MAY 12TH. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES.

At 7.15 in the morning a doctor of Castlebay telephoned to the life-boat honorary secretary that he had received a telephone message from Vatersay post office that an R.A.F. Sunderland flying boat had crashed on the hillside, at Uidh, Vatersay, and that members of the crew were badly hurt. A light westerly wind was blowing with a slight sea. The doctor asked for the services of the life-boat, and at 7.50 the motor life-boat Lloyd’s put out with him on board. She took a motor boat with her and reached Uidh in a quarter of an hour. Three of the crew took the doctor ashore in the motor boat, and found three airmen dead, and of the remaining six, three so seriously injured that stretchers were needed. The life-boat made two trips to and from Uidh with the dead and injured and arrived back at her station at 1.30 that afternoon. The local R.A.F. officer asked if the life-boat could again be used to take out the injured men to a ship which had arrived from Tobermory.

She set out at 3.30, made two trips with the men and returned to her station at five o’clock. - Rewards, £10 1s..