GOUROCK, RENFREWSHIRE. Just before midnight on the 4th of September, 1942, the naval tug Romsey, with a crew of 20, dragged her anchor off Gourock pier, and the outwardbound steamer Lairdsburn ran her down.

She sank in a few minutes. A strong southwest wind was blowing, with a very rough sea and heavy squalls of rain. The customs launch Courier was alongside the S.S. Viceroy of India and heard cries for help. Mr. F.

Stewart, the senior customs officer, who was on the Viceroy of India, at once went on board his launch and made for the cries. He had with him his coxswain and the assistant customs officer. They found three men on a small raft and rescued them, but the propeller of their launch was fouled by a piece of clothing. She could not go astern, and it was only with great difficulty that she got back to the Viceroy of India, and put the rescued men on board. Her crew then tried to clear the propeller. They were only partly able to do it, but they returned to the search, and the port medical officer went with them. They found and rescued a fourth man, and continued their search for others until three in the morning. One of the four men rescued died later.

The collision had also been heard by the pilot cutter Cejoie, manned by two men and a boy, and the pilot cutter Kimpok, manned by a man and a boy, which were lying off Gourock pier. They put out and each picked up one man. After landing these men they continued the search until three in the morning.

It was a gallant rescue in very bad weather and the Institution awarded its thanks on vellum to CUSTOMS OFFICER F. STEWART, COXSWAIN HOCKEY, of the Courier, COXSWAIN CLAUDE BROWN, of the Cejoie and COXSWAIN FRANK BOTT, of the Kimpock.

It also awarded £1 10s. to each of the three coxswains and to each of the other four men and boys who took part in the search except the port medical officer. - Total rewards, £10 10s.The owners, The Alexandra Towing Co.

Ltd., made the same rewards of money, and also made a gift to the funds of the Institution.

KEISS, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. About 11.38 in the morning of the 3rd of April, 1943, a British Hampden bomber crashed at the entrance to Keiss harbour. A light westsouth- west wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. Two men had just left their 23-feet motor fishing boat. They rushed back, started the engine and, joined by four others, went to the scene. They found the four men of the aircraft already in their dinghy, took them on board the motor boat and towed in the dinghy. - Rewards, £3.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. On the evening of the 3rd of April, 1943, the auxiliary cutter Ziska, employed by the R.A.F., was being towed southward by a trawler. At about 6 o’clock the trawler slipped her, but her engine failed and she drifted northwards with the ebbing tide. The weather was fine, with a light wind and a moderate swell. At 8.0 in the evening the coastguard asked the life-boat station for help in getting her into harbour before dark. It was decided to send out the motor coble Constance, manned by the life-boat coxswain, motor mechanic and two other men. She put out at 8.45 and took the Ziska in tow. Twice the tow-rope broke, but she brought her safely in at ten o’clock.

- Rewards, £5, with 10s. for fuel used and £2 for rope lost.

ST. IVES, CORNWALL. At 6.15 on the evening of the 5th of April, 1943, a Ventura aeroplane was seen circling low, about 1,000 yards off Bassetts Cove, near Portreath, between fishing vessels and the shore. She went straight into the sea and disappeared in less than a minute. The weather was fine with a light north-west wind and a slight sea.

Two motor fishing boats, the Nellie and the Rosebud, each with a crew of two, raced to the spot, and within eight minutes the Rosebud had rescued three airmen and the Nellie one. On the Rosebud artificial respiration was given to one of the rescued men, while the boats were making for Portreath.

Here the airmen were at once sent to hospital.

- Rewards, £2, and 6s. 3d. for fuel used.

CEMAES, ANGLESEY. About 5.50 in the evening of the 15th of April, 1943, the coastguard saw an aeroplane crash about three miles north-by-east from Cemaes coastguard station. A motor launch was sent out by the naval authorities, and an auxiliary coastguard at Cemaes was told of the crash. He enlisted the help of three other men and they put off in a rowing boat. They could see the tail of the aeroplane clear of the water. They found no one on board her and made towards a rubber dinghy which they could see about one and a half miles to the eastward. The motor launch was making for it, and as it was obvious that she would reach the dinghy first the rowing boat put back to Cemaes. The aeroplane sank at 6.45 P.M. - Rewards to the four men who manned the rowing boat, £2 10s.

BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. Early in the morning of the 10th of May, 1943, the motor fishing coble Rosamund, with a crew of three, put out to her crab pots about twelve miles south of Bridlington. By noon a gale was blowing from the south, causing a dangerous sea at the entrance to the harbour, and it was decided to send out the motor fishing vessel La Mariole. She left at about one o’clock. The Rosamund had been shipping heavy seas, and when La Mariole found her she put a man on board her to help in pumping out the water.

She then escorted her back to the harbour entrance, and, after pouring oil on to the sea, brought her safely in. - Rewards, £3 2s. 6d., and 3s. for fuel used.