Fishermen taken off THE COXSWAIN of Angle lifeboat was informed at 0007 on Friday December 1, 1978, that the 39ft fishing boat Cairnsmore, on passage to Scotland, was in trouble five miles south west of the Hats and Barrels. Maroons were fired and at 0030 Angle's 46ft 9in Watson Richard Vernon and Mary Garforth of Leeds launched and set course at full speed for the casualty.

The wind was easterly force 5 on launching but the weather deteriorated rapidly, the wind veering south easterly and reaching near gale force 7 by the time the lifeboat had cleared St Ann's Head. The sky was overcast, with heavy rain and sleet. It was low water springs.

The weather continued to deteriorate, with the wind rising to strong gale force 9, and there was a weather forecast of gale to storm force imminent.

Realising the urgency of getting to Cairnsmore as quickly as possible, Coxswain/Mechanic William Rees Holmes maintained full speed. He heard by radio that RFA Sir Percival was on her way to stand by the casualty, ETA 0300, and that the tug Barracuda was also on her way from a position 30 miles north of South Bishops.

The lifeboat arrived at the casualty at 0430, a quarter of an hour after Barracuda, and it was decided that the tug should tow Cairnsmore to Milford Haven while the lifeboat stood by as escort.

The tow began at 0502, speed 4 knots. The wind was now force 9 gustinggusting to storm force 10 with breaking seas of about 20 feet, and Cairnsmore was rolling her wheelhouse nearly horizontal.

Her crew were sheltering, as best they could, on deck around the wheelhouse.

At 0940 Crew Member Gerald Edwards reported to the coxswain that one of the crew of the fishing boat was in the water. Informing the tug and telling his crew to keep the man in sight, Coxswain Holmes began to manoeuvre into position to recover him. With the lifeboat dropping 20 feet off the waves and the waves breaking over the man in the water, he wanted to come up into the sea so that he had the greatest control of his boat. He therefore turned, ran down sea and turned to come up to the man, lying slightly off while one of the crew threw a heaving line. The line caught round the man, he was pulled alongside the lifeboat and got inboard and down to the after cabin. He was wearing a lifejacket but was very cold having been in the icy water for about ten minutes.

The tugmaster then asked Coxswain Holmes to take off the remaining two fishermen because he thought Cairnsmore might capsize. While the tugmaster tried to keep the bows of the fishing boat into the sea, Coxswain Holmes took the lifeboat alongside, a manoeuvre requiring all his experience as Cairnsmore was rolling and pitching so heavily that, as she went over, her bottom was clearly out of the water.

Nevertheless, the lifeboat was safely brought alongside and the two men taken off.

The tow began again and Milford Haven was reached without further incident at 1306, when the lifeboat put the men ashore. The man who had been in the water was taken to hospital for a check up but was released later the same day.

The lifeboat arrived back at her station at 1510 and was rehoused and ready for service at 1542.

For this service a bar to his bronze medal was awarded to Coxswain/ Mechanic William J. Rees Holmes.

Medal service certificates were presented to Crew Members Gerald C. W.

Edwards, Roger V. O'Callaghan, Norman A. Knowles, Jeffrey Stringer.

Danny J. Richards and Stephen J.

O'Leary..