BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT EASTBOURNE MARCH 20TH. - EASTBOURNE, HASTINGS, AND NEWHAVEN, SUSSEX. During the night the London steamer Barnhill, of 5,430 tons, was in the English Channel on her way from Nova Scotia to London. Two of the life-boatmen volunteered to go on board, and they were taken by the tug close to the steamer, just forward of the bridge deck. Day was just breaking. They jumped, and She was fully loaded with a general cargo and a deck cargo of timber.

She had a crew of over thirty men.

When off Beachy Head, about six miles out in the Channel, she was attacked by German aeroplanes. A bomb struck her amidships and set her on fire.

The news of the attack reached the Eastbourne life-boat station just before eleven that night, and at 11.15 the motor life-boat Jane Holland was launched. The night was fine, with a fresh breeze from the west. The sea was choppy and there was a heavy swell.

When the life-boat reached the Barnhill at 1.40 next morning, she found that a Dutch vessel had picked up eighteen of her crew who had escaped from her on a raft. They were taken aboard the life-boat, which then went alongside the Barnhill’s quarter. The steamer was burning furiously ; the bridge had been blown forward on to the fore well-deck ; there were frequent explosions. The life-boat took off ten more men, and then, satisfied that she had on board all the survivors of the Barnhill’s crew, she made for home. She arrived at three in the morning. At 4.45 another message came. It was from a tug which was standing by the Barnhill, and it ran : “Send life-boat at once for injured man on forecastle.

Please send doctor with life-boat.” The life-boat put out again at once, taking a doctor with her, and reached the Barnhill for the second time at six o’clock. The steamer had meanwhile drifted north-eastwards and was nearer to the shore. She was abeam to wind and sea and was rolling. The tug Foremost No. 22 was lying near. The flames from the Barnhill were now from 70 to 90 feet high. The fire was spreading fore and aft. There were still frequent and heavy explosions.

ABOARD THE BURNING SHIP found themselves among a mass of debris, the remains of the deck cargo, flung about by the explosions.

They had to keep as much amidships as possible, owing to the rolling of the steamer, and as they went forward the master of the tug played the hose behind them to check the advancing fire. On the forecastle they found the injured man. He was now scarcely conscious, but he had managed to attract the attention of the tug by shouting and by ringing the forecastle bell.

The life-boat came alongside. The doctor instructed the two life-boatmen what to do with the injured man and they lowered him into the life-boat.

She made at once for Eastbourne, arriving at 7.20 that morning.

She had only been back 40 minutes when she was launched for the third time to help the tug Foremost in fighting the fire. She returned from this third launch. just after midday, thirteen hours after she had first put out.

The Barnhill was ultimately beached in Pevensey Bay.

The injured man was the master of the Barnhill. He had been blown from the bridge to the forecastle and his men had thought that he was lost.

He had a fracture of the collar bone and a double fracture of the arm; five of his ribs were broken ; one rib had pierced the lung ; he had violent concussion.

Less than three months later, on the 11th of June, he was well enough to attend the annual meeting of the Eastbourne Ladies’ Lifeboat Guild and publicly to thank the men who had rescued him.

A fortnight before the master had written from hospital : “ Having reached the stage of nearly convalescent, I wish to get the following off as soon as possible, to show my deep gratitude and gratefulness for being rescued from a burning ship, when suffering from severe injuries on the 21st of March. Looking back on such matters now, it appeared to me at the time an almost impossibility for anyone to approach the deck of the steamer while the whole midships was ablaze and the deck cargo afire.

“ The two life-boatmen, whosoever they may be, certainly showed grit, courage and determination to rescue a British captain from this burning vessel. I would be grateful should those men be decorated and I would be able to look back with pride to that night, as I was also trying to do my duty to King and Country that fateful night.” T H E R E W A R D S The Institution made the following awards : To ALEC FRANCIS HUGGETT and THOMAS ALLCHORN, the two members of the crew who went aboard the burning steamer, bronze medals for gallantry, with copies of the votes inscribed on vellum ; To COXSWAIN MICHAEL HARDY a framed letter of appreciation ; To MR. ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, honorary secretary of the station, a letter of appreciation ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of £4 5s. on the standard scale, for the three launches.

Total rewards, £60 9s. 6d.

The Newhaven and Hastings motor life-boats were also launched.

Rewards : Newhaven, £16 16s. ; Hastings, £45 19s. 6d.

A letter of appreciation and a donation of 100 guineas were received from the owners.

(See-Hastings “Accounts of Services by Life-boats, 1940,” page 134, and Eastbourne “Accounts of Services by Life-boats, 1941,” page 65.).