SEPTEMBER 15TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

At 6.28 in the morning the Cromer coastguard reported a vessel awash about five miles N.N.E. from Cromer, and the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Bailey was launched at 7.5. A strong N.E. wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat found that the vessel was the motor vessel Pontfield, of Newcastle, laden with petrol.

She had struck a mine and had been broken into two parts. A destroyer had the after part in tow, and was trying to keep it from drifting ashore. She told the life-boat that the survivors of the crew had been taken to Harwich. The coxswain of the life-boat then went alongside the fore part and found that there was no one aboard. The captain of one of H.M. trawlers then asked him to stand by the fore part until he returned and put some of his men on board. This the life-boat did for over an hour, but it was clear that the fore part was sinking rapidly.

The coxswain made for the after part, as he saw that the attempts to tow it had been abandoned and that it was now only about three-quarters of a mile from the shore. He put some life-boatmen on board it, and half an hour later two tugs arrived and got the after part of the Pontfield in tow. At the request of a salvage officer the life-boat stood by until the tug had taken the after part into Yarmouth Roads, where they arrived at 2.30in the afternoon of the following day. The life-boat then returned to her station, arriving at seven in the evening. She had been out on service for thirty-six hours. - Property salvage case.

(See Sunderland, “ Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 73.).