OCTOBER 21ST. - MOELFRE, ANGLESEY. About 1.15 in the morning the coastguard sent a message to the coxswain that an aeroplane wasin distress, burning red flares, off Dulas Island, some three miles to the west.

The coxswain summoned the crew, and the boat got away at 1.45. The night was very dark, with rain, and it was blowing very hard from the southward. A very rough sea was running. As soon as the life-boat cleared the land she could see Very lights to the westward, evidently being fired by the airmen. When the life-boat got to the scene she found two or three trawlers standing by, but they could do nothing to help.

They could not lower their boats in that heavy sea, nor could they themselves get near the airmen, who were now in their rubber dinghy, beating up against the rocks on the weather side of a reef on the north of Dulas, where the seas were breaking heavily.

The airmen were in great danger, and the coxswain knew that whatever he did must be done at once, or they would be smashed on the rocks. Telling his crew to “ hold on to yourselves in case she strikes “, he boldly steered through the darkness towards where - somewhere among the rocks - he supposed the dinghy to be. He did not know what rocks were in his way, nor what water was, or was not, under his keel.

Apart from the danger of wrecking the life-boat he had to approach the rubber dinghy very carefully, for fear the life-boat would overrun her or knock the men out of her. He had a man at the searchlight, but the boat was rolling so heavily that it was not of great use, so he placed the secondcoxswain in the bows, telling him to lie flat. There, if he could, he was to watch for the rocks and direct the coxswain through them. All the time he was in great danger himself of being washed overboard as the life-boat rolled. In this way, by faith rather than by sight, the lifeboat moved through the darkness.

All on board knew that the odds were that she would strike the rocks, with almost certain loss of life among her crew. That she did not, and that she found and rescued the airmen was, so the district inspector who visited Moelfre wrote, “ only rendered possible by striking dispensation of Providence, combined with great human skill and daring. The risks to the salvors and the bravery shown were great.” The life-boat found the airmen only just in time. When the secondcoxswain, lying in the bows, saw them, one of them had just been washed out of the dinghy. They were all very much exhausted, and one of them had been injured on the rocks. The second-coxswain was the strong man of the crew. He seized the airman and lifted him straight out of the water into the life-boat, a great feat of strength. Then he threw a line to the dinghy and, with the other three airmen holding it, the life-boat backed out from the rocks towing the dinghy with her until she was in a slightly safer place. Then the men were taken into the life-boat, and the secondcoxswain lifted the dinghy on board her, another great feat of strength.

His unusual strength had played a big part in the rescue and had saved much time, when a few minutes might have meant the difference between life and death. With great difficulty, and at great risk, the coxswain carefully backed the life-boat out from among the rocks, and she returned to her station, undamaged, arriving about three in the morning.

The following message was received from the pilot of the aeroplane : “ Whitley V - ’ H ‘ - ditched quarter of mile S.E. of Point Lynas at 0120 hours. Fired first rocket 0140 hours.

Picked up 0230 hours.

“ Rescued from reef by line thrown from life-boat. Life-boat crew displayed extreme courage and skill in attempting such a rescue in such adverse conditions of weather - 30 m.p.h. wind - and in such a hazardous situation, and I should like on behalf of myself and my crew to recommend them for the highest honour and credit possible in the Royal National Life-boat Institution. The life-boat was brought right in close to the rocks thus endangering the safety of boat and crew to get us safely and quickly off the reef. A wind of almost gale force, a dark rough sea, and an unknown treacherous cove added greatly to the already present difficulties.”For this gallant service the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN JOHN MATTHEWS, a clasp to the silver medal for gallantry which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To SECOND-COXSWAIN RICHARD M.

EVANS, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To ROBERT WILLIAMS, the motormechanic, who handled the engine with great skill and accuracy, a clasp to the bronze medal for gallantry which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a reward of £3 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d. each ; To each of the five launchers a reward of 10s. in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of 12s. ; Standard rewards, £16 2s. 6d. ; additional rewards, £26 10s. ; total rewards, £42 12s. 6d..