JANUARY 16TH - 26TH. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES. At nine in the evening of the 15th the Kyle coastguard telephoned that a vessel was ashore two miles N.W. by W. of Barra Head, and the life-boat crew were assembled. Shortly afterwards another message came that the vessel had been able to go on her way. A gale of exceptional violence was blowing from the south-east, and the night was very dark, with squalls of rain and sleet. A very heavy sea was running into the harbour at Castlebay, and it was breaking on the beach with such force that it would have been impossible to launch the boarding boat to go out to the motor life-boat Lloyd’s at her moorings. The crew continued to stand by, and at eleven o’clock a message came from the Leanish coastguard that a vessel was ashore near Leanish Point. The coxswain, motor-mechanic and signalman went to Leanish Point, and were able to make out the vessel. She was the steamer R. J. Cullen, of St. John’s, New Brunswick.

She was hard on a platform of rock, on an even keel, and tremendous seas were breaking over her. It would have been impossible in such seas to get near her, and a signal was made to the steamer’s crew to stay on board and not attempt to use their boats. The reply came back that they would stay, butthat the steamer was being badly battered.

It was the unanimous opinion that it would be madness to attempt a rescue until the weather moderated.

Half an hour after midnight another message came that a vessel was ashore on the east side of Mingulay, and a later message said that she was breaking up. She was the S.S. Empire Homer, of Greenock. The lifeboat’s crew continued to stand by, waiting for a lull in the gale, and at four o’clock another message came from Kyle advising the life-boat to leave the vessel on the rocks at Leanish Point and to go to Mingulay.

Just before daylight the weather seemed to ease a little and the crew went out in the boarding-boat. It took them 15 minutes to row the 150 yards to the life-boat. At nine in the morning the life-boat put to sea. It was still blowing a gale from the S.E., and a heavy cross sea was running. The life-boat took heavy water on board. She passed the R. J. Cullen, saw that for the present she was all right, and went on to Mingulay, but though she searched the whole coast she could see no trace of the Empire Homer. She then returned to the R. J. Cullen, but she found that the reefs, and the heavy seas breaking on them, prevented her from getting nearer than half a mile away, and that nothing could be done until the weather moderated. The steamer was still well up on the rocks, and the life-boat again advised the master to stay on board. She then returned to her station where she arrived at 3.30 in the afternoon of the 16th. The crew had then been on duty for 18 hours. It was still blowing a gale, with hard squalls of rain and sleet.

The crew remained in touch with the coastguard throughout the night, and at eight o’clock next morning, the 17th, the life-boat again put out to search for the Empire Homer, still reported to be on Mingulay. The weather had now moderated, but there was a heavy swell. The life-boat again could find no trace of the steamer, and was turning away when she saw a rocket go up, apparently from the west coast of Sandray Island, some five miles, as the crow flies, from Mingulay. As the life-boat drew near she saw a crowd of men on the shore, but no sign of any vessel. This was the crew of the Empire Homer, who had got ashore. The steamer herself was hidden behind the south-east point of Sandray Island. After going near enough to shout to the men to wait, the life-boat put back to Castlebay, and came out again with her boarding boat. With this boat she brought off all the 49 men, and landed them at Castlebay at two in the afternoon. She had been out for six hours.

Meanwhile the honorary secretary of the life-boat station, not knowing how long the life-boat would be away, and anxious to take advantage of the lull in the weather, got the fishing vessel St. Margaret to go to the help of the R. J. Cullen. Her skipper took with him a fisherman who was used to catching lobsters at Leanish Point and thoroughly knew the rocks. There was still a high sea and swell, but the St. Margaret was able to go under the quarter of the R. J. Cullen andby means of a pilot ladder to rescue her whole crew of 47 men.

Next morning, the 18th, the master of the Empire Homer asked if the life-boat could go to Sandray Island again to bring ashore some of the Empire Homer’s equipment, and at 10 o’clock the life-boat set out, taking with her the Empire Homer’s master, mates, engineers and wireless officers. She found the steamer with her bow high above the water and her stern broken off near the after hatchway. The officers filled one of the ship’s boats with Lewis guns, wireless gear, and navigation instruments and the life-boat towed it back, arriving at seven o’clock in the evening. She had been out for nine hours.

At 10.45 the following night, the 19th, a message came from Kyle that a vessel was ashore close to Barra Head, and at 11.20 the life-boat again put out. A strong southerly wind was blowing, and the sea was moderate, but there was a heavy swell. The night was pitch dark and it was snowing heavily. The life-boat went right round the islands, using her searchlight, and passed two destroyers, which also seemed to be searching, but she found no vessel in distress, and arrived back at her station at 7.30 next morning, the 20th.

She had been out for eight hours. This vessel, it was thought, must have been the Norwegian steamer Ingrid which had gone ashore, not close to Barra Head, but on Tiree, some 30 miles to the east, in the Inner Hebrides.

At nine o’clock the following morning, the 21st, a message came from the coastguard at Leanish Point that another vessel had gone ashore off the point, and the life-boat put out at 10.50. A strong wind was blowing, and there was a very rough sea at Leanish.

The life-boat arrived at the point at 11.40 and found the Greek steamer Eugenie S.

Embiricos, of Andros, on the rocks close to the R. J. Cullen. Again she found it impossible, on account of the reefs, and the heavy seas breaking over them, to get near the wreck. She stood by all day, hoping that the weather would moderate. It did not, and she returned to her station, arriving at six in the evening. She had been out for seven hours.

The crew stood by at the station until 11.15 that night and then put out again, taking the boarding boat with them. They waited until daylight on the 22nd, and then went close to the steamer, but the wind was now blowing a gale, and the coxswain felt that it was impossible to use the boarding boat, in that sea, so the life-boat took it to Breivig Bay.

She returned to the steamer, but could not get alongside. She then saw that the steamer was launching a boat, so she lay where the boat could drop down to her. When she had taken the men off her, she towed the empty boat to windward, so that it could drop down to the steamer again. In this way, in three trips, 28 of the steamer’s crew were rescued.

Two had swum ashore during the night, and the master and three others remained on board. The life-boat returned to her station, arriving at two in the afternoon. She had been out for nearly fifteen hours.

After the life-boat had landed the steamer’s crew at the pier, and had been refuelled, shewas taken to her moorings. Her own boarding boat was still at Breivig Bay, but her crew borrowed a boat in which to come ashore.

As the last man got into it, a wave struck it and it capsized. All the men were thrown into the water, but all got ashore or back into the life-boat.

The captain of the steamer, and the three men who had stayed aboard with him, were brought ashore next day, the 23rd, by a fishing boat, and on the 26th the life-boat went to Breivig Bay to fetch her boarding boat. The sea was moderate, with a wind f r o m t h e N . W . A t t h e r e q u e s t o f t h e steamer’s master the life-boat also brought ashore from the steamer 16 live sheep and some provisions. She was out from midday until 3.30 in the afternoon. Thus ended this succession of services lasting twelve days.

One of the crew, J. MacNeil, was taken ill as a result of being thrown into the sea from the boarding boat, and two months later he died of pneumonia. The Institution paid the expenses of his illness and funeral, pensioned his widow from the day of his death, and made her a weekly allowance for her son until he should reach the age of sixteen. This pension and allowance were the same as if MacNeil had been a sailor, soldier or airman killed in action.

The ordinary rewards on the standard scale were £9 5s. to each man, and the Institution gave an extra reward to each man of £3.

It also gave an extra reward of £1 10s. to a fisherman, who took part in three of the services, in addition to the ordinary rewards on the standard scale of £5 4s.

It made a reward of £3, and sent a letter of thanks to Miss MacLeod, the sister of the honorary secretary, who not only gave her brother valuable help throughout the twelve days, but for several days nursed the sick life-boatman.

Rewards were also made to the staff of the post office and telephone exchange for their help in maintaining communications.

A letter of thanks was sent to Dr. S. Bartlett, J.P., and his sons for the use of their car and for help in other ways.

Ordinary rewards on the standard scale, £91 15s. ; extra rewards, £30 10s. ; total rewards, £122 5s. In addition, £47 15s. 6d.

was paid in allowances, funeral and other expenses in connexion with the illness and death of J. MacNeil.

(See Barra Island, “ Services by Shoreboats,” page 63.).