SIDMOUTH, DEVONSHIRE. At about 8.40 P.M. on the 22nd March, 1939, an aeroplane came down in the sea off Sidmouth. A westerly wind was blowing with gusts at thirty miles an hour and sleet showers. The sea was choppy. The Exmouth life-boat, Catherine Harriet Eaton, was launched at 9.25 P.M., but in the meantime four men had put out from Sidmouth in a 14-foot rowing boat. They found the crew of the aeroplane, four in number, on the fuselage, and rescued them. They could not row back to Sidmouth owing to the strong wind and made instead for Salcombe Regis. The life-boat learning at Beer Head that the men had been rescued returned to her station, arriving at 2.15 A.M. - Rewards : Shoreboat, a framed letter of thanks to each of the four rescuers, Messrs. W. J. Smith, N. Rickwood, J. Dagworthy, T. Parrot ; Life-boat, £26 15s.

FIRTH OF FORTH. At about 6.30 P.M on the 16th April, 1939, two men of the R.A.F.

left Inverkeithing for Aberdour in a motor boat. The tide was ebbing and the sea was rough, with a fresh westerly gale blowing.

The boat’s engine failed and she was dashed against the Firth of Forth Boom and sank, leaving the two men clinging to the Boom.

Information of the accident was passed from Aberdour, through the police, to the pilot station at North Queensferry. Pilot C.

Donald and a boatman put out in the motor boat Lion and rescued the two men from the Boom. - Rewards, letters of thanks to Pilot C. Donald and to Motorman A. Muir.

BACTON, NEAR CROMER, NORFOLK. On the 17th April, 1939, a canoe capsized off Bacton. The weather was fine, with a strong N.W. by W. wind and a slight sea.

The coastguard informed the Cromer lifeboat, but before she could be launched news was received that the boy who had been alone in the canoe had swum ashore. The coastguard had also signalled by whistle to a motor fishing boat, with two men on board, off Mundesley, to go to the rescue ; their help, too, was not needed. - Rewards, 15s.

MABLETHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE. At about 11.15 A.M. on the 9th May, 1939, a R.A.F.

machine crashed into the sea live miles to the east of Theddlethorpe Bombing Range.

The weather was fine and sea smooth. The Humber motor life-boat was sent for, and two motor boats also put out at the coastguard’s request. Oil and wreckage were found but a prolonged search failed to find the sunken plane. Her crew of two were drowned. - Rewards : To the crew of one boat £1 to each of the two men and 15s. for petrol used ; to the crew of the other a letter of thanks to each of the two men, Mr. C. Mountam and Mr. H. West. Total rewards, £2 15s.

LITTLEHAMPTON, SUSSEX. At about seven in the evening of the 11th May, 1939, a canoe, with a boy of 16 and a girl of 17 on board, capsized about half a mile off Rustington. A light N.E. breeze was blowing and the sea was calm. Three men put out in a motor boat from Littlehampton. They found the boy and girl holding on to the canoe and rescued them. The boy was unconscious w h e n l a n d e d , a n d d i e d . T h e g i r l w a s revived. - Rewards, £1 10s., also 10s. for boat used and 5s. for fuel.

PORTHCAWL, GLAMORGANSHIRE. On the morning of the 18th May, 1939, the motor boat Albatross, which had been engaged on night work connected with a new drainage scheme, was seen to hoist a distress signal - a pair of trousers waved on an oar. The wind was light, and the sea slight. At the coastguard’s request two men put out at 9.10 A.M. in the motor boat Joyce. They found the Albatross about a mile to the W.S.W., with her engine broken down and her anchor dragging. She had three men on board. They towed her in. - Rewards, 15s.

and 5s. for fuel used.

PADSTOW, CORNWALL.. At 10 A.M. on the 23rd May, 1939, two men put out in a 26-foot motor fishing boat to go fishing in Port Isaac Bay. The weather was fine, with a smooth sea and a light westerly wind. When off Kelland Head they saw the fishing boat Sweet Briar, of Padstow, on fire two miles away and at once went to her. After taking off her crew of two, they got the burning boat in tow, but she sank after they had towed her for about four miles. - Rewards, £1 5s.

PENLEE, CORNWALL. At 1.45 A.M. on the 25th May, 1939, the police reported distress flares between Penlee and Newlyn. A fresh N.N.E. wind was blowing and the sea was choppy. Two men put out in a motor boat and found the motor pleasure boat Jubilee, of Penzance, with a party of two men and three women on board, only twenty yards from the rocks with her engine broken down.

After a little manoeuvring they took the Jubilee in tow and brought her safely into Penzance Harbour. - Rewards, £1 10s., in addition to a local gift of 9s.

MARGATE, KENT. At 1.15 P.M. on the 27th May, 1939, the coastguard reported that a boat had turned over about one mile to the N.N.E. of the watchhouse, and that there appeared to be someone clinging to it. The weather was fine and the sea calm, with a slight S.W. breeze. On the life-boat coxswain’s instructions the motor boat Fearless put out, manned by six men. They found that the boat was, in fact, a piece of wreckage with something flapping about on the top. - Rewards, £1 10s. and 3s. 6d. for fuel used.

TEIGNMOUTH, DEVON. At 11 A.M. on the 29th May, 1939, signals for help were made from a small rowing boat about 500 yards E.N.E. of Teignmouth Pier. A fresh wind had sprung up from the S.E. quickly making a short, steep sea. A fisherman put off in his 30-foot motor boat and found on board the boat an old man who was a cripple, very exhausted by hard rowing, and two small boys. They had been lobster fishing. Their boat was in danger of being carried into broken water and swamped. The fisherman took her in tow and brought her safely into Teignmouth Harbour. - Rewards, 10s., with 3s. for fuel used.

WORTHING, SUSSEX. On the 30th May a sailing boat capsized off Goring. Several boats went to her aid and the crew of two were rescued. - Rewards : A letter of thanks ; £1 5s., with 5s. for fuel used.

(For a full account, see " Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” Shoreham Harbour, and Worthing, page 30.).