people and a dog from a sinking speedboat.

On the afternoon of Saturday, June 7, 1975, Martin was in his new 9' inflatable dinghy 'on the edge of the sea' on Tunnels Beach, Ilfracombe. He had only had the boat for about three weeks and had never left the water's edge for more than a very short distance as he had been warned that there were dangerous cross-currents and rocks, and a treacherous tide race beyond the rocks.

At about 1700 he noticed a speedboat lying stopped about half a mile off the beach and thought the people on board must be fishing. A minute later, looking again, he saw one of the people waving a white shirt and realised that they were in difficulty. Without a moment's hesitation he turned his dinghy seawards and began rowing as hard as he could towards the scene of distress.

The casualty was a 15' speedboat. Its owner had taken it out to the west of Ilfracombe earlier in the afternoon, with a man and his wife, their eight-year-old son and a dog as passengers. While at speed, about an hour before, the engine had failed and the following sea rushed in over the low transom, swamping the boat. The last of the flood tide had then carried them back eastwards towards Ilfracombe but, although the wind was light, the sea in the tide race had steadily overcome their efforts at bailing until the boat was in imminent danger of sinking.

Fortunately it was high water, which meant that currents between the rocks, through which Martin had to row, were less than they would otherwise havebeen. Even so, he had considerable difficulty because there was a 4' to 5' swell running, sending waves on to the shore, and he found that eddies between the rocks were taking him everywhere but the direction he wanted to go. It was a long hard pull with his short vinyl oars into dangerous and unfamiliar water, and those aboard the speedboat saw his approach with relief but, at the same time, apprehension as to whether he would make it. All three adult survivors reported that the swells, waves and rocks made it look very dangerous for the dinghy.It took Martin about 20 minutes to get within a few yards of the speedboat, by which time the owner of the boat had swum to him. Martin, with this man then clinging on, continued to row until they reached the boat. Then he saw that the other man, the boy, who was wearing a lifejacket, and the dog were all in the water and the speedboat was sinking.

He grabbed the boy and pulled him aboard his dinghy, followed by the dog.

Martin then saw the woman being dragged below the surface; she appeared to be caught in something on the sinking boat. He reached out and managed to hold on to her long dress until the owner was able to scramble into the dinghy and help him to pull her aboard.

The other man was still in the water.

His legs were completely numbed through long immersion aboard the swamped casualty and he was unable to do anything but hang on to the side of the dinghy. Martin and the owner had a very difficult job to pull him aboard and, when they did so, he was unable to move.

With all safely on board, and with the tide starting to ebb westwards, Martin Ruddy began rowing again back towards the shore. Then the owner of the speedboat took one oar over from the boy so that each could use an oar as a paddle. The return journey was a struggle with an ebb of 2 or 3 knotsalready starting to produce a tide race with waves of about 3 feet.

Meanwhile, at about 1715, the Coastguard had been alerted and had summoned a helicopter which arrived at 1735. By this time the survivors were well on their way to shore.

Martin Ruddy, who had acted with complete disregard for his own personal safety in favour of what he immediately saw to be his duty to others, was presented with his inscribed wristwatch during the National Scout Regatta at the National Water Sports Centre, Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, last October. The presentation was made by P. Denham Christie, a vice president of the RNLI who was formerly coxswain of Tynemouth lifeboat.

South Western Division MV Lovat sinks ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 1975, HM Coastguard informed the honorary secretary of Penlee lifeboat at 0637 that MV Lovat had broadcast a mayday call and that her crew were abandoning ship.

The reported position of Lovat was 235°T 24 miles from Lizard Point. The wind was west north west force 8 to 9 gusting 12. It was still dark, sunrise being due at 0750, and there were heavy rain squalls. The tide was in the fourth hour of ebb.

Penlee lifeboat, the 47' Watson class Solomon Browne, launched at 0655. At 0705 she received an amended course and distance and Coxswain William Richards set course 210°M to allow for estimated set and drift.

On leaving the lee of the land at about 0730 the lifeboat's passage became extremely uncomfortable with rolling in the beam sea and visibility reduced drastically in the frequent squalls. Because of the extreme urgency of the situation, however, Coxswain Richards drove the lifeboat on at full speed the whole way.

At about 0839 the lifeboat heard that, on the scene, the winch wire of a Whirlwind helicopter had parted and her diver was in the water, but that a replacement Sea King helicopter was now airborne from Culdrose.

About 20 minutes later, through a gap in the squalls, the lifeboat sighted the Irish car ferry St Patrick, which had been reported assisting, and almost immediately afterwards a Sea King helicopter was seen hovering over a liferaft.

Coxswain Richards immediately altered course towards the liferaft, passing an upturned ship's lifeboat on the way. The lifeboat came up to weather of the liferaft, lashed it alongside and, while the lifeboat, lying beam on to the seas, rolled violently, the crew managed with great difficulty to haul on board two bodies, one of them that of a youngster of about 16.

HMS Wilton had now assumed charge of the search and rescue operation and asked two helicopters to try and recover five bodies. Vicious seas kept washing the divers away on the ends of their winch wires but they managed to recover one body each and the lifeboat recovered the other three. The boat was rolling as much as 60° and the guard rail had to be slipped to allow four of the crew to lift the bodies aboard. This was a particularly hazardous operation for the crew, who nevertheless performed their duties with unfaltering determination.

When, soon after 1100, HMS Wilton informed the lifeboat that all the crew of Lovat had been accounted for and the rescue operation was completed, Coxswain Richards set course for harbour. There had been no abatement in the weather, so, taking account of the safety of his crew, he reduced speed and Solomon Browne finally arrived at Newlyn at 1440.

For this service the Institution's bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Coxswain William Richards. Medal service certificates were presented to Second Coxswain Edward Wallis, Acting Mechanic Nigel Brockman, Acting Assistant Mechanic Stephen Madron, Acting Bowman Phillip Wallis, Acting Emergency Mechanic Alan Tregenza and Crew Members Kevin Smith and Barry Torrie.

North Eastern Division Escort duty ON TUESDAY, January 28, 1975, HM Coastguard informed the honorary secretary of Bridlington lifeboat at 1130 that a number of fishing cobles were still at sea and the weather was deteriorating.At 1235, high water, William Henry and Mary King was launched in cloudy, squally weather with visibility between three and five nautical miles; the sea was rough and a strong south south east gale blowing. The lifeboat escorted in four cobles and then stood by to give cover to 18 motor fishing vessels entering harbour. After remaining alongside the quay on alert while the wind abated, the lifeboat was beached at 2000 and finally rehoused by 2100.

Scotland South Division Capsized trimaran FOUR MINUTES after HM Coastguard had alerted Berwick-upon-Tweed crew and honorary secretary, at 1631 on May 31, 1975, to tell them that a trimaran had capsized 2 cables outside the harbour entrance, the D class ILB was speeding towards the casualty crewed by Helmsman Billy Shearer and Crew Member Norman Jackson. The wind was northeasterly force 3 to 4 and there was a very long heavy swell coming in which was breaking well out from the beach.

The tide was 2f hours flood, the weather fine with good visibility.

After launching, Helmsman Shearer headed towards the harbour entrance, cutting across over The Batts towards the trimaran as soon as conditions allowed.

As the ILB closed the wreck two men clinging to the hull shouted that there was a woman in the water without a lifejacket. The ILB at once turned in the direction they indicated and a few yards away sighted a woman floating seemingly unconscious. With some difficulty they managed to get her aboard the ILB. As they returned to the wreck the men shouted that there was another woman trapped inside the hull and they did not want to leave her.

Billy Shearer rapidly assessed the situation and decided he should land the survivor in the ILB; she was in a collapsed condition and bleeding from a cut above the eye, while the wreck, drifting rapidly ashore, was now only 200 yards from Spittal Beach where the Coastguard and several other people were ready to give help. He asked by radio for an ambulance to be waiting at the lifeboat house and also for an axe to be ready to take back so that he could break into the hull of the wreck.

The ILB then headed back the way she had come out. As they neared the harbour entrance Helmsman Shearer, becoming concerned about the condition of the survivor, handed over the helm to Norman Jackson while he looked at her.

Just after he had taken the helm, a large sea washed over the ILB and took Norman Jackson overboard. As he went his foot caught in the fuel line breaking it and stopping the engine.

Billy Shearer straight away plugged in the other fuel line and restarted the engine and within a very short time turned the ILB and picked Norman Jackson up. He then headed at full speed for the lifeboat house. At about 1650 the survivor was landed and an axe put aboard the ILB. She then returned to the casualty which had by now driven ashore. By about 1655 the ILB was beached alongside the wreck and Billy Shearer, helped by Norman Jackson and the Station Officer of the Coastguard, broke into the hull and reached the woman trapped inside.

An RAF helicopter, which had just arrived, picked up the woman and transferred her to an ambulance waiting on the promenade. All the survivors were then taken to Berwick Infirmary.

The ILB was relaunched through heavy breaking seas and made her way back to station, being rehoused at 1845.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry was awarded to Helmsman Billy Shearer and the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum were accorded to Crew Member Norman Jackson.

South Eastern Division American Invasion' AS A TRAINING EXERCISE, three American inflatable assault boats set out from Calais on the morning of Tuesday, August 19, 1975, to cross the Channel, land and scale the cliffs of Dover.

However, the weather deteriorated, there were fuel problems, and at 1202Dover Port Control Authorities informed Dover lifeboat honorary secretary that the master of a car ferry had reported seeing two inflatable boats with American service personnel on board which appeared to be sinking two miles east of Dover.

The 44' Waveney lifeboat Faithful Forester slipped her moorings to investigate at 1209 and set out in a moderate west-south-westerly breeze and a moderate sea and ebbing tide. On arrival at 1230 she took the two boats in tow and brought them back against wind and tide to Dover, The occupants, 15 men and five women, were suffering from seasickness and exposure and were taken aboard the lifeboat.

Faithful Forester arrived in Dover at 1340 when the Americans were landed.

The third inflatable boat was towed in to the beach by a trans-Atlantic yacht from Brazil.

North Western Division 100,000th life saved ON WEDNESDAY, May 28, 1975, HM Coastguard informed the New Brighton, Merseyside, honorary secretary that a boy was adrift in a rubber dinghy 200 yards off shore near Formby Point. The ILB was launched at 1435 in a moderate to fresh north-easterly wind and a calm sea. It was 23 minutes after high water.

The 13-year-old boy was found about two cables out to sea and he was taken ashore to where the Coastguard were waiting. He was wrapped in blankets and taken to the Coastguard station before going home. The boy, Stuart Nixon, was the 100,000th life to be rescued since the RNLI began to keep detailed records. A certificate was presented to him to record this historic occasion and also to the lifeboat station..