Launches 27. Lives Rescued 5.

APRIL 9TH. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

At 1.22 in the morning the coastguard reported that the 7,000-ton S.S. Hilary, of Liverpool, was ashore at Carmel Head. She was homeward bound from Brazil to Liverpool with general cargo and over 300 people on board. A slight south-westerly breeze was blowing and the sea was smooth, but there was a dense fog. The motor life-boat A.E.D. was launched at 1.45 A.M., and began her search, but the fog was so thick that the coxswain could not see a boat’s length. H e decided to anchor. When daylight came the life-boat continued slowly along the land and at 4.50 A.M. found the steamer on Coal Rocks.

She took off eighty-four passengers and landed them at Holyhead at 6.45 A.M. At 7.15 A.M.

she returned and brought ashore six other passengers and a quantity of luggage, reaching Holyhead again at 10.55 A.M. The life-boat was placed at moorings at 12.40 P.M. The Hilary refloated at the next high tide and made port. One of the passengers made a donation and sent a letter of thanks. - Rewards, £11 5s.

APRIL 12TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 9.35 A.M.

the coastguard reported that the St. Nicholas Light-vessel was firing guns and flying signals indicating that a vessel was in distress to the E.N.E. A light S.S.W. breeze was blowing with a swell on the sands, and the weather was foggy. The motor life-boat John and Mary Meiklam of Gladswood was launched at 9.50 A.M., and found the s.s. Zeester, of Kamlen, Holland, on the east side of Scroby Sands. She had been aground but had just refloated with the rising tide. As the Zeester was in a dangerous position the life-boat escorted her clear of the sands and as far as the Cockle Light-vessel. She then returned to her station at 12.10 P.M.-Rewards, £7 3s.

APRIL 18TH. - PEEL, ISLE OF MAN. At 8.55 P.M. a message was received from the coastguard that flares had been seen four miles off Orrisdale Head. A light southerly breeze was blowing with a calm sea.

The motor life-boat Helen Sutton was launched at 9.25 P.M. and found the motor fishing boat Cicely of Castletown, with a crew of four. Her engine had broken down. The life-boat towed her into harbour and returned to her station at 1.15 A.M. the following morning.- Rewards, £l5 3s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.

At 5.30 A.M. the coastguard reported that the S.S. Mayflower, of Liverpool, loaded with stone, on passage from Penmaenmawr, North Wales, to Liverpool, had gone aground on East Hoyle Bank at 2 A.M., but that she was in no immediate danger. A moderate N.W.

gale was blowing, with a very rough sea.

After further investigation it was decided to launch the motor life-boat Oldham, and at 11.30 A.M. she went to the Mayflower and stood by. An attempt was made by the crew to refloat their vessel, but it was unsuccessful.

The life-boat returned to her station at 3.30 P.M. when the tide was ebbing, as at low tide the steamer would be high and dry.- Rewards, £8 12s.

APRIL 22ND. - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. Early in the afternoon a sailing yacht was seen making towards Whitecliffe Bay with her sails damaged. She was kept under observation by the coastguard and lifeboatmen.

A strong N.W. gale was blowing, with a rough sea. At 4.48 P.M. the coastguard reported the yacht to be in distress eight miles south-west from Foreland Lookout.

The motor life-boat Longhorn was sent to her help, leaving at 5 P.M. She found the yacht Marigold, with a party of three on board, off Dunnose Point, and took her to a safe anchorage in St. Helens Bay. The life-boat returned to her station at 8 P.M.

The owner sent a letter of thanks and made a gift to the life-boat crew.-Rewards, £8.

APRIL 22ND. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. The coastguard kept a yacht under observation for some hours. The sea was very heavy, a N.W. gale was blowing, and it was decided to send out help. At 2.25 P.M.

the motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden put out and found the yacht to be the Sprite, of Leigh-on-Sea, with a crew of two on board.

She was near the Swin Bell Buoy and in need of help. The coxswain decided to take her to Harwich. While the skipper of the Sprite was making the tow-rope fast he was washed overboard by a heavy sea, but managed to catch hold of a rope and was hauled aboard again. Harwich was reached at 6.15 P.M.

and the life-boat left for home two hours later. On her way home, at a signal from the coastguard, she spoke a small yacht off Walton but no help was needed, and the lifeboat got back to Clacton at 10.15 P.M. The skipper of the Sprite sent a letter of thanks and a donation to the Institution.-Rewards, £l5 13s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE.

During the morning a heavy N.N.W. gale sprang up while the fishing fleet was at sea. Several boats landed with difficulty and it was decided to send out the motor life-boat Elizabeth and Albina Whitley.

She put off in a very rough sea at 9.55 A.M. with the second coxswain in charge. The coble Britannia was found about two miles to the northward and escorted back to safety.

The life-boat then went to Flamborough Head to search for the remaining cobles.

They were not to be seen, so she ran round the head and found that they had arrived safely at the south landing. The life-boat returned to her station at midday.-Rewards, £8 13s.

APRIL 22ND. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.

At 7.30 A.M. anxiety was being felt for the safety of some of the fishing cobles, as a very strong N.N.W. wind was blowing, with a rough sea. As both life-boat coxswains, and a number of the life-boat crews, were at sea fishing, an ex-coxswain volunteered to take out the life-boat manned by some of the elder fishermen. The motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth was launched at 8 A.M. and escorted into the harbour in turn the cobles, Ramlah, Royal Empire, Sarah, Guide Me and Margaret.

She returned to her station at 10 A.M. - Rewards, £4 16s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

During the morning eight of the local fishing boats were at sea. A strong N.W. gale was blowing, with a rough sea.

The boats were running for the shore, when at 10 A.M. the motor life-boat Foresters Centenary was launched to stand by. All the boats got in unaided except the Reliance II. She was about a mile and a half to the north.

The life-boat escorted her to safety and returned to her station at 10.30 A.M. - Rewards, £17 11s.

APRIL 25TH. - PORT ERIN, ISLE OF MAN. During the afternoon a strong N.E.

wind was blowing, with a rough sea. Three fishing boats were out and at 5 P.M. the motor life-boat Ethel Day Cardwell was launched to their help. Two of the boats managed to reach safety unaided. The third was a considerable distance out in Port Erin Bay. The life-boat escorted her into harbour, and returned to moorings at 6 P . M .-Rewards, £5 6s.

APRIL 27TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

At 8 A.M. a telephone message was received from the Fishery Bailiff asking for help for a fishing boat which was at sea off Weybourne three miles away. A strong, increasing N.E. wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boat Foresters Centenary was launched at 8.17 A.M., found the fishing boat Olive, of Sheringham, and escorted her safely through the surf. She returned to her station at 9 A.M.-Rewards, £l6 6s.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given: APRIL 1ST. - FERRYSIDE, CARMARTHENSHIRE.

A schooner had been re- Pembery Sands, but no trace of any vessel ported in a dangerous position near the in need of help could be found.-Rewards, £l2 10s. 6d.

APRIL 2ND. - SHOREHAM, SUSSEX. A boat burning flares had been reported off Brighton, but nothing could be found.- Rewards, £7 15s. 6d.

APRIL 5TH. - SALCOMBE, DEVON. A small sailing boat was out in rough weather, but did not need help.-Rewards, £4 10s. 6d.

APRIL 6TH. - ST. HELIER, JERSEY. A French military seaplane had been forced down in the sea, but she was helped by a French fishing boat. Letters of thanks were received from the French Navy and the French Consul-General.-Rewards, £9 14s.

APRIL 9 T H . - RAMSGATE, KENT. A Dutch motor vessel had been reported near the Goodwins, but she could not be. found.- Rewards, £5 8s.

APRIL 12TH. - DONAGHADEE, CO.

DOWN. A raft had got adrift with a boy aboard, but before help came he was drowned. -Rewards, £8 18s. 6d.

APRIL 16TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBERLAND.

A sailing yacht had been reported in distress, but she went on her way without waiting for help.-Rewards, £5.

SHIRE. A fishing boat had not returned, APRIL 17TH. - THURSO, APRIL 22ND. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. During the evening the yacht B r i o n i e r a n aground two miles W.S.W. of Selsey Bill, while on passage from Lymington to Newhaven with a crew of three. A N.W. breeze was blowing, with a moderately rough sea.

The yacht’s distress was reported by the coastguard and the Selsey motor life-boat Canadian Pacific was launched at 7.50 P.M.

Seeing that she would have to make a long detour owing to the state of the tide, four men who had answered the maroon but were not needed in the life-boat’s crew, put off in a dinghy with an outboard motor. They made for the Brionie and when about a quarter of a mile from the wreck they picked up a dinghy with the yacht’s crew on board.

They towed the dinghy to the life-boat station. The life-boat reached the yacht but found no one on board and returned ashore at 10.20 P.M. - Rewards, Life-boat, £11 5s., Shoreboat £2 10s. and 3s. for fuel used.

APRIL 22ND. -SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. A capsized yacht was found off Shoeburyness, but there was no one on board.-Rewards, £6 10s.

APRIL 25TH. - ST. PETERPORT, GUERNSEY. An aeroplane had been reported missing, but she had landed at Alderney.-Rewards, £4 13s. 6d.

APRIL 26TH. - WALMER, KENT. Red flares had been reported, but a search revealed nothing.-Rewards, £19 7s.

APRIL 30TH. - BEAUMARIS, ANGLESEY.

A trawler’s engine had broken down, but another trawler took her in tow.- Rewards, £5 6s.

APRIL 30TH. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE.

A child had drifted away from Girvan on a raft, but was drowned before help could arrive . - Rewards , £4 10s. 6d.

CAITHNESSbut was found making her way home without needing help.-Rewards, £5 3s. 6d.

APRIL 20TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE.

An aeroplane was thought to have crashed into the sea, but it was found that she came down on land.-Permanent paid crew : Rewards, 6s.

APRIL 22ND. - TYNEMOUTH, NORTHUMBERLAND.

The Cullercoats motor lifeboat had capsized on exercise, but the Tynemouth life-boat was unable to find any of her crew, six of whom were lost.-Rewards, £9 3s. (A full account of this disaster was published in The Life-boat for June, 1939, page 75.).