The summarised reports on this page concern services for which letters of commendation and thanks from Lt Cmdr Brian Miles, as deputy director/ chief of operations, have been sent to the stations and/or personnel involved.

Ireland division Crossed Bar RETURNING at 1910 on June 6, 1987 from a machinery exercise, in command of the Portrush 52ft Arun class lifeboat Robert Evans (Civil Service No. 39), Second Coxswain/Mechanic Derek Chambers succeeded in crossing the bar at the mouth of the River Bann in the worst possible conditions to go to the assistance of a yacht in difficulty inside the river.

Fully aware of the conditions prevailing at the bar and with the total concurrence of his crew, Second Coxswain/ Mechanic Chambers ordered crew members to strap themselves into the seats in the wheelhouse while he and Crew Member William McAuley went to the lifeboat's upper conning position.

After three attempts, the lifeboat crossed the bar in conditions which were considered unnavigable for commercial shipping, to effect the rescue of a man and the saving of his yacht.

South West division Divers found AT 2018 on July 25, 1987 Falmouth Coastguard MRCC received a report of an overdue dinghy with four people on board - two men, a woman and child - and alerted Falmouth's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat Sole Bay, which diverted from an exercise to join a SAR helicopter from RNAS Culdrose in the search.

As a result of a radar report from a local fishing vessel, the dinghy was located at 2142. The two men, both divers, had separated from the dinghy, which had drifted with the woman and child on board.

Sole Bay, with Helmsman Royston Prynn and Crew Members Dave Nicholl and Andrew Angove on board, returned the two casualties to the shore and Falmouth's 52ft Arun class lifeboat Elizabeth Ann, under the command of Coxswain Vivian Pentecost, launched to join the search, assisted by a second SAR helicopter.

The first diver was found by the lifeboat at 2311, six hours after he first entered the water and the second man was located half an hour later, through the lifeboat crew's diligent searching and keeping engine noise to a minimum.

Ireland division Three overboard FOLLOWING reports of three men overboard from a motor boat off Bangor Harbour, Belfast Coastguard alerted the honorary secretary of Bangor lifeboat station at 1849 on July 21, 1987 and the station's D class inflatable lifeboat launched at 1900, with Des Hanna and Ronald Whyte on board.

On arrival at the scene, one man in the water was found to be close to drowning.

Leaving the other two men in the care of Ballyholme Yacht Club rescue boat, which also attended, the lifeboat took the third survivor to the beach at speed, at the same time summoning the assistance of an ambulance.

With the aid of the honorary secretary, Mr G L D Ralston, the casualty was transferred to the slipway where first aid was rendered with the aid of a local doctor until the ambulance arrived.

There is no doubt that but for the speed and urgency with which this service was conducted, the casualty would have lost his life.

West division Lone yachtsman saved PORT ERIN'S 37ft 6in Rother class lifeboat Osman Gabriel launched at 1502 on April 18, 1987 following reports from Ramsey Coastguard of the yacht Aiva in difficulties and taking water 10 miles north west of the Calf of Man.

The one person on board the yacht was seasick, exhausted and unable to cope with the situation.

Coxswain Raymond Buchan and his crew located the casualty at 1730, 20 miles north west of Port Erin lifeboat station.

During the search the weather had deteriorated, with the wind increasing from the south and gusting to force 7.

Sea conditions were rough and visibility moderate, with mist patches.

The yachtsman was transferred to the lifeboat. Second Coxswain Malcolm Cockburn boarding the Aiva to secure a tow line and pump out water during the long tow back to Port Erin.

Osman Gabriel returned to station at 2245. The casualty and Mechanic Herbert Moore, whose ribs were injured when a heavy sea struck the lifeboat on the return journey, flinging him across the wheelhouse, were taken to hospital by a waiting ambulance.

South East division Air crash search THE station honorary secretary of Portsmouth (Langstone Harbour) was alerted by Lee-on-Solent Coastguard MRSC at 1105 on April 30, 1987 with news of a crashed aircraft, down in East Solent near Horse Sand Fort.

Nothing more was known about the incident at that time. There was a light wind and calm sea, but visibility was moderate to poor in low mist.

Portsmouth's Atlantic 21 rigid inflatable lifeboat City of Portsmouth launched at 1109 with Helmsman Adrian West and Crew Members Barry Taylor, Paul Martin and Paul Venton on board, arriving at the scene at 1123.

They discovered wreckage scattered over a wide area between No Man's Land Fort and the Warner Shoal, together with mutilated bodies floating.

A Royal Navy helicopter and several surface craft were already searching for survivors.

After about 20 minutes the lifeboat reported that one body was dressed in oilskins. Until then, no-one had realised that a surface craft might also have been involved in the accident.

It transpired that a light aircraft containing three occupants had collided with a yacht containing two men. Four bodies were recovered and the search was eventually called off at 1700.

Scotland (North) division Ditched aircraft AT 2225 on April 22, 1987 the station honorary secretary at Wick was alerted by Pentland Coastguard that a Buccaneer aircraft had ditched in the sea more than 21 miles north east by east of Wick.

The 48ft 6in Oakley class lifeboat Princess Marina launched at 2240 and proceeded to the given position, arriving there at 0001 on April 23.

The warship Soberton, on-scene commander, ordered a box search covering a four mile area and at 0220 the lifeboat located the first piece of wreckage.

Further wreckage and the body of one of the airmen was found by the Princess Marina before Coxswain Donald McKay and his crew were relieved by an RAF launch. The lifeboat returned to station at 1530, having been on service for more than 17 hours..