JANUARY 6TH - 7TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE, AND PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE. During the evening information was received from the coastguard that a British aeroplane had come down in the sea about six miles south-west of Llanbedrog. A light northerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The Barmouth motor life-boat Lawrence Arden, Stockport was launched at 6.20 P.M. and the Pwllheli motor life-boat C. and S. at 7 P.M.

Aeroplanes and a naval launch also took part in the search, but nothing was found, and both life-boats returned to their stations a few minutes after midnight. On the following morning the Pwllheli life-boat put out again at 10.5 A.M., as what was thought to be a rubber dinghy had been seen some four miles west of Mochras Point. On her way he found an aeroplane, an Anson trainer. As she was settling, the life-boat attached a buoy and line to her. She soon disappeared, but the buoy made it possible to find and salve her later. The life-boat then searched for the missing crew until a Spitfire aeroplane signalled to her that, after being in their dinghy all night, they had been rescued.

The life-boat returned to her station at 1.30 P.M. - Rewards : Barmouth, £16 5s. 6d. ; Pwllheli, £13 2s. 6d. and £5 14s.

(See Criccieth, “ Services by Shore-boats,” page 63.).