BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT SHERINGHAM OCTOBER 30TH - 31ST. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK. At 7.47 in the evening of the 29th of October the Sheringham coastguard reported that a vessel off Cley, about five miles west of Sheringham, was showing a signal that she was out of control and that the Yarmouth naval base had suggested that the life-boat should put out to investigate. A very strong gale was blowing from the north-east, dead on shore, with a very heavy sea, and the honorary secretary decided not to take the very great risk of launching the life-boat against the gale unless the vessel actually showed signals of distress.

The crew had been assembled, and the coxswain, and some of the men, continued to stand by until midnight.

At 1.7 on the morning of the 30th the Cromer coastguard telephoned that the vessel was drifting ashore at Clcy. The honorary secretary then telephoned to Cley coastguard and found from him that the vessel was still a mile off shore and was signalling for a tug. The coastguard had replied to her signal that it was impossible to send out a tug in such weather, but that the crew of the life-boat was standing by to launch.

The captain of the vessel had replied that he would signal again if he wanted the life-boat. By 7.50 in the morning the weather hadmoderated a little, and the honorary secretary informed the Cromer coastguard that the life-boat could be launched if she were needed. At 9.23 the Cley coastguard reported that the vessel had signalled that she was drifting and wanted help, and it was decided to launch. Although the weather had moderated a little, it was still blowing hard from the north-east.

A very rough sea was running, and there were hard squalls of rain and sleet.

The motor life-boat Foresters Centenary was taken out of her house at a quarter to ten. The tide was low and, with a shortage of launchers, it was a very difficult launch. The life-boat on her carriage had first to be taken down the steep pebble beach, then through a narrow channel in which were about two feet of water, and then over a sandbank which was just covered with water. On this sandbank the carriage stuck, and it was a hard struggle to move it again, but in the end the launchers dragged the lifeboat into a sufficient depth of water, and at 10.23 she left her carriage. As it was low water the sea at the place of launching was not heavy, and it was broken by an outer ledge of rocks. The life-boat had to be taken through a narrow channel in this ledge, across which heavy seas were breaking.

The coxswain handled her very skilfully and brought her safely through the channel. Once she was in deep water her chief difficulties were over.

She reached the vessel at 11.5 and found her to be the Canadian steamer Eaglescliffe Hall, of Montreal. She had not gone ashore, but was lying with her two anchors down head to sea in about four fathoms of water. She had drifted through a boom defence, had carried part of it away, and had a lot of wires and buoys trailing from her propeller.

The life-boat went alongside and made fast. Fifteen of the steamer’s crew came down a rope ladder and dropped into the life-boat, but the captain and eight of the crew said that they would remain aboard, as the weather was moderating. The actual work of rescue had taken forty minutes. The life-boat arrived back at her station at 12.25 that afternoon.

The weather continued to improve,and on the following day, at the request of a naval salvage officer, the life-boat took the fifteen rescued men, a salvage officer and supplies of food out to the Eaglescliffe Hall again, A tug had now come to tow out the steamer, and the life-boat piloted her until she had towed the steamer into deep water.

The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN JAMES E. DUMBLE, the bronze medal for gallantry and a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of £2 in addition to the usual money award of 19s. on the standard scale ; A letter of thanks to Mr. H. R.

Johnson, the honorary secretary, who was at the telephone continuously from 7.47 on the evening of the 29th until 1.30 in the afternoon of the 30th ; Additional awards were also made to the 44 launchers ; Standard rewards to the crew and launchers, £21 19s. 6d. ; additional rewards to the crew and launchers, £27 10s. ; total rewards, £49 9s. 6d..