BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT TYNEMOUTH DECEMBER 1ST AND 8TH.-CULLERCOATS AND TYNEMOUTH, NORTHUMBERLAND.

At 8.50 in the morning the Cullercoats life-boat station received a message from the Tynemouth coastguard that a vessel had struck a mine a mile to the east of Tynemouth North Pier. A quarter of an hour later the motor life-boat Westmorland was launched. A light south-west wind was blowing, and the sea was smooth. The life-boat found that the mined vessel was the 20,000-ton Norwegian motor ship Oslo Fjord, of Oslo. One of the crew had been killed when the mine exploded. The life-boat rescued forty of the crew and stood by until the ship had been run on the beach. She then landed the men at North Shields, and took out to the vessel three salvage officials. It was now after mid-day, and about one o’clock another steamer, the oil tanker British Officer, struck a mine as she was entering Tynemouth Harbour. Six of her crew were killed by the explosion. The Cullercoats life-boat went to her help, took off 25 of her crew and landed them at North Shields. She then returned to stand by the Oslo Fjord, and did not get back to her station until 6.30 that evening.

The news of the British Officer had been telephoned at once to Tynemouth, and the motor life-boat John Pyemont was launched at eight minutes past one. She found the Cullercoats life-boat alongside the tanker, taking off some of the crew. When the Cullercoats boat left to land these men at North Shields, the Tynemouth lifeboat, at the request of the master, stood by, as he and several of the officers and crew were remaining on board the tanker although she was slowly sinking. The life-boat stood by until four in the afternoon. By that time the stern of the tanker was resting on the sea bed, and the master said that he thought that the life-boat might safely leave them, but asked that she should be ready to give further help if they needed it. On leaving the British Officer the life-boat learned from the harbour master that several members of the crew of the Oslo Fjord, who were still on board, now wished to abandon ship, and the life-boat went at once to their help.

She rescued 17 men and landed them at 6.20. She then went back to the British Officer, but found that no further help was needed, and returned to her station at 7.30 that evening.

On the 8th of December, at 12.5 in the morning, a message came to the Tynemouth life-boat station from the Port War Signal Station that the Oslo Fjord, which was aground a mile south of the Tyne South breakwater with a skeleton crew of 22, had fired a distress rocket.

Mr. E. Selby Davidson, the honorary secretary of the station, collected his crew by car, and the motor life-boat John Pyemont was launched at 12.30 A.M. Coxswain George Lisle was in command and the honorary secretary was aboard.

The night was very dark and stormy, with a strong wind blowing from the north-north-east, Heavy seas were striking the vessel and going rightover her upper decks. They were so heavy that they had already begun to break her up. It was this which had decided her chief officer to signal for help.

The life-boat reached the Oslo Fjord at one in the morning and the coxswain carefully examined her position.

He decided to try to go alongside amidships on the starboard side.

Here was the quietest place, the only place which would give the life-boat any shelter from the seas, but it would still be very difficult to get alongside.

There was much wreckage floating about ; two damaged boats were hanging from the davits ; the vessel had a slight list to starboard ; her promenade deck, as with many modem liners, projected by more than two feet ; and the seas were rising and falling about 20 feet. The chief danger to the life-boat was that, as the seas lifted her, she would be crushed under the projection of the promenade deck.

AN HOUR TO RESCUE 22 MEN The coxswain brought her alongside between the two hanging boats.

Lines that were hanging over the vessel’s side were seized, and by manoeuvring his engines the coxswain held the life-boat close enough for the Oslo Fjord’s crew to slide down ropes into the life-boat. While the coxswain manoeuvred the life-boat Mr. Selby Davidson was in charge of the rescue, looking after the ropes and fenders and getting the men of the Oslo Fjord aboard as they slid down their ropes.

Though there were only 22 men on board her, it took more than an hour to rescue them. Five times the coxswain had to give orders to cast off the ropes and quickly to move the life-boat clear, as seas threatened to lift her and jamb her under. the over hanging deck.

By his vigilance and careful manoeuvring, and the close co-operation of his motor-mechanic, the coxswain rescued the men aboard the Oslo Fjord without injury to his own crew or boat, and at 3.5 that morning he brought them to Tynemouth. Only then was it learnt, from the Oslo Fjord’s second officer, that the chief officer, while ordering his crew to abandon ship, had refused to leave her himself and had asked that no one should be told until the life-boat was back at her station. He was still on board the Oslo Fjord alone.

At 11.15 the life-boat was asked to go out a second time to rescue the chief officer, as he was thought to be in considerable danger. Mr. Selby Davidson again went with her. She reached the Oslo Fjord at 12.20 to find that she had now broken in two.

The weather was worse than it had been eleven hours before, but daylight made it easier to come alongside.

Of the chief officer nothing could be seen, and one of the life-boatmen, Bartholomew Taylor, offered to go on board. This he did, with great difficulty and risk, and the life-boat sheered off until he appeared again.

The chief officer was with him.

The life-boat went alongside ; took off both men and got back to her station at 1.55.

THE REWARDS Both the rescues on the 8th of December were very difficult, and were carried out with gallantry and fine seamanship. The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN GEORGE LISLE, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To MR. E. SELBY DAVIDSON, the honorary secretary, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To WILLIAM JOHNSON, m o t o r - mechanic and BARTHOLOMEW TAYLOR, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To BARTHOLOMEW TAYLOR, a reward of £5 in addition to the ordinary scale rewards of £1 17s. 6d. for the first service and 19s. for the second service, making a total reward of £7 16s. 6d. ; To the coxswain and each other member of the crew a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary scale reward of £1 17s. 6d. for the first service and 19s. for the second service making a total reward of £4 16s. 6d each. Standard rewards to crew and launchers for the first service £16 4s.and for the second service £9 5s. ; additional rewards to crew £19 ; total rewards for the two services, £44 9s. ; Rewards for the services on the 1st of December, Cullercoats, £40; Tynemouth, £30 9s. 6d.

In March 1941 the Norwegian Government sent a letter of thanks to the Tynemouth crew, and in 1946 awarded silver life-saving medals with diplomas to Mr. E. Selby Davidson, honorary secretary, George Lisle, coxswain, William Johnson, motormechanic, and Bartholomew Taylor, life-boatman.