Launches 25. Lives rescued 32.

APRIL 2ND. - CLACTON-ON-SEA, ESSEX. At 11.12 A.M. the military authorities reported, through the coastguard, that a soldier was adrift in a small rowing boat, without oars, about four hundred yards off Butlin’s Camp. A moderately strong N.W. wind was blowing, with a moderate swell. The motor life-boat The Brothers, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 11.43 A.M., found the boat and the soldier, and brought them back, arriving at her station at 12.37 P.M.

The officers of the unit to which the soldier belonged sent their thanks. - Rewards, £3 19s. 6d.APRIL 7TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. At 6.25 P.M. the naval control asked for the help of the life-boat with a national fire service float which was in difficulties at the loading pier. A S.W. gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. The motor lifeboat J. B. Proudfoot* was launched at 6.45 P.M., and found the float, not only damaging herself, but likely to do a lot of damage to the pier. She had seven men on board. The life-boat anchored, got a rope to the float and towed her clear of the pier with the help of the float’s own power. The life-boat stood by until the fire float was safely moored and then returned to her station, arriving at 9 P.M. - Rewards, £7 1s.

APRIL 8TH. - KILMORE, CO. WEXFORD.

At 8.20 P.M. a telephone request was received for the services of the life-boat to take off a sick man from the Coningbeg Lightship. The message had been transmitted to Rosslare by the S.S. Rockabill, which had got it from the lightship. The motor life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont was launched at 8.45 P.M. A strong S.S.W. gale was blowing, with a heavy sea, and the life-boat had great difficulty in taking off the man. He had to be lowered into her in his hammock.

On her way back the life-boat signalled for a doctor to meet her, and arrived at 12.5 A.M.

The man was found to have a duodenal ulcer, and it is probable that he would have died if he had not been brought ashore. - Rewards, £21 13s.

APRIL 11TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

At 3.35 A.M. information was received from the R.A.F. at Coltishall that an aeroplane had crashed about four miles N.N.W. of Cromer, and the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Bailey was launched at 3.58 A.M. A light westerly wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. The life-boat found six Polish airmen in a dinghy, three of them wounded.

A trawler arrived at the same time. Lines were thrown, and the first line caught by the airmen was from the trawler, and they were taken aboard her. She transferred them to the life-boat, which landed them at Cromer at 5.14 A.M. The Director General of Aircraft Safety sent a letter of thanks. - Rewards, £17 10s. 6d.

APRIL 17TH . - RAMSGATE, KENT.

During the afternoon the naval base reported a fishing boat in difficulties off Foreness Point, and the motor life-boat Agnes Cross, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 3.50 P.M. A light N.E. wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat found the motor fishing boat New Skylark, of Ramsgate, at anchor, flying a distress signal. She was leaking badly, her pump was not working, and her crew of two were baling.

A life-boatman was put on board to help them. The life-boat then took the fishing boat in tow and made for Margate, where * This boat was on duty at the station, in place of the Greater London, from December, 1941, to February, 1945.she arrived at 5 P.M. She got back to her station at 6 P.M. A letter of thanks was received from the rescued men. - Rewards, £5 3s.

APRIL 19TH. - RAMSGATE, KENT. At 3.30 P.M. the naval base reported a fishing boat, off the North Foreland, in need of a tow into harbour. She was the Boy Eric, of Lowestoft, on voyage, with a crew of two, to Ramsgate for repairs. A light S.W. wind was blowing and the sea was smooth, but as the naval authorities wished the boat to be got in quickly and no other suitable boat was available, the motor life-boat Agnes Cross, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 4.50 P.M., and returned with the Boy Eric in tow at 6.40 P.M. - Rewards, £2 13s.

APRIL 24TH. - PENLEE, CORNWALL. At 6.30 A.M. the coastguard reported a fishing boat in distress S.W. of Penzer Point, and the motor life-boat W. and S. was launched at 6.50 A.M.

An E.S.E. gale was blowing, with a rough sea.

The life-boat found the boat about three hundred yards from the shore and took her in tow. As she passed Penzer Point the coastguard signalled to her that another boat was in difficulties off Treen. After towing the first boat to safety, the life-boat returned to the help of the second boat, but on the way saw a third boat in a very dangerous position near the Runnel Stone Rocks. She went to her at once, found that her engine had broken down, and took her in tow. She then picked up the second boat and towed them both into Newlyn Harbour, where she arrived at 1 P.M. The three rescues had taken over six hours. The fishing boats, which all belonged to Newlyn, were the Margaret, Boy Don and Alsace Lorraine, and they were manned by French refugees, twelve in number. An increase in the usual money award on the standard scale was granted to each member of the crew and to each helper.

- Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £8 1s. 6d. ; additional rewards to crew and helpers, £4 7s. ; total rewards, £12 8s. 6d.

APRIL 27TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX.

At 11.45 in the morning the coastguard at Warden Point, Isle of Sheppey, reported that a barge was drifting towards the targets of the Royal Air Force off Leysdown, and at 11.55 the motor life-boat J. B. Proudfoot, on temporary duty at the station, was launched. A strong wind from the E.N.E.

was blowing, rising to the force of a gale at times, and a big sea was running. The lifeboat started out with her motors, but she had to go through channels which had not been swept of mines, and there she cut off her engines, for fear of acoustic mines, and went on under sail. The barge was the Emma, of Rochester, in ballast, with only one man on board, and the life-boat reached her when she was already within 200 yards of the targets. Her sprit was broken and her sails were in ribands. The coxswain put some members of his own crew on board the Emma, took her in tow, got her out into the swept channels and then brought her to a safe anchorage at Southend at 4.30 in the afternoon. - Property salvage case.

APRIL 29TH. - SALCOMBE, DEVON. At 12.25 in the afternoon the coastguard at Hope Cove reported that eight men in a 16-feet boat had stranded on Book Rock near Thurlestone. An E.S.E. gale was blowing, with a rough sea, and the men, who were employed on the wreck of the Louis Shied which had stranded in December, 1939, could not reach shore under oars. The rock is about a mile from the shore, and is awash at half-tide. It was low water. As no other suitable boat was available the motor lifeboat Samuel and Marie Parkhouse was launched at 12.45. She reached the rock at 1.45, rescued the men and, with their boat in tow, took them to Hope Cove. She returned to her station at 4.20 in the afternoon.

An increase in the usual money awards on the standard scale was given to each member of the crew. - Standard rewards to crew, £5 ; additional rewards to crew, £2 5s. ; total rewards, £7 5s.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given :

APRIL 1ST. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE.

A British bombing aeroplane had crashed into the sea, but another boat picked up two survivors and a dead body. - Rewards, £8 16s. 6d.

(See Peterhead, “ Services by Shore-boats,” page 64.) APRIL 7TH. - FRASERBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea and later a red rocket was seen, but on receiving a wireless signal that none of our aeroplanes was missing the life-boat returned. - Rewards, £9 13s.

APRIL 8TH. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

An aeroplane had come down in the sea, but the airmen were picked up by a motor boat from Colwyn Bay. - Rewards, £9 4s.

(See Colwyn Bay, “ Services by Shoreboats,” page 65.) APRIL 10TH. - LYTHAM - ST. ANNES, LANCASHIRE. A Spitfire aeroplane had been reported down off Lytham, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £8 1s. 6d.

APRIL 11TH. - BARROW, LANCASHIRE.

The naval authorities had reported a Spitfire aeroplane down in the sea off Seascale, but nothing could be found. - Rewards , £11 12s. 6d.

APRIL 12TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

The pilot of a British Spitfire aeroplane was reported to have baled out off Perranporth, but he had been drowned and the life-boat found nothing. - Rewards, £17 5s.

APRIL 13TH. - BARROW, LANCASHIRE.

A British aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but her crew were picked up by atrawler about twenty miles N.W. of Morecambe Bay lightship and the life-boat was recalled by wireless. - Rewards, £6 12s.

APRIL 14TH. - CROMARTY. A British aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but it was learned later that the crew had reached the shore unaided. - Rewards, £5.

APRIL 15TH. - HOYLAKE, CHESHIRE.

It had been reported that an R.A.F. pilot was in a rubber dinghy in the Dee Estuary, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £18 18s.

APRIL 17TH. - LERWICK, SHETLANDS.

Red flares had been reported south of Foula, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £11 5s.

APRIL 20TH. - FRASERBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE.

A Hudson aeroplane was reported to have crashed in the sea, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £10 18s.

APRIL 2 3RD. - BOULMER, NORTHUMBERLAND.

A small boat had been reported by an aeroplane to be in distress, but it was found to be a false alarm . - Rewards £5 9s APRIL 24TH. - COURTMACSHERRY, CO.

CORK. An object had been reported in the sea off Seven Heads, but nothing was found.

Later it was learned that it was part of a barrage balloon. - Rewards, £11 15s. 6d.

APRIL 26TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE.

The motor vessel Barendsz, of Rotterdam, was flying a four-flag signal, but it was found to be her name in code and she had only come in close for shelter in an easterly gale. Two days later smoke signals were seen from the same vessel, but by the time the life-boat reached her the gale had moderated and she did not then need help.- Rewards, £11 16s. and £11 15s.

APRIL 30TH. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

A British aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing was found.- Rewards, £3 18s. 6d.