SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT FALMOUTH JANUARY 19TH. - FALMOUTH, CORNWALL. The Falmouth motor life-boat Crawford and Constance Conybeare arrived at her station from thebuilding yard on the 7th of January, 1940. Twelve days later, on the 19th, she was called out on her first service.

A gale was blowing that morning from the south-east. The weather was hazy. A very heavy sea was running. At 9.30 the life-boat left her moorings in answer to a message that a large steamer was dragging her anchors off Castle Beach in Falmouth Bay, and was flying signals of distress.

Ten minutes later the life-boat reached her. She was the Kirkpool, of West Hartlepool, with a crew of 35 men. She was loaded and was drawing 22 feet of water. Two tugs were at anchor in the neighbourhood, but they were unable to get near the Kirkpool, and were riding heavily to the gale with seas breaking over them.

The Kirkpool herself was dragging rapidly towards the shore. Her captain hailed the coxswain and asked him to take a line from the steamer to one of the tugs. The coxswain attempted to get alongside on the port side and failed ; tried then on the starboard side ; got near enough for the line to be thrown, and took it to one of the tugs ; but the tug could make no headway. The Kirkpool continued to drag, and a few minutes later struck the beach and lay there broadside on to the breaking seas.

Her boilers lifted as she struck and the engine-room was filled with steam.

Her captain then asked the coxswain if he would take off an injured man on a stretcher (he was very ill and died next day) and the firemen.

Terrific seas were running round the Kirkpool’s bow and stern. Seas were breaking clean over her. Their rise and fall was fifteen feet, while on the leeside of the steamer, between her and the shore, there was not more than twelve feet of water. The coxswain took the life-boat round the bows of the steamer and got between her and the shore. As she came round the bows she was lifted almost to the level of the fo’csle. She looked from the shore to be almost smothered in the surf, and then to be standing on end.

But the coxswain took her safely through the surf and alongside the steamer. The injured man on thestretcher and thirteen firemen were put on board her, and the life-boat made for Falmouth. As she left, the captain of the Kirkpool asked when she would be back again.

She landed the 14 men at 11.30 and returned as quickly as possible to the wreck. Again the coxswain took her through the heavy breaking seas, into the surf between steamer and shore, and putting her alongside the steamer, with the seas breaking rigid over her, he rescued the other 21 men.

By 1.15 in the afternoon they had been landed safely at Falmouth.

The life-boat was handled by the coxswain with great skill and daring.

and the mechanics and crew responded splendidly to his orders. The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN J. C. SNELL, the silver medal for gallantry, and a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To C. H. WILLIAMS, motor-mechanic, the bronze medal for gallantry, and a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum : To each of the other six members of the crew, L. MORRISON, second-coxswain, H. TONKIN, bowman, C.

BROWN, assistant motor-mechanic, R. TONKIN, N. MORRISON, T. SOULT, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of 19s. Standard rewards, £6 17s. 6d. ; additional rewards, £16. Total rewards, £22 17s. 6d..