SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT MOELFRE JANUARY 28TH - 29TH. - HOLYHEAD, AND MOELFRE, ANGLESEY, AND LLANDUDNO. CAERNARVONSHIRE.

At 7.30 in the evening of the 29th of January, 1940, a message came to the Moelfre life-boat station from an Admiralty salvage officer asking for the life-boat to stand by the Glasgow steamer Gleneden. The Gleneden was a steamer of nearly 7,000 tons, with a crew of sixty, loaded with maize. She was on her way from Saigon to Liverpool, and she had gone ashore on Dutchman’s Bank by Puffin Island. There she had been for three days. On the 28th the Llandudno motor life-boat had gone out to her, but her help was not needed. Then came the message from the salvage officer to Moelfre on the 29th. He asked that the life-boat should stand by for two hours during high water. There was fear that the steamer would break in two. The lifeboat G. W. put out at nine o’clock, so as to arrive shortly before high water. Only then could she go alongside.

As she was leaving anothermessage came asking her to take off all the Gleneden’s crew.

As soon as the life-boat had put out the honorary secretary telephoned to the life-boat station at Holyhead, and it was agreed that the Holyhead motor life-boat should also go, as there were more men on board the Gleneden than the Moelfre life-boat could safely take off. Then the honorary secretary made arrangements at Beaumaris for the accommodation of the Gleneden’s crew there and the berthing of the life-boat.

Meanwhile the life-boat was having a very rough passage to Puffin Island.

She was under water all the way, and the sea froze on the men’s oilskins until they were as stiff as boards. A gale was blowing from the north-east, and the sea was very rough.

The life-boat reached Puffin Island about 11.30. The coxswain did not wait for high water. He made his attempt at once. It was very difficult, but he took the risk. It succeeded.

He came safely alongside the Gleneden and rescued 49 lascars. The eleven white officers remained on board.

There was no moon. It was pitch dark. The lascars could not understand the coxswain’s orders and crowded first to one side of the life-boat and then to the other, making navigation very difficult. The coxswain had extra life-lines rigged and but for them many of the lascars would have been washed out of the crowded boat.

The life-boat made for Beaumaris, and as soon as she had landed the lascars, seeing nothing of the Holyhead life-boat, she returned to the Gleneden for the eleven officers. Just as she was taking them off the Holyhead life-boat A.E.D. arrived. It was then 2.30 in the morning of the 30th.

The A.E.D. had put out at 10.40 and had had a very difficult and dangerous journey of thirty miles. The coxswain had driven her at full speed, taking inside passages and cutting off corners in the darkness, with all his crew on the lookout.

It was a fine service by Moelfre in very bad weather. The crew showed great endurance and the coxswain handled his life-boat with great skill.

Holyhead also had faced very bad weather, and had done the dangerousjourney in remarkably quick time.

After the risks they had taken it was hard for the crew to find that they were not needed after all, but, as the coxswain said, “ I’d sooner go 100 times for nothing but disappointment than once have a life lost for want of me being there.” The Institution made the following awards : MOELFRE To. COXSWAIN JOHN MATTHEWS, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To ROBERT WILLIAMS, the motormechanic, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To SECOND-COXSWAIN RICHARD M.

EVANS, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To COLONEL L. WILLIAMS, the honorary secretary of the station, a letter of thanks ; To the coxswain and each of the eight members of his crew, a reward of £3 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £1 17s. 6d. Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £15 16s. 6d. ; additional rewards to crew, £27 ; total rewards £42 16s. 6d.

Other payments to Moelfre in connexion with this service amounted to £37 14s. 6d., making a total of £80 11s.

HOLYHEAD To COXSWAIN R. JONES, a letter of thanks ; To LIEUTENANT L. A. C. MAY, R.N., honorary secretary of the station, a letter of thanks ; To the coxswain and each of the seven members of his crew a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £1 17s. 6d. Standard rewards, £11 5s. ; additional rewards, £16 ; total rewards, £27 5s.

BEAUMARIS To COLONEL A. F. G. PERY-KNOXGORE, D.S.O., honorary secretary of the station, a letter of thanks.

LLANDUDNO Standard rewards to the Llandudno crew and helpers for their launch onthe 28th, £34 3s. ; £11 15s. 6d. to the Llandudno coxswain as compensation for illness due to the service.

Total rewards paid in connexion with the Gleneden, £153 14s. 6d.