BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT WICK SEPTEMBER 21ST. - WICK, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. At 2.25 in the morning a message came from the coastguard that a vessel was ashore on the rocks inside Duncansby Head and in need of immediate help, and at five minutes past three the motor life-boat City of Edinburgh was launched. It was dead low water.

A north-easterly gale was blowing, with a very high sea and a dangerous cross swell. There was torrential rainwhich came down without ceasing, and in the darkness and rain the coxswain could see nothing. He had no clear information about the position of the wreck. All that he knew was that she was on the rocks inside Duncansby Head, fifteen miles away, and he made for the Head, steering by compass. When, by the estimated speed of his boat, he thought that he must be off the Head, he sent out a wireless message asking that the lighthouse’s light might be turned on. The answer came back that the light had been on since one in the morning, and that the wreck was on the Ness at Duncansby. The lifeboat’s crew could see nothing of the light until at last, at 5.45, a faint glimmer appeared through the rain, and they realised that all the time they had been right alongside the lighthouse. With that glimmer to guide her the life-boat made for the Ness and reached it as the first streak of daylight appeared. It was just after six in the morning. The life-boatmen could then just make out two vessels ashore, a motor barge right up on the Ness, and a tug astern of her.

As the life-boat drew closer they could see a large group of men on the barge.

The sea was very heavy, and the coxswain was uncertain of the depth of the water, or the condition of the sea bottom, but, without hesitation, he took the life-boat straight in to the barge. Handling her very boldly and skilfully he brought her alongside.

Ropes were thrown ; the life-boat was made fast ; and the 27 men waiting on the barge jumped on board her.

Four men had already got ashore on a raft, but there were still another four on the tug. Again by bold seamanship, the coxswain came alongside the tug, and the four men jumped into the life-boat. The 31 rescued men were all very cold and exhausted, but the life-boatmen revived them with rum, and the life-boat made for Wick, where she arrived just after nine in the morning. She had then been out for six hours.

It was a brave and skilful rescue, and the Institution awarded its bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum, to COXSWAIN NEIL STEWART, Junior ; its thanks on vellum to the motor mechanic, WILLIAM J. MOWATT, and a reward of £1, in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d., to each man. The Institution also sent a letter of thanks to Mr. John S. Duncan, the honorary secretary of the station. Standard rewards, £11 14s. ; additional rewards to crew, £7 ; total rewards, £18 14s.