MARCH 13TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 8.55 in the evening the Seacombe Ferry Office sent a message that vessel had struck a mine off Seacombe Stage, and at 9.15 the No. 1 motor life-boat William and Kate Johnston was launched.

A moderate E.S.E. wind was blowing, and the sea was choppy. A very heavy air attack was being made on the Mersey, particularly at Wallasey, where the life-boat station is, and over three-quarters of the Wallasey houses were made uninhabitable. The lifeboathouse itself escaped, but its telephone was put out of action and the houses of both the honorary secretary and the assistant secretary were badly damaged by high explosive bombs. There was the additional danger for the life-boat of mines coming up the river on the flood tide, and because of them all other shipping had been forbidden to move. The life-boat reached the spot to find that the vessel, the S.S. Ullapool, of West Hartlepool, of about 5,000 tons, had already sunk. Another steamer, the Waldinge, had rescued five of the Ullapool’s crew, and told the life-boat that others had drifted up river in a boat. The life-boat went in search of them as far as Eastham, but could not find them and returned to the Waldinge, took off the five men and brought them to Princes Stage, where she landed them. It was then about midnight. At 12.37 A.M. a message came asking for the life-boat to go to H.M.S.. Virginia which had nine men on board. This the life-boat did, and landed the men at Liverpool. She then returned to her moorings at 1.20, and her crew were back in the boathouse at 1.50. It was then five hours since she had been called out. Allthe time bombs had been dropping in the river. In view of the danger run, and the courage shown by the crew, an increase in the usual money reward on the standard scale was made to each member of the crew.

- Standard rewards to the crew, £14 11s. 3d. ; additional rewards to the crew, £8 ; total rewards, £22 11s. 3d.