DOWNINGS, CO. DONEGAL. While out fishing off Innisboffin Island on the 27th of November, 1942, the motor fishing boat Star of Hope, of Downings, foundered and sank while her herring nets were being hauled, and a fresh north-west breeze was blowing with a choppy sea and squalls. Her crew of four were left struggling in the water. It was then midnight. The men’s cries were heard by the crew of another fishing boat, who at once went to their rescue. It was only with difficulty and some danger that she picked up the men in the darkness, for she was not far from a lee shore, and was broadside on in the trough of the sea during the whole operation, which lasted for about three hours from midnight to three next morning. No extra fuel was used, but the night’s fishing was abandoned and it was estimated that the men lost between £20 and £40. - Rewards, £10.

KINGSDOWN, KENT. About 8.40 in the morning of the 3rd of December, 1942, two fishermen were out fishing in a 16-feet motor boat. The weather was fair, but hazy, and the sea smooth. The men saw a Wellington bomber, which had been damaged by a night fighter, skimming the water between Kingsdown and St. Margaret’s Bay. Then it stopped and began to sink. The two men were about to shoot their nets but replaced them and went at once to the rescue. They reached the aeroplane in about ten minutes and rescued the five airmen. Three of them were wounded. - Rewards, £1 l8s., 2s. for fuel used and £5 for loss of fishing.

RYE, SUSSEX. At midday on the 12th of December, 1942, two men were fishing in Rye Bay, in a motor fishing boat, when they saw a Spitfire aeroplane crash and the airman come down by parachute. A northerly off-shore wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. They went at once to the airman, rescued him and salved his dinghy. They gave him tea, cigarettes and dry clothes and landed him at Rye Harbour, where an ambulance took him to hospital. - Rewards, £1 l8s., £1 for fuel used and £2 for loss of fishing.

CRASTER, NORTHUMBERLAND. About 4.20 in the afternoon of the 16th of January, 1943, the small fishing boat the Two Sisters, of Newbiggin, with only one man on board was seen off Craster Harbour. Her engine had broken down and the man had rigged a small piece of canvas on an oar. A freshening southerly wind was blowing, with a slight sea. Six men put out in the 30-feet motor fishing coble Archbolds and came up with the fishing boat one and three-quarter miles N.N.E. of Craster and towed her into Craster Harbour. This fishing boat had recently been the cause of several life-boat launches. - Rewards, £3, 5s. for use of the boat and 3s. for fuel used.

(See Boulmer and Amble, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 14.) NEWBIGGIN, NORTHUMBERLAND. About 12.45 in the afternoon on the 21st of January, 1943, the coastguard told the life-boat station that a boat was showing distress signals two miles south-east of Newbiggin Point, but before the life-boat was launched another message came that the coble John and Margaret, manned by three men, had already gone out. A gale was blowing from the west-south-west, but the sea was moderate and the weather was fine. The John and Margaret found the Newbiggin coble Robert and Sisters, with her engine broken down.

She was in danger of drifting out to sea. The John and Margaret towed her into Newbiggin.

- Rewards, £2 5s., and 3s. for fuel used.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. At 1.45 in the afternoon of the 26th of January, 1943, the coastguard telephoned that an R.A.F. aeroplane had come down in the sea about two miles east of Cayton Bay, which is two miles south-east of Scarborough. A moderate westerly wind was blowing, with a smooth sea.

As it was dead low water and as most of the life-boat crew were at sea the honorary secretary decided to send fishing cobles, and three, Lily, Florence and Treasure - each with a crew of three - put out at once. A tug also went. They searched but found nothing and returned after two hours. - Rewards, £6 15s. and 10s. to each boat for fuel used.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. At 10.32 on the night of the 3rd of February, 1943, the coastguard telephoned that a German aeroplane, a Dornier 217, had crashed at Gristhorpe, three miles south of Scarborough.

Wreckage had been found and it was evident that the crew had baled out. The life-boat was asked to search the Cayton Bay area, but the chairman of the branch sent out the motor cobles Treasure and Constance instead, as they could get away more quickly. The weather was fine, with a smooth sea. Eight men manned the two cobles and they searched for about two hours, but found nothing. Four life-boatmen stood by at the life-boathouse. - Rewards, £15 to the men who manned the cobles, £2 8s. to the men ashore and 10s. each to two boats for fuel used.