BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT LOWESTOFT SEPTEMBER 30TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK. At 9.40 in the evening the naval authorities asked that the motor life-boat Michael Stephens should go out to the help of a vessel which was ashore about one and a half miles south of the harbour. She was H.M.M.S. 106 and had a crew of fourteen.

The life-boat left at ten o’clock.

The wind was light, from the west, but there was a heavy ground swell, and the night was dark and foggy. Searchlights were turned on the vessel, and it could be seen that she had stuck fast near the outer end of a sea-defence groyne about 100 yards from the shore. She was in seven feet of water and her crew, in their own boat, had run out a kedge anchor. The coxswain knew that there were submerged coast defences consisting of concrete blocks and iron piles near where the vessel lay, but their exact position was unknown to him. The vessel, infact, was actually on the iron piles.

In spite of this the coxswain went alongside her without hesitation, and at the request of her commanding officer took off all confidential books and gear. He left the vessel at eleven o’clock and landed these things at the naval base.

At 11.45 red rockets were seen coming from the vessel and the lifeboat again went out to her. She took with her this time a naval officer. A searchlight was playing on the harbour, but as the life-boat came out, going slowly on one engine, the light was suddenly switched off. In the intense darkness which followed the life-boat hit the pier a glancing blow. The bow fender took the force of it and the boat was undamaged, but the coxswain, a man of 63, was thrown against the binnacle which cut open his jaw for three inches. It was bleeding severely, and the naval officer examined it and advised him to return. This the coxswain refused to do, and carried on until the life-boat was out at sea when he had the wound bound up.

He went on to the vessel. The tide was falling, and she was listing 45 degrees. It was much more difficult than before, with the falling tide, to approach, and several times the lifeboat herself touched bottom, but she succeeded in getting alongside and this time took off wireless sets, instruments, movable guns and rifles. At 12.30 she left the vessel and landed all the gear at the naval base.

The coxswain had another dressing put on his wound, and at 1.15 in the morning put out for the third time.

He found the vessel rolling very heavily, and in danger of breaking up, so he made fast alongside and took off ten men. The other four had climbed along the groyne and got ashore. It was now two in the morning. The life-boat hauled out into deeper water and anchored until daylight. She then went back to the vessel and put her crew on board her again. She waited until a motor naval boat came out to stand by, and returned to harbour where she arrived at 3.30. Then, and not till then, the coxswain agreed to go to hospital. There his woundwas cleaned and eight stitches were put in it. Even then he refused to go off duty, and attended the hospital as an out-patient. He and his crew were warmly thanked by the commanding officer and the crew of H.M.M.S.

106. It was found impossible to refloat the vessel, so boatbuilders sawed her through, brought three-quarters of her into harbour, and left the bow ashore on the defence piles.

It was a long and arduous service in which the coxswain displayed courage and fortitude, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN ALBERT SPURGEON, a clasp to the bronze medal for gallantry which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum, and £2 ; To each of the other six members of the crew a reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £2 7s. ; Standard rewards to crew and launchers, £12 5s ; additional rewards to crew £8 ; total rewards, £20 5s..