Fast on West Barrow A RED FLARE was sighted in the vicinity of South West Swin Buoy by MV Hounslow at 0110 on Saturday, August 16, 1975.

Two minutes later a second flare was seen and reported to Warden Point Coastguard via Warden Radio, the Port of London control station in the same building. A request to launch was telephoned to the honorary secretary of Sheerness lifeboat station; maroons were fired; and at 0128 the 44' Waveney lifeboat Helen Turnbull slipped her moorings.

The wind was south west force 6, with rough, short seas. The weather was fine with good visibility. High water at Sheerness was predicted at 0813 and low water at 0154.Once clear of Garrison Point Helen Turnbull set out at full speed down Medway Channel and headed for West Barrow Buoy, passing abeam at 0210.

Lights of a small vessel could be seen north-eastward and the GLC vessel Newham was stemming the tide at North East Mouse Buoy, ready to offer help if required. Firing a parachute flare to alert the casualty, Coxswain/Mechanic Charles Bowry manoeuvred the lifeboat close northward of her as she lay on her port bilge, fast on the West Barrow Bank with seas breaking over her stern.

By now the wind was gusting force 7, with confused rough seas and heavy broken water over the bank. Predicted depth of water on the bank at this state of tide was about one foot.

In her position athwart tide and wind, Helen Turnbull was rolling her wheelhouse deck edge under water and Coxswain Bowry realised that he could do little to assist in that state; and if he had placed the boat head to sea, she would have been parallel to the bank edge with little chance of maintaining her position safely close to the casualty, a 30' motor sailing yacht, Eladnid.

Coxswain Bowry therefore manoeuvred south-westward and anchored in 15' of water, veering the cable until Helen Turnbull was in a position some 65' north of the yacht, which Newham was illuminating by Aldis lamp.

A man was seen clinging precariously to the cabin top and, after conversation through the loudhailer, Coxswain Bowry understood that nine people were aboard. He realised that the man was in no situation to tend a gun line, so he shortened cable to westward and prepared the inflatable dinghy for launching.

Crew Members Malcolm Keen and Colin Washford boarded the dinghy, made fast lifelines and were veered downwind. At the first attempt they were carried out of reach of the yacht and had to be heaved back to the lifeboat.

After manoeuvring the lifeboat's engines to re-position the boat the dinghy was again veered astern and, although frequently filled by seas, reached the yacht safely and the two crew members scrambled aboard. They found that there were, in fact, five people on board; two were adults suffering from seasickness and two were children aged 8 and 12 years.

On receiving this information Coxswain Bowry was able to assess the dangers facing the survivors. Time was short as he could foresee Helen Turnbull being driven on to the bank once the flood tide gained strength. He decided that it was too dangerous to risk the children in a breeches buoy or the inflatable dinghy, and that his only course of action was to tow the yacht off the bank.

Instructing his two crew members to batten down the yacht as best they could, Coxswain Bowry passed a heavy towline attached to the veering line.When this was made fast he ordered Malcolm Keen and Colin Washford to check the yacht's bilges as soon as she cleared the bank and to see that all survivors were wearing lifejackets ready for immediate transfer to the lifeboat.

With the yacht lying stern to sea on her port side and shipping heavy water, the tow had to be made to the west to minimise the weight on the line and to avoid the possibility of the casualty being overturned by the weight of seas.

At about 0310, with the lifeboat's anchor still down, the yacht was towed clear at half throttle on the engines.

After Malcolm Keen and Colin Washford had quickly checked that the yacht appeared sound, the remaining three crew members on Helen Turnbull weighed anchor by hand while Coxswain Bowry moved the boat ahead to help and slackened the towline to allow lateral movement of the lifeboat's stern.

Once in deeper water, at 0320, the tow was shortened but, because of violent pitching and rolling, Coxswain Bowry waited some 15 minute's for a lull in the gusting wind and breaking seas before moving the lifeboat rapidly astern to place her starboard quarter on the yacht's port side. The five survivors were transferred to Helen Turnbull as quickly as possible and taken down to the forward cabin. Colin Washford also returned to the lifeboat while Malcolm Keen remained on board the yacht to tend her, and, at 0345, the tow was again lengthened to 15 fathoms.

The motor sailing yacht, which was the owner's home, had lost her rudder while on passage from Maylandsea toBenfleet and had been blown on to West Barrow Bank. The owner accepted that the tow might have to be cut if conditions proved too hazardous, but the return passage was made by East Spile Buoy to seek a lee as soon as possible and the tow entered Sheerness Great Basin safely at 0547. The lifeboat was refuelled and ready for service at 0700.

For this service the bronze medal for gallantry has been awarded to Coxswain/ Mechanic Charles Bowry. Medal service certificates were presented to Assistant Mechanic Roderick Underhill and Crew Members Malcolm Keen, Colin Washford, David Hargreaves and Barry Powell..