BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT ST. DAVID'S APRIL 25TH - 26TH. - ST. DAVID’S, PEMBROKESHIRE. At ten in theevening a message was received from the coastguard, that a tank landing craft was in distress one mile southsouth- east of St. Ann’s Head. This was near the entrance to Milford Haven, but as the Angle, Milford Haven, motor life-boat was off service for overhaul, the St. David’s motor life-boat Civil Service No. 6 was launched. It was then 10.45, and she had a journey of 18 miles, through a south-west gale, with a heavy sea. It was a difficult journey in that weather, and it was made no better by the knowledge of the crew that floating mines were about.

According to a statement in the House of Commons after an official enquiry had been held by the Admiralty, there were two tank landing craft, with 70 to 80 naval men and marines on board. A deep depression had come up much more quickly than had been expected, but the commanding officers decided that they could make Milford Haven, and they had arrived off it at midday on April 25th. By this time a full onshore gale was blowing, with a heavy and confused sea. The flag officer in charge at Milford Haven sent out two tugs and two trawlers, and also diverted H.M.S. Rosemary, an escort vessel, to their help. Several times these vessels succeeded in passing tows to the landing craft, but in the heavy seas all the tows parted.

Finally one of the landing craft foundered at six in the evening, and the other at one in the morning of the 26th. In spite of all that could be done by the rescue ships 72 men in the landing craft were drowned. The Rosemary launched a whaler to the rescue, but she too was lost with the six men on board.

The life-boat reached the scene about one in the morning. Her crew noticed a strong smell of oil, and the sea was smoother, but they saw nothing. Then, at 1.20, in the pitch darkness, they heard a shout. The lifeboat steered towards it, and, in the beam of a searchlight from a naval vessel, she saw a man swimming towards her. She picked him up about 1.40. He was covered with oil, and collapsed as soon as he had been rescued. The crew stripped him of his wet clothing, massaged him and, when he had revived a little, reclothed him in one of the emergency suits carried in the boat, and put him in the engineroom with bags as a pillow and an oilskin coat over him. The lifeboat continued to cruise round until daylight. She found no one else, but just before day broke, she saw a floating mine only a few yards ahead, and avoided it just in time. It was a very narrow escape She may well have had other escapes without knowing it during the night. As she could do nothing more she returned to her station. It was again a very rough passage. She arrived about 8.30 next morning.

The coxswain had then been at the wheel just short of 10 hours, and he had before him a very difficult problem.

There was a very heavy run of sea on the slipway which would make it very dangerous to attempt to haul the lifeboat up into the house. The alternative was to leave her at moorings, but the coxswain knew that if the weather were to get worse, and the life-boat were wanted again, it would be very difficult, at moorings, to man and refuel her. He decided to take the risk of hauling her up the slipway in the heavy sea, and succeeded in doing it, with practically no damage to her.

In this he showed great nerve, skill and judgment. He was greatly helped by two of the launchers who manned the boarding boat and tended the slipping ropes from the buoys to the life-boat.

They were not fishermen used to boats, but two young farm labourers, and they ran a very great risk of being capsized. The life-boat was got into her house at 9.15, and the rescued man, a naval stoker, still suffering from shock, was taken in a car by the honorary secretary to his house. He was given a hot bath and a meal, and put to bed. After some hours he was much better, and after another good meal he left in an ambulance for his naval base at 6.30 in the evening.

The following message was received from the flag officer of the naval base at Milford Haven : “ Please convey to your crew of the St. David’s life-boat my appreciation of their prompt answer to our call, and admira-tion for their efforts during the rescue during last night.” The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN WILLIAM WATTS H. WILLIAMS for his devotion to duty in a difficult service, and his great skill in rehousing the life-boat, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum, and a reward of £3 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d. ; To each of the seven members of the crew a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale of £1 17s. 6d. ; To PERKIN JONES and EDWIN PHILLIPS, who manned the boarding boat, a reward of £2 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale to launchers of 13s. 6d. ; To the other two launchers a reward of £1 in addition to the ordinary reward on the standard scale to launchers of 13s. 6d. ; Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £13 19s. ; additional rewards to crew and helpers, £23 ; total rewards, £36 19s..