Launches 32. Lives rescued 31.

OCTOBER 8TH. - CLOUGHEY, CO. DOWN. At 12.30 P.M. the Tara coastguard reported that the motor  boat Dawn, of Glasgow, engaged on salvage work, was showing signals of distress at the entrance to Strangford Lough. A strong westerly breeze was blowing, with squalls and heavy showers, and the sea was rough. A t 12.50 P.M. the motor life-boat Herbert John was launched and found the boat with her engine broken down. She had no sails or oars, and the two men on board her were helpless. The life-boat towed her to Portaferry Quay, and returned to her station at 4.45 P.M. - Rewards, £10 13s.

OCTOBER 8TH. - SENNEN COVE, AND ST. IVES, CORNWALL. At 2.23 P .M.

information was received at Sennen Cove from the coastguard that an aeroplane was down in the sea two hundred yards off Pendeen Lighthouse, and that two men from her were drifting north-east. A strong squally N.W. wind was blowing, with a rough sea, and it had been decided to call out the life-boat instead of the R.A.F. rescue launches. The Sennen Cove motor life-boat The Newbons was launched at 2.34 P.M. and was met by a Lysander aeroplane, which guided her to where two men in “ Mae West ” jackets were floating unconscious. The lifeboatlifeboat took them on board and her crew tried to revive them, but without success. The life-boat also picked up a rubber dinghy dropped from the Lysander. At 5 P.M. the life-boat returned to Sennen Cove, but had to anchor off and wait for the tide. She came into harbour at 6.18 P.M., when the two bodies were landed by a small boat. A letter was received from the resident naval officer at Penzance thanking the crew.

Information of the aeroplane’s crash had been received at St. Ives at 2.12 P.M., and the motor life-boat Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine had been launched a t 2.50 P.M., but on reaching Pendeen she was recalled, and arrived back at her station at 5.40 P.M. - Rewards : Sennen Cove, £17 19s. ; St. Ives, £18 15s. 6d.

OCTOBER 12TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

At 12.39 in the afternoon the coastguard reported that an aeroplane had come down in the sea 3 1/2 miles S.W. of Towan Head, and the motor life-boat Richard Silver Oliver was launched at one o’clock. A light S.W.

wind was blowing, with a slight ground swell.

Mr. E. H. Trembath, the honorary secretary of the station, went with her as signalman, and by morse lamp kept in touch with a Lysander aeroplane which was circling over the spot where the aeroplane had come down.

In 25 minutes the life-boat was on the spot, and found six airmen in their dinghy. She rescued them and brought them ashore at 1.52 P.M. - Rewards, £23 6s. 6d.

OCTOBER 17TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

At 4 P.M. the flag officer in charge at Great Yarmouth asked that the life-boat should take out a doctor to H.M. Trawler 677, which was two miles N.E. of Sheringham.

A moderate W.S.W. breeze was blowing, with a slight swell. The motor life-boat Foresters Centenary was ready for launching within fifteen minutes, but no doctor was available and, after waiting another fifteen minutes, the life-boat left without him. She found that the master of the trawler insisted on the presence of a doctor before allowing the sick man to be moved, and returned to Sheringham.

A doctor was now ready. He was put on board the life-boat by a fishing boat. At 6.15 P.M. the life-boat returned ashore, bringing the sick man, and he was sent to Cromer Hospital by ambulance. - Rewards, £24 11s.

OCTOBER 21ST. - CLOUGHEY, CO . DOWN. At 6.50 A.M. the Tara coastguard reported a vessel on the rocks at the old lighthouse on South Rock, and the motor life-boat Herbert John was launched at 7.30 A.M. A moderate westerly breeze was blowing, with a smooth sea. The life-boat found H.M. Minesweeper Wedgeport getting clear of the rocks on the rising tide. Her captain said that he was off his course, so the life-boat coxswain went aboard the minesweeper, piloted her to South Rock Lightship and put her on her course. She had sustained some damage and was making water, but her captain decided to go on his way, and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 9.5 A.M. - Rewards, £10 19s.

OCTOBER 21ST. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 9.51 in the evening the coastguard reported an aeroplane down in Yarmouth Roads to the east of Nelson’s Column. The aeroplane was a bomber which, by mistake, had been shot down by our own anti-aircraft fire. The motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched at ten past ten. A light westerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea, and there was mist and rain. The life-boat searched until 11.35, but though she found some of the equipment of the aeroplane, and picked it up, she found no sign of the crew, and she was recalled by a wireless message from the naval base. She was back at her station by 12.30 next morning. - Rewards, £20 7s.

OCTOBER 22ND. - BARROW, LANCASHIRE.

At 12.50 P.M. the naval officer in charge at Barrow reported a boat in distress off Ravenglass harbour, and the motor lifeboat N.T. was launched at 1 P.M. A fresh S.W. wind was blowing, with a heavy swell.

When five miles N.N.E. of the Selker buoy the life-boat found the motor fishing boat Meta, of Ravenglass, with a crew of two.

Her engine had broken down. The life-boat towed her to Barrow, arriving at 10.15 P.M.

- Rewards, £23 7s. 6d.

OCTOBER 2 3RD. - BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE.

At 11.30 A.M. the coastguard reported a vessel five or six miles N.E. by N. of Buckie, burning what appeared to be distress signals, and the motor life-boat K.B.M. was launched at 11.55 A.M. A stiff W. by N. breeze was blowing, with a choppy sea. In three-quarters of an hour the lifeboat found the ex-Danish fishing boat Vesterland, with a crew of four. She was bound for Buckie from the fishing grounds, had broken down and, before the life-boat arrived, had been taken in tow by H.M. Drifter Archimedes.

The life-boat escorted them to Buckie harbour, arriving at 1.40 P.M. - Rewards, £7 18s.

OCTOBER 25TH. - FENIT, CO. KERRY.

At 5 P.M. the Kerryhead look-out reported that a raft was floating in Tralee Bay, about two miles south of the head, and the motor life-boat City of Bradford I, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 5.30 P.M.

Mr. Timothy F. Barrett, the honorary secretary, went out with her. A moderate S.W. wind was blowing, with a heavy swell. At 7.20 P.M. the life-boat found the raft, but there was no one on board. The life-boat brought it back to Fenit, arriving at 10.30 P.M. - Rewards, £13 14s. 6d.

OCTOBER 26TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. At 7.45 in the evening the naval control asked the life-boat coxswain to assemble his crew, as a vessel, somewhere in the east anchorage, was sending out a wireless SOS, and a tug and a fire-float had gone ashore east of the pier. The motor life-boat J. B. Proudfoot was launched at 8.5 with some difficulty, for two wreck-lifting lighters, which were bringing in a wreck, had moored across the end of the slipway only sixty feet away from it, and had allowed the wreck to take the bottom there. As soon as the lifeboat left the slipway, her engine had to be put full speed astern to check her way and to prevent her from running into them. The coxswain decided to go first to the vessel which was sending out the SOS as he thought that the other two would be in no immediate danger. A southerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea, and the night was dark, with mist. He searched the edge of the sands, to the east of the pier, and at about 8.25 found the converted yacht Thoma II, in the service of the Port of London Authority. She was aground a quarter of a mile west of the West Shoebury Buoy and about one and a half miles east of the pier. She was lying broadside on to the seas, which were breaking aboard her, and she was rolling heavily.

The tide was low, and there was not enough water for the life-boat to go under the lee of the wreck, so the coxswain anchored to seaward and dropped down towards her on his cable. When she was about thirty feet away, the life-boat grounded on a sand bank herself. Like the yacht she was broadside on to the seas and began to roll heavily, with the seas breaking over her all the time. In spite of this her crew threw the heaving cane aboard the yacht, with a line attached, rigged the breeches buoy, and hauled the crew of the yacht through the surf into the life-boat. There were eight of them and their rescue took about half an hour. There was nothing to do then, but to wait for the tide to rise. When it did the life-boat refloated and arrived back at Southend pier, where she landed the rescued men about 10.15 that night.

A quarter of an hour later she cast off again and went to the help of the tug and the fire-float which were on the sands a mile east of the pier. She reached them in a few minutes and found that another tug was helping the tug, which had lost her propeller, so the coxswain went to the help of the fire-float. She was lying on the sands in about a fathom of water. He ran out a spare anchor, with a rope cable attached to it, passed the cable to the fire-float, and put aboard her three of his own crew. They put the cable round a small hand capstan and, with the fire-float’s engine working, hauled her off the sands. The fire-float then returned to her tender under her own power, with the life-boat standing by. The life-boat got back to her station again at 1.30 in the morning.

Both the launch and the rescue of the crew of the yacht were skilfully carried out in face of considerable difficulty, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN SIDNEY PAGE, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of 30s. in addition to the ordinary rewards on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d. for each of the services, making a total reward to each man of £5 5s. ; Standard rewards for the first service, £16 1s.; standard rewards for the second service, £17 18s. 6d. ; additional rewards, £13 10s. ; total rewards, £47 9s. 6d.

OCTOBER 29TH. - EYEMOUTH, BERWICKSHIRE.

During the afternoon three local fishing boats in Eyemouth Bay were seen making for harbour in a strong N.E.

gale, with a very heavy sea, and the motor life-boat Frank and William Oates was launched at 3.45 P.M. She stood by the boats, and they all got in safely but at great risk.

Sh e returned to her station at 5P.M. - Rewards, £12 4s.

OCTOBER 29TH - 30TH. - PORT ST. MARY, ISLE OF MAN. The laden Norwegian tanker Spenanger, of 7,248 tons, bound from Milford to the Clyde with an escort, got off her course and ran on the Carrick Rock, in Port St. Mary Bay. The weather was hazy, with a light E.N.E. wind and a slight sea.

The coastguard reported the vessel aground at 2.40 A.M. and twenty-five minutes later the motor life-boat Sir Heath Harrison put out. The master of the tanker asked her to return ashore and ask for immediate help from the naval authorities. This the life-boat did. She then returned to the Spenanger, and stood by until 7 A.M., when she returned to her station. The tanker discharged part of her cargo of crude oil, but a tug, which arrived at noon, failed to get her off. At two in the morning of the 30th the life-boat again put out and took a naval officer to the Spenanger, as her stern had shifted. Another tug now came, and the life-boat remained standing by in case the tanker should capsize when an attempt was made to re-float her, but the tugs got her safely off, and she was able to go on her way escorted by the tugs.

The life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 3.30 A.M. - Rewards, £34 11s. and £28 1s.

OCTOBER 30TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

At 6.49 A.M. the coastguard reported that an aeroplane had crashed into the sea about two miles east of Sheringham, and a few minutes later the coastguard rang up again to say that he could see men on the aeroplane, and that she was getting lower in the water. Soldiers helped in the launch, and with some of the launchers going in up to their necks the motor life-boat Foresters Centenary got away at 7.10. She found a Halifax bomber, with her crew of six Polish airmen all in one dinghy. The dinghy had drifted close to the shore, where there was a good deal of surf, and the men were thinking that they would attempt to swim in when fortunately the life-boat arrived. She took them and their dinghy on board and got back to her station at 7.40 A.M. None of the rescued was seriously injured, and after hot baths, dry clothes, and breakfast, which Mr. H. R. Johnson, the honorary secretary, had arranged, they left at 8.30 for Langham Aerodrome in an R.A.F. ambulance, which had been sent for them. At the request of Bomber Command the life-boat put out again at 7.52 to try and tow in the aeroplane, but she found it had drifted ashore, and returned to her station at 9.10 A.M. Messages of thanks and congratulations were received from the R.A.F. Station, the Inspector of Coastboats,” page 70.) guard and the Director General of Aircraft Safety. - Rewards, £24 16s. 6d.

(See Sheringham, “ Services by Shore-

OCTOBER 31ST. - ARRANMORE, CO.DONEGAL. While a small fishing boat was returning from the fishing grounds her engine broke down, and the motor life-boat K.T.J.S.

was launched at 2.30 PM. to help her. A northerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat found the fishing boat off Arranmore and got her safely to harbour at 5.30 P.M. - Rewards, £13 14s.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given : OCTOBER 5TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

Red rockets had been reported, but nothing was found, and later it was learned that a bombing aeroplane had come down on the land. - Rewards, £14 4s. 6d.

OCTOBER 5TH. - ST. ABBS, BERWICKSHIRE, AND DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN.

An R.A.F. aeroplane had crashed several miles inland. One of the crew was killed, but the other had baled out. He was carried to the coast and came down in the sea, but his parachute became detached and he was drowned. - Rewards : St. Abbs, £9 7s. ; Dunbar, £5 14s.

(See Cockburnspath, “ Services by Shoreboats,” page 70.) OCTOBER 11TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £43 5s.

OCTOBER 1 2TH. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND. An aeroplane was reported to have dived into the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £11 3s. 6d.

OCTOBER 1 4TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. A buoy had broken adrift with four boys on board, but as the tide ebbed they were able to get ashore. - Rewards, £7 3s.

OCTOBER 14TH. - TOBERMORY, ARGYLLSHIRE. During the previous night two small boats with naval men aboard had drifted out of harbour, but they made land without help. - Rewards, £5 14s.

OCTOBER 14TH. - MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.

A steamer had run ashore, and the life-boat went out to stand by while an attempt was being made to refloat her, but was signalled to return as she was not needed.

- Rewards, £11 11s.

OCTOBER 16TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £41 6s. 6d.OCTOBER 24TH. - ST. IVES, CORNWALL.

A white light had been reported off Gurnards Head, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £25 7s. 6d.

OCTOBER 27TH. - BALTIMORE, CO.

CORK. A steamer had been reported on the horizon apparently sinking, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £29 0s. 6d.

OCTOBER 29TH. - MINEHEAD, SOMERSET.

An American Liberator bombing aeroplane had crashed, but she had come down on land. - Rewards, £24 4s.

OCTOBER 20TH. - ARRANMORE, CO.

DONEGAL. Flares had been reported, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £17 18s.

OCTOBER 30TH. - ST. MARY’S, SCILLY ISLES. A Whitley bombing aeroplane had been reported down 40 miles S.W. of Bishop Rock, but the life-boat returned, after going over thirty miles, as it was learned that motor launches had searched the area and found nothing. - Rewards, £24 5s. 6d.

OCTOBER 31ST. - RHYL, FLINTSHIRE.

The Royal Naval Walrus aeroplane W3097 had come down on the sea, but she taxied ashore without help. - Rewards, £15 7s.