Two dogs TWO CERTIFICATES OF MERIT have been awarded by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to lifeboatmen of Great Yarmouth and Gorleston; one to the crew of the 44ft Waveney lifeboat Barham who rescued a dog on August 31, 1980, and one to the crew of the Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat who launched to help another dog on January 4, 1981.

Barham was out on exercise on Sunday morning, August 31, when a message was received from the Coastguard that a dog was in the water near the Links Hotel, two miles south west of the pier heads, and a man was trying to swim out to rescue it. A moderate to fresh breeze was blowing from north north east and the sea was very rough.

The lifeboat made for the position and sighted the dog about 50 yards offshore.

To reach him Coxswain Richard Hawkins had to manoeuvre between groynes with less than four feet of water under the boat. Then Second Coxswain Michael Brown, wearing his lifejacket and secured with a line, went over the side and recovered the dog. The owner, who had made his own way back to the shore, collected his dog from the lifeboat station and made a contribution to branch funds. After this service a number of other dog lovers also came up to the lifeboat pen to make appreciative donations.

O.