FEBRUARY 3RD. - BRIDLINGTON, AND THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE. About noon a message was received at Bridlington from the coastguard that the S.S. KildaleKildale was being attacked by enemy aeroplanes ten to twenty miles N.E. of Spurn, and that her crew were taking to the ship’s boats.

At 12.15 P.M. the motor life-boat Stanhope Smart was launched. A strong S.E. wind was blowing, with a heavy sea. It was very cold, with snow showers. After going seven miles the life-boat saw a steamer which was being carried by wind and sea towards the shore. She was the Harley, of London. She too had been attacked by aeroplanes and her crew had abandoned her. The life-boat put two men on board to get steam up and to try to keep her from going on the beach. She then went on her way to find the Kildale and searched a wide area, but she could find nothing of her and returned to her station.

Before she arrived, the crew of the Harley, which had been picked up by another vessel, had been landed at Bridlington. On the lifeboat’s return it was decided that she should put the Harley’s engineers on board her again.

The wind had now increased to a gale, with heavy seas, and it was only with great difficulty that the life-boat got the two engineers on board. She herself was damaged by being flung against the steamer. The steamer was riding on a lee shore, and the lift-boat, after returning to harbour, stood by all night, in case her help should be needed. She continued standing by until 11 A.M. next day when she returned to her station.

The same message which was sent to Bridlington, that the S.S. Kildale was being attacked by enemy aircraft, was sent also to The Humber, and there it was received at 12.10 P.M. At 12.35 the motor life-boat City of Bradford II was launched. A moderate E.S.E. wind was blowing, but the sea was smooth. Visibility was very poor. The lifeboat searched until 4 P.M. and found nothing.

She then spoke a destroyer which told her that the Kildale was making for The Humber.

An hour later she saw the Kildale in tow of the tug Yorkshireman. Her crew had been taken on board a patrol vessel, and men from the destroyer’s crew had been put on the Kildale. The Kildale had been attacked by two German aeroplanes which had not only dropped bombs but swept the decks with machine-gun fire, and one of the bombs had killed three of the engine-room’s staff. The wind had now increased and the sea was very rough. The Kildale was leaking and had a dangerous list to port. The life-boat was asked to stand by ready to take off the men if things got worse. The life-boat coxswain told them to put out a ladder on the starboard side, and this was done at once.

Another tug, The Seaman, had now arrived, and followed astern. At 6.15 P.M. the Kildale signalled that she was leaking so badly that the men on board wished to abandon her.

The life-boat put all her fenders out on the port side and turned her searchlight on to the Kildale’s side. The tug The Seaman also turned its searchlight on her, and by these two searchlights the life-boatmen were able to see the ladder. Three men were already clinging to it. The coxswain ran the lifeboat alongside, and the three men were seized and pulled aboard. The sea then struck the life-boat, crashing her against thesteamer. Two of her fenders were torn away and one of them was drawn into the port propeller and put her port engine out of action. With only one engine working, she went alongside again and, with great difficulty, rescued the six men still on board. She arrived back at her station at 12.35 next morning with the nine rescued men. - Rewards : Bridlington, property salvage case ; The Humber, permanent paid crew, 13s. 6d..