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..