Nov. 19TH. - CLACTON -ON - SEA, ESSEX. About 3.30 in the morning the coastguard reported to the Clacton - On - Sea life-boat station that they had seen red Very lights to the southsouth- west, four miles from their look-out. At four o’clock the motor life-boat Edward Z. Dresden was launched. A gale was blowing from the north-west. The sea was very rough. It was raining in squalls.

As day broke the life-boat found the smack Charlotte Ellen, of Tollesbury.

She had a crew of three and a catch of sprats on board. She was anchored, and helpless, in a very dangerous position at Swire Hole with the sands close on her lee. She had her sprat gear standing out fifteen feet on the starboard side, so that on that side it was impossible for the life-boat to approach her ; and to approach on the port side, the coxswain had to take the life-boat right between the smack and the sands. Here, in the heavy seas, it was only with the greatest difficulty that he was able to bring the life-boat alongside the smack and rescue the three men.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT CLACTON - ON - SEA The life-boat made for home, arriving at 8.50. There she learnt that the Charlotte Ellen was not the vessel which had been firing the Very lights. At once she put out again and found the barge Lorna, of London, with a crew of two, at anchor between the South Whitaker and Middle Sands.

The barge was deeply laden with cotton seed. The seas were breaking right over her deck, and she was swinging violently from side to side. Thecoxswain attempted to go alongside her, but the barge swung so violently towards the life-boat that he had to back away. He dared not approach her again. It was useless to fire the line-throwing gun, for, with the seas breaking right over the barge’s deck, her crew would never have been able to fix the rope and block so that they could be hauled by breeches buoy to the life-boat. The coxswain took the only course left him. He ran the life-boat right on to the deck of the barge between the lee-board and the mast. Her stem struck the barge’s hatch and was damaged. Life-boatmen seized the two men of the barge and hauled them aboard. The next moment heavy seas washed the lifeboat clear.

She returned to her station, arriving just before noon, eight hours after she had first put out.

These were both fine services, carried out in severe weather, and both vessels were very difficult to approach.

The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN CHARLES ELLIS, the silver medal for gallantry and a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To SECOND-COXSWAIN FRANK CASTLE, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To W. C. HARDING, the motormechanic, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each of the seven members of the crew, a reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £3 6s. Standard rewards to crew and launchers £27 7s. 6d. ; additional rewards to crew, £8 ; total rewards, £35 7s 6d..