OCTOBER 11TH. - AITH, SHETLANDS.

At 9.15 in the evening the naval authorities asked, through the coastguard, that the life-boat should go to a vessel showing signals of distress west of Papa Stour. A strong W.S.W. breeze was blowing, with a rough sea, and the weather was thick and cold.

The motor life-boat The Rankin was launched at 9.45. At midnight she reached the position given and found an R.A.F. Catalina flying boat which had come down in the sea.

She was in a dangerous position, near the dreaded reefs at the entrance to Papa Sound, and an R.A.F. launch was attempting to tow her off shore. The life-boat stood by.

After the launch’s tow rope had parted several times, two of the flying boat’s crew left her in a rubber dinghy and the life-boat went immediately to their rescue, as they were drifting in a perilous position. At the same time the launch took the remaining four men off the flying boat. It was then two in the morning. The life-boat gave the rescued men suits from the emergency kit carried by life-boats to change into, of which they were very glad, for it was 4.30 before the lifeboat reached Aith again. The flying boat became a total wreck. - Rewards, £13 14s. 6d..