Launches 27. Lives rescued 15.

JULY 9TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON, AND CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. While bound from Rochester to Maldon with a load of brick rubble the barge Maria, of Rochester, lost her sprit and was in difficulties about one and a half miles S.W. of the Swin Spit bell buoy. A light S.W. wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The Clacton-on- Sea motor life-boat was launched at 7.39 P.M., but her engine broke down, and at 9.40 P.M.

the Walton and Frinton motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched to help her, but when it was learned at Walton that she was making for her station under sail, a wireless message was sent to the E.M.E.D. to go to t h e barge instead. She reached her at 11.10 P.M.

and stood by her through the night. The barge had two men on board. At about 5 o’clock next morning the life-boat took the barge to Brightlingsea creek, and returned to her station, arriving at 12.42 P.M. - Rewards : Walton and Frinton, Property salvage case ; Clacton-on-Sea, £11 2s.

JULY 1 0TH. - KILMORE, CO. WEXFORD.

At midnight on the 9th July one of the life-boatmen reported to the coxswain that the small boat Fine Gael had notreturned. She had been taken out at about seven in the evening by three boys, none of whom knew much about sailing. T h e weather was now getting bad, with a rising westerly wind and rain. The motor lifeboat Ann Isabella Pyemont was launched at 12.30 A.M. and searched around the Saltee Islands, but found nothing. As the tide was running east she went in that direction and at 2.40 in the morning picked up the small boat by her searchlight. The boat was then about four miles to the east of the Little Saltee Island and five miles off shore. She took the boat in tow and arrived back at her station again at 3.40 A.M. - Rewards, £24 15s.

JULY 14TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

At 11.20 A.M. the coastguard reported that two bathers, men of the R.A.F., were drowning off Perranporth. A strong S.W. wind was blowing with a moderately heavy sea. The motor life-boat Richard Silver Oliver was away in fifteen minutes, but was not in time to save the men. She found and brought in an R.A.F.. dinghy, which it was assumed had been dropped by an aeroplane to the help of the men. She arrived back at her station at 1.50 P.M. - Rewards, £12 5s. 6d.

JULY 26TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. At about 2.42 in the morning the coastguard reported that an aeroplane had crashed into the sea about a mile north of Cromer, and the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Bailey was launched at 3 A.M.. A moderate southerly breeze was blowing, and the night was very dark, but the sea was smooth. Almost immediately after launching, the life-boat heard cries and then found a man in the water. She turned on her searchlight and found three more men about a hundred yards further east. While she was getting these men aboard she heard another man shouting, and rescued him too. The five men were the crew of a Wellington bombing aeroplane. The life-boat was back at her station and had landed the men twenty-two minutes after setting out. - Rewards, £16 2s.

JULY 31TH. - BLYTH, NORTHUMBERLAND. At 3.50 in the afternoon the coastguard telephoned that he could see three people on the wreck of the minesweeper Unicity on the beach in Blyth Bay. The minesweeper had capsized just eighteen months earlier, on January 31st, 1942, just outside the Blyth piers, and two of her men had been rescued from the sea by the Blyth life-boat. The minesweeper had been salved and put on the beach at Blyth. A slight S.S.E. wind was blowing with an increasing swell, and the wreck would soon be covered by the  rising tide. The motor life-boat Joseph Adlam was launched at four o’clock, and, as time pressed, the coxswain did not wait for the whole of the crew of eight men, but went out with four. She reached the wreck at 4.15. It was covered with barnacles which made it necessary to take great care in getting alongside. The life-boat found on the wreck a girl and two men. The girl had got into difficulty while bathing near the wreck, but had managed to get on to it.The two men, sub-lieutenants in the navy, had then swum out to it to help her, but they found that they could not get back.

They had all three been badly cut and bruised on the barnacles, and were bleeding freely, and the life-boat took them to the naval base so that they could get medical attention as soon as possible. She then returned to her station, arriving there at 4.45 P.M. - Rewards, £3 16s.

JULY 3lST. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. At about 7.30 in the evening the coastguard telephoned that a small fishing boat appeared to be in difficulties, but that she had set a small sail and was approaching Britannia pier. A light S.E. wind was blowing, with a moderate sea.

Half an hour later the coastguard reported that the boat was now at the back of the pier and in need of help, and the motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched at 8.3 P.M. She found the motor boat Gadj, of Great Yarmouth. She had anchored close to the beach. She had two men on board.

The life-boat towed her in and arrived back at her station at 9.15 P.M. - Rewards, £7 8s.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given : JULY 6TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE.

A Beaufort fighter aeroplane bad come down in the sea, but her crew of two were rescued by a fishing coble which was close by when she crashed. - Partly paid permanent crew. - Rewards, £1 17s. 6d.

JULY 8TH. - PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A British Anson aeroplane had come down in the sea, but her crew were rescued by a Walrus amphibious aeroplane.

- Rewards, £3 2s. 6d.

JULY 12TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.

A small rowing boat of Ballycastle was missing, but no trace of her could be found.- Rewards, £8 8s.

JULY 14TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

A naval motor boat had been reported missing, but the life-boat was recalled when it was learned that the motor boat had reached Bude. - Rewards, £24 6s.

JULY 15TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. An airman had baled out from a British fighter aeroplane, but he was picked up by a boat lowered from a steamer. - Rewards , £13 14s. 6d.

JULY 10TH. - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON.

A R.A.F. Whitley bombing aeroplane had crashed, but her crew and their dinghy were picked up by an R.A.F. boat. - Rewards, £17.

JULY 19TH. - FISHGUARD, PEM-BROKESHIRE. A rubber dinghy with the survivors of an aeroplane’s crew had been reported twenty-nine miles N.N.W. of Fishguard, but the life-boat was recalled by the coastguard before she reached the position given. - Rewards, £9 6s.

JULY 2 4TH. - MARGATE, KENT. An aeroplane was reported to have crashed in the sea, but the life-boat found nothing, and was signalled by an R.A.F. launch to return to her station. - Rewards, £11 5s.

JULY 25TH . - DONAGHADEE, CO.

DOWN. A vessel had gone ashore on New Island, but she got off without help. - Rewards, £5 17s. 6d.

JULY 26TH. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO. WEXFORD. A small yacht had gone ashore on the Dogger Bank, but got off without help. - Partly paid permanent crew.

- Rewards, £2 14s. 6d.

JULY 26TH . - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK. An American Fortress aeroplane had crashed, but her crew of ten were rescued by a motor fishing boat. - Rewards, £15 12s.

(See Sheringham, “ Services by Shoreboats,” page 63.)

JULY 26TH. - LOWESTOFT, AND ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK. A British bombing aeroplane had come down in flames off Southwold, but her crew were lost. - Rewards : Lowestoft, £11 15s. ; Aldeburgh, £49 2s.

JULY 26TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. An American Flying Fortress aeroplane had crashed near Overstrand, but the crew were rescued by local boats. Another American Flying Fortress had crashed near Sheringham, but her crew were rescued by a fishing boat. - Rewards, £8 3s. 6d.

(See Overstrand and Sheringham, “ Services by Shore-boats,” pages 62 and 63.)

JULY 27TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. The crew of an aeroplane were adrift in their dinghy, but they were picked up by a trawler. - Rewards, £14 19s. 6d.

JULY 28TH. - CAISTER, NORFOLK. An American Flying Fortress aeroplane had been reported down on the beach at Hemsby, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £8 8s.

JULY 28TH. - GALWAY BAY. A flying boat was overdue, but was later sighted in Clew Bay. The life-boat went as far as Cleggan, but returned on learning that the flying boat had been located. - Rewards, £15.

JULY 29TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. Two American Flying Fortress aeroplanes had collided and crashed, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £8 3s. 6d.

JULY 30TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found except a patch of oil. - Rewards, £17 14s.

JULY 3lST. - DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN.

After an aeroplane had come down two airmen were reported in the sea, but no trace of them was found. - Rewards, £11 6s.