SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT CAMPBELTOWN JANUARY 1 9TH. - CAMPBLE- TOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE, AND PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWN-SHIRE. At seven minutes to eight in the morning a message came from the coastguard at Southend that a ship was ashore in front of the watch hut in Carskiey Bay. Five minutes later a second message came that another vessel had just stranded west of Carskiey Bay. At 8.45 the motor life-boat Duke of Connaught, on temporary duty at the station, put out.

She had before her a journey of 25 miles. A strong south-south-east wind was blowing, with increasing force, and a rising sea. She had only just left harbour when the rudder was damaged by the seas. It was temporarily repaired, and fighting her way against a strong tide, the lifeboat arrived in Carskiey Bay about eleven o’clock.

The first of the two vessels to come ashore was the Belgian fishing boat Anna Maria, with a crew of six. She was being pounded on the rocks by the heavy seas. The coastguard lifesaving apparatus fired a line to her, but the fishing boat had heeled over, and her crew were too numbed to haul in the breeches buoy. They jumped into the sea, but only one of them reached shore.

The second vessel was the m.v. Mobeka, of Antwerp, with a crew of 53.

She was ashore about half a mile away from the fishing boat. The life-saving apparatus had fired a line to her. A raft and a boat from the Mobeka came ashore. Both were smashed, but ninemen of the crew were rescued. Soon afterwards the Campbeltown life-boat arrived.

The wind and sea were still rising, and there were showers of sleet and snow. In the heavy breaking seas, with a damaged rudder, it was a perilous business to attempt to go alongside, but the coxswain anchored to windward, and dropping down towards the ship on his cable took the life-boat round the bows of the steamer to the leeside where he was able to get some shelter. The ship was bumping heavily ; the life-boat was tossing violently in the heavy seas ; and, to add to the dangers, the life-boat’s engine began to give trouble. In spite of this the coxswain kept her alongside until the 44 men had been rescued.

The life-boat started back for Campbeltown, but she had only gone four miles when the engine failed. The coxswain hoisted sail, put about, and sailed into Dunaverty Bay. There the engine was started again, and the lifeboat set out once more, but again the engine failed, and for the second time the life-boat hoisted sail and put about.

The coxswain decided that he must land the rescued men in Dunaverty Bay, and taking the life-boat over two reefs he brought her alongside the old jetty by the old life-boathouse at 5.30 in the afternoon. There the drenched crew of the Mobeka were landed and taken by road to Campbeltown. The life-boat was left at Dunaverty and her crew also went by road to Campbeltown.

With the damaged rudder and the failing engine, the rescue had been carried out in the face of the greatest difficulties and dangers, and the coxswain had shown great courage and initiative, and splendid seamanship.

He had been most ably supported by his crew. The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN JAMES THOMSON, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum. He was also awarded the British Empire Medal ; To SECOND-COXSWAIN DUNCAN NEWLANDS, DUNCAN BLACK, bowman, J. H. LISTER, reserve motor-mechanic, and JOSEPH MCGEACHY, D. McLEAN, NEIL SPEED and J. LANG, life-boatmen, each the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each of the seven members of the crew, a money reward of £3 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 8s. 6d. Standard rewards, £9 19s.

6d. ; additional rewards, £24 ; total rewards, £33 19s. 6d.

MR. A. P. MACGRORY, the honorary secretary of the station, had gone overland to the scene of the rescue, and knowing that the life-boat would be overcrowded with the whole of the Mobeka’s crew on board, arranged with the senior naval officer for a naval vessel to meet her and take off some of the rescued men. The vessel was sent, but in the sleet and snow she could not find the life-boat. Mr. Mac- Grory was present at Dunaverty Bay to help with the landing of the men, and had already made arrangements for them to be taken to Campbeltown and to be provided with food and lodging. The Institution awarded him its thanks inscribed on vellum.

The Institution also sent a letter of thanks to the senior naval officer.

At 8.40 in the morning the Port Patrick station had been told that a vessel was aground in the neighbourhood of Morrock Bay, and the reserve motor life-boat Ethel Day Cardwell, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 9.20. She could find no sign of any vessel and returned to her station. She was then asked to continue the search to the northwards.

This she did, but found nothing.

She again returned to her station, arriving there at 11.50. It was learned later that the vessel was the Mobeka, and that she was ashore in Carskiey Bay. - Rewards, £6 15s. 6d..