Launches 52 Lives rescued 54 DECEMBER 2ND. - ST. IVES, CORNWALL.

At 6.15 in the morning the coastguard reported that a vessel three miles south-east of St. Ives Head had signalled that she was sinking. A moderate north-west wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boat Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine was launched at 7.10 and found the Dutch motor vessel Reiger, of Zuidbroek.

She had been beached in a sinking condition in Carbis Bay, and was awash forward, but her crew of twelve, who were in no immediate danger, did not wish to leave her. The lifesaving rocket apparatus was also standing by.

The life-boat brought ashore the ship’s chief officer so that he could telephone to London.

She reached her station at 8.40. - Rewards, £11 13s.

DECEMBER 3RD. - HARTLEPOOL, DURHAM, AND TEESMOUTH, YORKSHIRE.

At 4.56 in the morning the coastguard telephoned the life-boat station that two vessels appeared to be in danger, and twenty minutes later he asked that the life-boat should go to a vessel believed to be on Longscar Rock.

A strong north-north-east wind was blowing,with a heavy sea. The motor life-boat The Princess Royal - Civil Service No. 7 was launched at 5.48, but, owing to the darkness and the position of the vessel, returned to harbour to await daylight. At daybreak she went out again and on Seaton Beach found the S.S. Graiglas, of Cardiff, bound for dry dock in the River Tees. The life-boat remained alongside for a short time and then the captain and crew, forty-five in number, decided to remain on board, but they asked that the pilot should be landed. The lifeboat arrived back at her station with the pilot at nine o’clock.

The Teesmouth motor life-boat was also launched at 7.50, but finding no other vessel in need of help she went into Hartlepool, where she learned that only one vessel was ashore. - Rewards : Hartlepool, £14 5s. ; Teesmouth, £14 10s. 6d.

DECEMBER 3RD. - BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. At seven in the morning a vessel - the L.C.T. 2263 - was seen to be in difficulties close to the South beach behind the pier. She was driving ashore in broken water and was making signals by red lights and her searchlight. A strong east-northeast wind was blowing, and the sea was rough. Men were sent along the shore in case any of the crew of the landing craft were washed overboard, and the life-boat crew were assembled. At eight o’clock the motor life-boat Stanhope Smart was launched.

Running in, with her drogue out, she let go anchor to windward, and veered down to the landing craft. She took a tow rope from her, and held her off the rocks until after high water, when L.C.T. 2263 was allowed to go aground clear of the rocks and the break-water.

At the captain’s request the life-boat took off and landed nine of the crew. In order to do this she had to fire a rocket across the vessel and go alongside, shipping heavy seas during the operation. The captain and three others remained on board their vessel.- Property salvage case.

DECEMBER 3RD. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

During the morning while the fishing boats were out an east-south-east wind sprang up, causing a heavy surf on the beach. As the boat Morning Star, with a crew of three, had not returned by noon the No. 2 life-boat Harriot Dixon was launched at 12.20 in the afternoon. She found the Morning Star, took aboard some of her gear, handed lifebelts to her crew and, keeping as close as possible to her, escorted her through the surf.

Both boats were beached at 12.45. - Rewards, £13 11s.

BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT SALCOMBE DECEMBER 4TH. - SALCOMBE, DEVON. At 9.15 at night the coastguard at Hope Cove reported a vessel ashore at the lower end of Skerries, three miles to the east of Start Point. Shewas the Admiralty salvage craft L.C.

18, with eleven men on board, and had broken away from her tow. The night was cold and wet, with an easterly gale blowing and very high seas.

The honorary secretary of the lifeboat station told the coastguard that his motor-mechanic was ill and his second motor-mechanic had died that day. He would do his best to get a crew, but in the circumstances he thought it would be wise to warn the Torbay life-boat. This was done, but she was not needed. The coxswain at Salcombe was able to get a former motor-mechanic who had resigned about a year before, to take charge of his engines and as he was still short of a man the honorary secretary, Mr. H.

W. Richards, a man of sixty-five, but a keen and experienced yachtsman, went as a member of the crew.

At 10.15 the motor life-boat Samuel and Marie Parkhouse was launched.

An hour later she reached the wreck to find her very high out of the water and dragging across the Skerries.

She was rolling heavily and gave the life-boat no lee for shelter. In spite of this, and the dangers of the darkness and heavy seas, Coxswain Distin, handling the life-boat with great skill, took her right alongside the salvage craft, but her crew would not jump.

He took her alongside again and again and again. It was not until the fourth time that the eleven men jumped, and, with the whole crew rescued, the life-boat made for Salcombe.

She arrived at 1.30 next morning.

It was a dangerous rescue most skilfully carried out, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN EDWIN WILLIAM DISTIN, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To MR. H. W. RICHARDS, t h e honorary secretary of the station, a letter of appreciation ; To the coxswain and each of the six members of the crew a special reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s.

6d. each. Standard rewards to the crew, £13 14s. 6d . ; additional rewards to crew and launchers, £7 ; total rewards, £20 14s. 6d.

DECEMBER 9TH. -ARKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.

At 10.40 on the night of the 8th of December it was learned from the Civic Guards that the fishing boat St. Gerard, of Dublin, with a crew of six, was overdue. She had been expected back at six o’clock. The weather was wild, with a south-cast wind blowing and a very rough sea. Enquiries along the coast were without result. At 1.50 next morning it was learned that red flares had been seen by the Killmichael Look-out, and at 2.23 the motor life-boat Inbhear Mor was launched. She found the St. Gerard half way between Courtown and Pass Head, two miles off land. Her engine had broken down and she was thrown on to a lee shore.

The life-boat took her in tow and made for Wicklow, as she could not have got into Arklow. She returned to her station at 1.10 that afternoon. - Rewards, £23 8s. 6d.

DECEMBER 16TH. - MARGATE, KENT.

At 1.15 in the afternoon a number of small invasion barges put into Margate Harbour.

A fresh easterly wind was blowing with a choppy sea. The officer-in-charge reported that one, which had sprung a leak, was sinking, and that another barge had her in tow. He asked for help, and the motor life-boat The Lord Southborough (Civil Service No. 1) was launched at 1.20. Two miles north-east of Margate she found the two barges. With the life-boat was the officer-in-charge, and he boarded the barge which was towing. The life-boat then made fast astern of the sinking barge - L.C. 1237, with a crew of four - to help in steering her ; the vessels made for Margate. At the harbour entrance the lifeboat took over the tow and placed the L.C.

1237 in a position where she could be beached.

It was than 2.15 in the afternoon. - Rewards, £10 13s. 6d.

DECEMBER 18TH. - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO. DUBLIN. At 2.10 in the afternoon a telephone message was received from the Bailey Lighthouse, Howth, that Hopper No.

4, a dredging vessel belonging to the Dublin Port and Docks Board, had gone ashore near Sutton. A wind of hurricane force was blowing, with sleet and a confused sea. The motor life-boat Dunleary II was launched at 2.30 and found the Hopper two miles northnorth- east of Poolbeg Lighthouse, returning to Dublin, light, with a crew of eight on board.

The life-boat dropped anchor and veered down to the hopper. Although the hopper was aground, with seas breaking over her stern, the crew did not at first wish to leave, but later they were taken off by the life-boat, which reached Dun Laoghaire again at 4.25.

- Rewards, £7 17s.

DECEMBER 18TH. - HOWTH, CO. DUBLIN.

At about 2.15 in the afternoon the Bailey Lighthouse reported that the Dublin Port and Docks Board Hopper No. 17 was adrift, bearing north-west from the lighthouse.

A strong west-south-west wind was blowing, with a heavy sea and rain squalls. Another hopper was aground at Sutton, but the Dun Laoghaire life-boat went to her help. The motor life-boat R.P.L. was launched at 2.55 andfound the hopper at anchor leeward of Tower on Ireland’s Eye. She took a message from the hopper to a tug, and stood by ready to pass a tow rope, but the tug fixed the tow without help and towed the hopper to Dublin.

The life-boat reached her station again at 5.25. - Rewards, £11 17s.

SILVER MEDAL SERVICE AT ANGLE DECEMBER 18TH. - ANGLE, PEMBROKESHIRE.

A gale was blowing from the south-west and a very rough sea was running. In the early evening a small Dutch ship, the motor vessel Thor, of Rotterdam, which was evidently seeking shelter, was seen in difficulties off St. Anne’s Head at the entrance to Milford Haven. Here the sea is always worse than farther out, and as the Thor approached the midchannel buoy she was overwhelmed by a following sea and thrown on her beam ends. Just before this happened the honorary secretary of the life-boat station had been asked to assemble the crew. He realised that in such weather and in such a position a small vessel must be in great danger, so, instead of assembling, he called the motor life-boat out at once, and the Elizabeth Elson was launched at 5.50.

It was well that he did so. When the life-boat approached the Thor Coxswain Watkins found a tug standing by. The life-boat asked for information, and the tug’s skipper told him, in so many words, ” We can do nothing. Do what you can.” The coxswain went closer to the Thor and by the light of his searchlight saw her on her beam ends, all awash, with heavy seas breaking right over her. She looked, he said, “ like a half-tide rock.” It was dangerous to go any closer, but he did it, and saw that some of the crew had abandoned the wreck and were in the water, and in great straits. It was now pitch dark and it was very difficult to see the men, but the life-boat picked up two of them. A third was carried away and drowned. The life-boat was on the weather side of the Thor. To go any closer on that side was certain disaster, so the coxswain took her to leeward to see if any more men were left on the Thor. She was now nearly bottom up, with heavy seas breaking over her. Gear and wreckage to leeward made the approach dangerous, but the coxswain brought the lifeboat so close to the Thor that he was able to drag two of her crew to the life-boat with veering lines, and two more were able to jump into her from the bottom of the Thor. No one remained on board. So far as could be discovered the Thor had had ten men on board. The life-boat had rescued six ; the tug had rescued one ; three were lost.

The coxswain, a man of sixty-seven, took great risks. He handled the lifeboat with great skill and daring, and his responsibility and risks were increased by the fact that he had not all his regular crew with him.

The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN JAMES WATKINS, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To ALBERT E. REES, the motormechanic, the thanks of the Institution, inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each of the eight members of the crew a special reward of £1, in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d. each. Standard rewards to the crew and launchers, £19 2s. 6d. ; additional rewards to the crew, £9 ; total rewards, £28 2s. 6d.

DECEMBER 21ST. - NEWBIGGIN, NORTHUMBERLAND.

The fishing coble Robert and Jane, of Newbiggin, with a crew of three, was the only coble to put out on this day, and as the sea rose, with a strong south-south-east wind, anxiety was felt for her safety. It was decided to send out the motor life-boat Augustus and Laura, and she left at 10.45.

She found the coble, with her engine broken down, three miles east-north-east of Newbiggin Point. After standing by while the crew of the coble hauled their line she then took her in tow, but later the coble was able to get her engine started. The life-boat, which had trouble with one of her own engines, reached her station again at 12.45.

- Rewards, £15 13s. 6d.

DECEMBER 21ST. - SWANAGE, AND WEYMOUTH, DORSET. At 10.27 in the morning the Swanage coastguard telephoned that the naval officer in charge at Poole wished the Swanage life-boat to go to the help of an escort vessel which had capsized three miles south of Durleston Head. A strong and increasing south-west wind was blowing, with a heavy sea, and visibility was very poor at times. The Swanage motor life-boat ThomasMarkby was launched at 10.45 and reached the vessel half an hour later. She found her to be Chasseur 5, a chaser of the French naval forces. She had been escorting a submarine when she capsized, and the submarine was standing by. Three of the chaser’s crew were clinging to the keel, two of them exhausted.

It was only by skilful seamanship that they were rescued. Four more were rescued by the submarine, but others of the crew of twenty-three were trapped in the vessel. They could be seen looking through an open porthole. In that heavy sea and with no tools to break into the chaser the life-boat could do nothing to help them. She returned to Swanage, first arranging with the submarine to pump oil on the sea. She landed the rescued men at noon, and put out again at 12.52, with saws and axes, but she arrived to find that the submarine was under way. The chaser had sunk at 12.55.

The life-boat station at Weymouth had also been informed, and after consultation with the coastguard the honorary secretary sent out the William and Clara Ryland at one o’clock, but recalled her by wireless and she returned to her station again at 2.45.

The Commander-in-Chief of the French Naval Forces in the United Kingdom thanked the Swanage life-boat crew, and the flag-officer-in-charge at Portland expressed appreciation of the work of the crews of both life-boats. - Rewards, Swanage, £12 5s. ; Weymouth, £5 14s.

In 1946 the French Government awarded medals to Coxswain R. C. BROWN, A. CHINCHEN, mechanic, W. E. NINEHAM, bowman, and life-boatmen F. POND, A. DYKE. and C. BROWN ; the French Life-boat Society awarded a silver gilt medal to the coxswain, and bronze medals to the mechanic and bowman ; and the Academy of Political and Moral Science, Institut de France, Paris, presented 1,000 francs each to the coxswain, mechanic and bowman, and to Sir Godfrey Baring, Bt., chairman of the Institution, the medal of the Berthault Foundation.

DECEMBER 21ST. - EXMOUTH, DEVON.

At 8.15 in the morning of the 13th of December, the S.S. South Coaster, of Cardiff, ran aground on the eastern end of Pole Sands, west-by-south three-quarters of a mile from Orcombe Point. She carried a crew of thirteen and was laden with coal from Marsden for Exeter. A tug and a landing craft were sent out by the naval authorities, and, although the crew of the life-boat stood by in readiness on the morning and on the evening of the 13th, and again on the evening of the 18th, the life-boat was not called upon to launch. On the morning of the 21st a southsouth- west gale was blowing, with heavy seas.

and the resident naval officer asked that the life-boat should be sent out. The motor lifeboat Catherine Harriet Eaton was launched at 1.15 in the afternoon, with naval signallers aboard. She rescued the whole of the crew thirteen in number. A message of congratulation was sent by the resident naval officer to all concerned, and the Institution specially thanked the station officer of coastguard G. W Leak, who, owing to the illness of the honorary

DECEMBER 25TH. - STORNOWAY, ISLAND OF LEWIS. At nine in the morning the coastguard reported that an SOS had been received from a vessel ashore on Fladdachuain Island off the north of Skye, but that another vessel was standing by. A south-south-west gale was blowing, with a choppy sea. A further message came that help was needed, for the vessel was pounding heavily with seas washing over her. The motor life-boat William and Harriot was launched at 10.30 and reached the position at 2.40 in the afternoon. She found the American steamer Frederick Bortholde, with a crew of seventy-five on board, and went alongside, but the crew were reluctant to leave by a ladder over the side. Owing to the heavy motion of the steamer and the parting of her own mooring ropes the life-boat stood off.

Later H.M. trawlers landed a party on the lee side of the island. They were able to get ropes to the steamer and brought ashore 70 of her men. Most of them were transferred to the trawlers by the life-boat, but a few remained to start salvage work when the weather eased. Five men had remained on the steamer. The life-boat was no longer needed and arrived back at her station at 12.45 next morning. - Rewards, £14 2s. 6d. secretary of the station, was in charge.- Rewards, £29 17s.

DECEMBER 21ST. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.

At about 3.25 P.M. the coastguard telephoned to the life-boat coxswain that the motor fishing coble Hilda, of Scarborough, was in distress. A strong southerly wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The No. 1 motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth was launched at 3.35 P.M. and found the coble five miles E.S.E. of Whitby, disabled by an engine breakdown. The coble, together with her crew of three, was taken in tow and brought into Whitby at 5.20 P.M. - Rewards, £11 6s. 6d.

DECEMBER 22ND. - DONAGHADEE, CO.

DOWN. At 4.45 in the morning the Bangor coastguard reported that a vessel was ashore at Luke’s Point, Ballyholme. A squally north-westerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea and rain. The motor life-boat Civil Service No. 5 was launched at 5.15 and at 6.20 found the motor vessel Vrede ashore on rocks with her engine-room full of water. She had a crew of nine and was bound, laden with tea, from Glasgow to Exmouth. After some difficulty the coxswain took the life-boat alongside the vessel and three of the crew jumped into her. Five other members of the vessel’s crew reached land in their own boat, but the captain refused to leave. As the rescued were in a state of exhaustion the lifeboat took them to Donaghadee, where she arrived at 7.45. She then returned to the Vrede as there was a danger of her breaking up. After standing by until 9.30 the life-boat left. The weather was then improving and the danger lessening. She reached her station at 10.30. - Rewards, £10 12s. 6d.

DECEMBER 30TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 1.45 in the afternoon thepolice reported a boy adrift in a small boat off Maddock’s Slip, River Mersey, and in need of help. A fresh north-west wind was blowing, with a rough sea. With ex-second coxswain Stonall in charge, the No. 2 motor life-boat Edmund and Mary Robinson was launched at 2.5 . She found the small boat fifty yards from the sea wall, over which seas were breaking. The coxswain took the life-boat to windward of the dinghy and one of the crew jumped on board and made her fast to the life-boat. The boy was taken aboard the life-boat, and with the dinghy in tow, she reached her station again at three o’clock. - Rewards, £6 4s.

DECEMBER 30TH. - EASTBOURNE, AND HASTINGS, SUSSEX. At about four o’clock in the afternoon the coastguard informed the Eastbourne life-boat station that a U.S.A.

Liberator aeroplane had come down in the sea off Pevensey Bay. A light north-west wind was blowing, with a slight sea. The motor life-boat Jane Holland, was at once launched and found and brought ashore three airmen’s coats, one pair of trousers, an oxygen tank, a wireless set, and an identification disc, but there was no sign of the men.

She returned to her station at 6.5.

The Hastings station was informed by the Fairlight coastguard at 3.57 that, the aeroplane was in the sea four miles south-west-bywest from Bexhill, and the motor life-boat Cyril and Lilian Bishop was launched at 4.20.

She found only a patch of oil, and arrived back at her station at 7.40. It was learned later that, six airmen had been picked up by fishing boats. - Rewards, Eastbourne, £21 8s. 6d. ; Hastings, £60 10s. 6d. (See Pevensey Bay, “ Services by Shoreboats, ” 1944, page 54.) The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given :

DECEMBER 2ND. - CLOVELLY, DEVON.

A ship’s boat had been reported at sea, but the life-boat only found an empty raft which she could not bring in owing to the rough sea.

- Rewards, £17 4s. 6d.

DECEMBER 3RD. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE.

A vessel had been reported sunk in collision, but a search in the darkness was without result. Picking up a wireless message that some survivors had been rescued the life-boat continued to search until daylight, but found nothing. - Rewards, £21 11s. 6d.

DECEMBER 5TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. An Admiralty tug was in difficulties, but she was taken in tow by a minesweeper. - Rewards, £5 12s.

DECEMBER 8TH. - MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.

A herring drifter had been reported aground, but the life-boat found nothing, and a drifter, which had been aground, came in while the life-boat was out.

- Rewards, £26 14s.

DECEMBER 9TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

DECEMBER 11TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

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

Rescue craft and aeroplanes also searched.- Rewards, £24 2s. 6d.

DECEMBER 11TH . - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON. An aeroplane had been reported down, but the life-boat was recalled when it was known that the airmen had been saved.

- Rewards, £12 8s. 6d.

DECEMBER 15TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing was found, and an aeroplane dropping smoke bombs may have been mistaken for an aeroplane in flames. - Rewards, £29 1s.

DECEMBER 16TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

The life-boat was launched to stand by during air operations, but her services were not needed. - Rewards, £23 19s.

DECEMBER 17TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. Two invasion barges had been reported ashore, but were found at anchor and not in need of help. The naval authorities thanked the life-boat crew. - Rewards, £14 17s.

DECEMBER 17TH. - BALLYCOTTON, CO.

CORK. An SOS had been reported from an aeroplane, but later she landed safely.

The representative in Eire of the British Government expressed thanks to the life-boat crew through the Department of External Affairs, Dublin. - Rewards, £20 13s. 6d.

DECEMBER 18TH. - ANSTRUTHER, FIFESHIRE.

A Chesapeake R.N.A.S. aeroplane had crashed. The life-boat searched in the darkness, but found nothing. Next morning two bodies were found on the beach.- Rewards, £24 1s. 6d.

DECEMBER 18TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE. A boat, from an examination vessel, with a crew of three, had gone ashore, but the men landed without help.- Paid permanent crew.

DECEMBER 1 8TH. - BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. A landing craft was in distress, but she got ropes ashore by rocket and did not need the help of the life-boat.- Rewards, £21 12s. 6d.

DECEMBER 18TH. - SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. Red flares had been reported, but the life-boat found nothing. - Rewards, £35 17s.

DECEMBER 20TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

An American bombing aeroplane fell into the sea, but a passing coasting vessel picked up her crew. - Rewards, £9 3s. 6d.

DECEMBER 20TH. - CAISTER, NORFOLK.

At night a message was received that abombing machine was expected to crash, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £24 17s.

DECEMBER 20TH. - ANGLE, PEMBROKESHIRE.

An aeroplane was reported to have crashed into the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £19 2s. 6d.

DECEMBER 21ST. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. A vessel was flying a flag, thought to be a distress signal, but the flag was found to be her house flag and she was not in need of help. - Rewards, £7 4s.

DECEMBER 21ST. - BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE.

A boat had been reported ashore and showing flares, but could not be found, and it was presumed that she had got off.- Rewards, £10 8s. 6d.

DECEMBER 21ST. - FLAMBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. An airman was reported to have baled out from a Whitley aeroplane, but he was not found. - Rewards, £27 12s.

DECEMBER 22ND. - EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX. The life-boat was called out by the naval authorities to search a given area, but all that she found were two floats about four feet long and these she left alone in case they were explosives. - Rewards, £22 15s. 6d.

DECEMBER 22ND. - NEWBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE.

A small fishing boat capsized while attempting to cross the bar at the river mouth, but her crew of three were lost before the life-boat could reach them.- Rewards, £7 19s.

DECEMBER 22ND. - ALDEBURGH, SUFPOLK.

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

- Rewards, £21 6s. 6d.

DECEMBER 23RD. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO. WEXFORD. Flares had been reported but nothing could be found, and it was thought that they had been dropped by an aeroplane. - Partly paid permanent crew.

Rewards, £4 9s.

DECEMBER 26TH. - PORTHDINLLAEN, CAERNARVONSHIRE. An Anson aeroplane had been reported overdue, but nothing was found and it was learned that the aeroplane had crashed on the shore. - Rewards, £12.

DECEMBER 27TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing was found.

- Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

DECEMBER 27TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An American Fortress aeroplane had been abandoned by her crew but they came down on the land. The aeroplane flew on until shot down into the sea by a Spitfire aeroplane. - Rewards, £19 16s. 6d.

DECEMBER 28TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

An American Liberator aeroplane had crashed in the darkness and caught fire, but she was right under the cliffs, and the life-boat could not get nearer than 300 yards.

With the rising tide would-be rescuers, who went along the shore, were cut off by the tide and a very heavy ground sea, and the air crew and their rescuers to the number of eighteen lost their lives. All were members of the U.S.A. Forces. - Rewards, £24 11s.

DECEMBER 29TH. - RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN. A vessel had gone ashore, but she got off and did not need help. - Rewards, £27 7s.