JANUARY 11TH. - THE HUMBER, AND BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. At 5.26P.M. a message was received from the Spurn Point Royal Naval Signal Station that S.S.

Pitwines had been attacked by enemy aeroplanes eighteen miles south of Flamborough Head, and was on fire. There was a light breeze and the sea was calm. At 5.30 P.M. the motor life-boat City of Bradford II was launched, but when she reached the position given, she could find nothing. At 8.40 P.M. the life-boat spoke a trawler which was on patrol duty, and she and the trawler searched a wide area, but without result.

At 2.30 next morning the life-boat met two vessels, which were not showing any lights, twelve miles N.N.E. of the Humber Lightvessel.

These two vessels were a destroyer and the Pitwines in tow of her. The destroyer signalled the life-boat to come alongside, and the commander asked the life-boat to search for a tug, which was trying to find the steamer in order to take over the tow. The life-boat could not find her, and at 5 A.M. spoke to the destroyer again. The commander then asked her to return to the Humber and send out another tug. This she did. The tug R. H. Wheeldon was sent out and towed the Pitwines into the Humber.

The life-boat returned to her station at 8 A.M. on the 12th January.

At 4.30 P.M. on the 11th January the messages for help sent out by the Pitwines were picked up at Bridlington on the assistant motor mechanic’s wireless set. Messages continued to come from the Pitwines saying that she had been hit by a bomb and was on fire, that her crew were taking to the boats and that they were being machine-gunned.

The messages gave her position as 17 miles south of Flamborough Head. At 5.20 P.M.

the motor life-boat Stanhope Smart was launched. She went to the position given and spoke several steamers, but was unable to find the Pitwines. She returned to her station at 11.30 P . M . - Rewards : The Humber, property salvage case ; 11s. 3d. ; Bridlington, £22 2s. 6d..