SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT YARMOUTH Nov. 14TH. - YARMOUTH, ISLE OF WIGHT. At 8.40 in the evening a message was received at the Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, station that a vessel was ashore off the Brighstone look-out.

A fresh west-south-westerly breeze was blowing at Yarmouth, with a moderate sea running. It was raining heavily, and the night was very dark.

The motor life-boat S.G.E. put out at 9.15. Only the coxswain and the two mechanics were regular members of the crew. The coastguard lifesaving apparatus was also called out.

In the darkness and heavy rain, with all lights extinguished, it was only with very great difficulty that the coxswain was able to pick up Hurst Point, and then the Needles, but he was helped by the Needles signal station, which showed a searchlight on Warden Point. As the life-boat rounded the Needles she met a full gale, with a very heavy sea.

At midnight she found H.M. Trawler British. At the same time the coxswain discovered that one of his crew was seriously ill. The tide was then at flood, and as he considered that it would be impossible to get alongside the trawler until it ebbed, he decided to put back at once, with the sick man.

This he succeeded in doing in the pitch darkness, and put the man on board the examination ship in Yarmouth Roads. Once more he set out and reached the trawler again about 7.30 in the morning. It was then getting light.

The coxswain anchored to windward and veered down to the trawler. The anchor did not hold, and he had to take the life-boat out again. At the second attempt he went alongside and two men of the trawler’s crew jumped aboard.

Six times altogether the coxswain had to bring her alongside, and each time two of the crew jumped. It was now daylight, and with the twelve men rescued, the life-boat put back for Yarmouth arriving at 10.30 in the morning.

She had then been out thirteen hours. During the whole of that timethe coxswain had been at the wheel.

Four times in the pitch darkness he had brought her safely round the Needles, and on the double journey to the wreck had travelled 30 miles.

THE REWARDS It was a very fine piece of navigation and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN WALTER COTTON, the bronze medal for gallantry and a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To ALBERT HAYWARD, the motor mechanic, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain, a whole-time paid man, a special reward of £3 ; To the motor mechanic, also a wholetime paid man, a special reward of £1 8s.; To each of the seven members of the crew, a reward on the ordinary scale of £2 15s. 6d.

Standard rewards to crew and launchers, £21 2s. 6d. ; additional rewards, £4 8s. ; total rewards, £25 10s. 6d.