DECEMBER 5TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. At 8.10 A.M. a message was received from the coastguard at Warden Point that a vessel two miles to the north-east was burning flares. A westerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea. At 8.25 A.M. the motor life-boat Greater London (Civil Service No. 3) was launched and found the barge Nelson with a crew of two, in a very dangerous position.

She was anchored in the four-fathom channel on the edge of the middle sand, and the barge was leaking and the two men had passed a terrible night. The coxswain of the life-boat put some of the life-boat’s crew on board. They lifted the anchor and the lifeboat then towed the barge to Southend. She returned to her station at 1.30 P.M. - Property salvage case.