Launches 40 Lives rescued 93

AUGUST 2ND. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBJULY RIDES. About five in the evening information was received from the coastguard that a motor boat appeared to be in difficulties off Greanhead. A south-east wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The motor life-boat Duke of Connaught, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 5.30 and found the motor launch Sybilla, of Castlebay, with a crew of three. They had been fishing for lobsters, but had been disabled two miles west-south-west of Greanhead, and were drifting out to sea without sails or oars. The life-boat took the boat in tow and brought her to Castlebay, arriving at 8.15. - Rewards, £6 19s. 9d.

AUGUST 5TH - 6TH. - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.

At 9.28 at night the Kirkwall coastguard telephoned that the naval authorities requested the services of the life-boat for a vessel reported sinking. A south-east wind was blowing, with a moderate sea and dense fog. The motor life-boat Thomas McCunn was launched at 9.45, and a few minutes later received a wireless message giving the position of the vessel as four miles north-west-north of Stroma Light. The message also advised caution as there was much shipping in the Firth. The life-boat reached the position at 10.15 and found the American steamer Charles D. McIver, of Wilmington, laden with a general cargo of war material and carrying a crew of seventy-five. She stood by until a tug arrived and then returned to her station, arriving at three o’clock next morning. She remained at anchor, and at 10.40 was called out again by the naval authorities to a vessel in distress two miles north of Dunnett Head.

The fog was still very thick when the lifeboat put out again at 10.45. She found the same steamer, the Charles D. McIver, which she had left in charge of a tug the previous night, but there was no sign of a tug. The Charles D. McIver had evidently dragged her anchors, gone out over Torness and come back to Dunnett Head with the next tide.

On board her was an Admiralty salvage officer. He asked the life-boat to take her to a place of safety. The life-boat coxswain boarded the steamer, laid a course for Scrabster Roads, and there she arrived, accompanied by the life-boat. The life-boat reached her station again at 6.45 that evening. - Rewards, £9 11s. and property salvage case.

AUGUST 7TH. - HOWTH, CO. DUBLIN.

At 3.20 in the afternoon a report was received by telephone from the Bailey Lighthouse that a yacht was showing a distress signal. A south-south-west wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The motor life-boat R.P.L.

was launched at 3.40. Besides her crew the life-boat had on board a coast watcher, as signalman, the honorary secretary of the lifeboat station and two members of the committee.

She found the yacht Hawkes Eye, of Dublin, one and a half miles south-east of the lighthouse. She had on board two men and a woman. Her rudder had been badly damaged and she was out of control. The owner wished to be towed to Howth. Life-boatmen went on board with the life-boat’s drogue to hold her steady while she was being towed, and the life-boat brought her to Howth at 5.15. Before returning to her station the life-boat went in search of the yacht’s punt which had gone adrift with a man on board, but she learned from the Bailey Lighthouse that he had reached land.- Property salvage case.

AUGUST 9TH. - PADSTOW, CORNWALL.

About 10.15 on the night of the 8th of August a message was received, through the coastguard, from a convoy that a ship was in distress and a pilot was needed. The night was very foggy, but the sea was calm. A later message said that a Canadian ship, H.M.S.C.

Regina, and the Liberty ship Ezra Weston had sunk, at sixteen minutes after midnight, six to eight miles north of Stepper Point, and asked that the life-boat should search for men in the water. The No. 1 motor life-boat Princess Mary was launched at 1.30, spoke an armed trawler at 2.15, took on board from her four officers - survivors of the accident - and continued on her way to the position given.

She found much wreckage, but no men. At five o’clock a message from the resident naval officer told her to return with the four survivors and she arrived at 6.30. At 7.30 she put out again for a further search, but found no survivors, and she returned at 11.37, towing a ship’s motor boat which she had picked up.

Other vessels had taken part in the search and brought ashore one hundred and fiftysix survivors and one body. - Rewards, £11 9s.

AUGUST 9TH. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO. WEXFORD. At nine in the evening a telephone message from the military lookout post at Greenore Point reported that the motor fishing boat Patriot, of Wexford, appeared to have broken down and to be flying a signal of distress. A fresh westsouth- west breeze was blowing, but the sea was smooth. The motor life-boat Agnes Cross, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 2.20 and found the boat at Carrick Perch. She had a crew of four. In case she should be blown offshore into a minefield, the life-boat took her in tow and brought her home. - Partly paid permanent crew ; Rewards, £2 3s.

AUGUST 9TH. - LONGHOPE, ORKNEYS.

At 9.15 in the evening the Kirkwall coastguard telephoned that a vessel was ashore on the south end of Stroma. An easterly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The motor life-boat Thomas McCunn was launched at 9.40 and found the Aberdeen trawler Blethos. She had a crew of eight on board and was bound for the fishing grounds.

The life-boat stood by. As the tide flowed the trawler got off without help, and the lifeboat returned, arriving at 1.30 next morning.

- Rewards, £9 2s.

AUGUST 10TH. - BEAUMARIS, ANGLESEY.

At 8.29 in the evening the Penmon coastguard reported that the sailing boat Margaret Elizabeth was in difficulties in the East Channel off Puffin Island. At 8.45 a further report came that the boat had capsized. A strong south-west wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. The motor life-boat Frederick Kitchen was launched at nine o’clock and as she approached Puffin Island saw two people on the island. She took them on board, and they said that two others were missing. Meanwhile, two men had put out from Penmon in a rowing boat and picked up the missing men. While searching, the life-boat met the rowing boat and took aboard one of the rescued men. She arrived back at her station at 11.45 that night. - Rewards, £10 17s. (See Penmon, “Services by Shore-boats,” page 62.)

AUGUST 14TH. - APPLEDORE, AND CLOVELLY, DEVON, AND PADSTOW, CORNWALL.

About 7.10 in the evening information from the naval authorities was received at both Clovelly and Padstow that two vessels were sinking, as a result of enemy action, several miles off Hartland Point. The weather was fine, with a light wind and a calm sea. The Clovelly motor life-boat City of Nottingham put out at 7.18, but learnt from a naval vessel that all the men had been pickedup, and returned to her station, arriving just after midnight. The Padstow No. 1 motor life-boat Princess Mary put out at 7.30 and searched, until she was recalled by wireless.

She arrived back at two o’clock next morning. While the Clovelly and Padstow life-boats were out the naval officer-in-charge at Appledore asked for the Appledore motor lifeboat Violet Armstrong to go out to transfer survivors of the two sunken ships from a naval vessel to other vessels. She left at 9.14, went as far as the Fairway Buoy and transferred twenty-one men to flat-bottomed ships, which could accommodate stretcher cases.

She reached her station again at 11.30. No information was received of the identity of the ships sunk or the number of survivors.- Rewards : Appledore £11 4s. 6d. ; Clovelly, £20 19s. ; Padstow, £5 9s.

AUGUST 20TH - 21ST. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

During the afternoon of the 20th the honorary secretary of the life-boat station was watching a ship to the south of Skegness pier, and just before eight o’clock the coastguard reported that she was in difficulties. Later the flag officer, Humber, asked that the life-boat should go out, and the motor life-boat Anne Allen was launched at 9.35. A north-north-east gale was blowing, with a very rough sea and driving rain.

The life-boat found the S.S. Vic 72, in ballast, with a crew of five. She had lost her bearings and her engine had broken down. The lifeboat guided her to the calmer waters of Boston Deeps, took on board two of her crew who were suffering from exposure, and landed them a quarter of an hour after midnight.

At 6.45 the life-boat, with a pilot on board, went out again. The pilot and two of the life-boatmen went aboard the steamer, and the life-boat escorted her into Boston. She reached her station again at 9.5 that morning.

- Property salvage case.

AUGUST 23RD. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE.

About six o’clock in the evening the coastguard reported a small motor vessel aground at the mouth of the River Ugie, two miles north of Peterhead, with a fishing boat standing by. The sea was smooth, a light easterly wind was blowing, but there was dense fog. The lifeboat crew were assembled and on receipt of a further message, from the naval authorities, the motor life-boat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow was launched at 7.15. She found two motor patrol boats. One of them, No.

1091, was aground, but her crew declined to leave her. The life-boat then went to the other boat, No. 1086, and guided her to Peterhead. When Peterhead Bay was reached the master said that his engine was not working too well and asked for a towrope.

This was given to him and the lifeboat brought his boat to moorings at 9.45 that evening. The No. 1091 refloated and entered Peterhead at 7.30 the following morning. - Rewards, £9 8s. 6d.

AUGUST 27TH. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

At 6.30 in the evening the coxswain received a telephone call from the Colwyn Bay police that a boat was in distress one and a half miles off Colwyn pier.

A fresh southerly wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. The motor life-boat Thomas and Annie Wade Richards was launched at 6.45 and found the rowing boat Dawn with two men in her. They were exhausted. The life-boat took them on board and landed them at Colwyn Bay in the presence of a large crowd. She reached her station again at 8.45. - Rewards, £12 4s. 3d.

AUGUST 28TH. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.

The local motor fishing coble Silver Line, with a crew of four, was at sea in a strong east-north-east wind, with a rough sea and rain. As the weather grew worse she was in danger of being swamped. The motor lifeboat Mary Ann Hepworth was launched at 4.55 in the afternoon and found the coble three miles to the north-north-east. She escorted her in, arriving at 5.45. - Rewards, £6 6s.

AUGUST 28TH. - CAISTER, NORFOLK. At 6.40 in the evening a telephone message was received from Scratby that an aircraftsman was being blown out to sea on a raft. The sea was choppy with a fresh west-north-west wind blowing. The man had gone bathing, taking a raft with him, and was having a rest on the raft when it was carried out to sea.

The motor life-boat Jose' Neville was launched at 6.50 and twenty minutes later rescued the man two miles north-east of the life-boat station. She was back at her station at 7.30.

A gift of £10 10s. was made to the life-boat crew by the man’s unit, and it also made a donation to the Institution. - Rewards, £13 5s.

AUGUST 29TH. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES.

During the late evening of the 28th of August the relatives of the crew of four of the motor fishing boat Sybilla, of Castlebay, became anxious, as the boat was overdue from lobster fishing. A north-westerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. At midnight the motor life-boat Duke of Connaught, on temporary duty at the station, was launched. She searched without success until five o’clock. The night was dark and the fishing boat was without lights. On returning, she was given a clue to the probable position of the Sybilla and put out again at 6.30. An hour later she found the boat on the south-west side of Muldoanich Island, with her engine broken down, and towed her in, arriving back at Castlebay at eight o’clock that morning. - Rewards, £11 11s. 9d.

AUGUST 31ST. - DUNGENESS, KENT. At 5.55 in the evening the Sandgate coastguard telephoned that the naval and military authorities requested the services of the lifeboat to take out a relief crew and provisions to one of the caissons of concrete, named Phoenixes, out of which was built the breakwater at Arromanches in Normandy to make a port for the invasion of France which began on the sixth of June, 1944. She was Phoenix 121 and was anchored five miles north-east-by-north of Dungeness. Her crewwere without food or water. A moderate westerly gale was blowing, with a rough sea.

The motor life-boat Charles Cooper Henderson was launched at 6.45, put the men and provisions on board and returned at 8.45 with the old crew. - Rewards, £17 16s. 3d.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given :

AUGUST 1ST. - KILMORE, CO. WEXFORD.

A small boat was missing, but she was found and taken in tow by a fishing boat.

- Rewards, £31 10s. 3d.

AUGUST 3RD. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND. An aeroplane had crashed, but her crew of two were rescued by a naval sloop. - Rewards, £3 16s.

AUGUST 4TH. - WICK, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

Two vessels had come into collision while in convoy, but they were able to go on their way. - Rewards, £4 7s. 6d.

AUGUST 6TH. - DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN. Two vessels had been reported to have lost their bearings in a thick fog, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £4 7s. 6d.

AUGUST 6TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.

A fishing boat had been reported missing, but she was found by the Malin Head auxiliary rescue-boat. - Rewards, £5 1s. (See Malin Head, “Services by Auxiliary Rescueboats,” page 68.)

AUGUST 7TH. - MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.

Three boys had put out in a small unseaworthy boat, but they reached land without help and their boat was found on the beach near Workington. - Rewards, £6 4s. 6d.

AUGUST 8TH. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. A Halifax bombing aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but no survivors were found by the life-boat. Five of the crew of eight, four dead and one alive, were picked up by motor launches. - Rewards, £14 4s. 6d.

AUGUST 8TH. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but a search, in which R.A.F. boats and aeroplanes also took part, was without result, and it was thought that the aeroplane had exploded high up and had been blown to pieces. - Rewards, £6 3s. 6d.

AUGUST 11TH. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

A fire had been reported on the sea, possibly from an aeroplane, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £18 11s. 6d.

AUGUST 11TH. - COURTMACSHERRY HARBOUR, CO. CORK. A rowing boat had been reported missing from Oyster Haven, but the life-boat was recalled as the boat had returned. - Rewards, £5 9s.

AUGUST 11TH. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A yacht had been reported capsized, several miles north-east ofGreat Orme’s Head, but nothing was found.

It seemed probable that this was the boat which capsized and was lost off Puffin Island the previous day, and to which the Beaumaris life-boat launched. - Rewards, £21 17s.

AUGUST 12TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE.

A glider had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £16 13s.

AUGUST 14TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. Red flares had been reported, but only a patch of oil was found. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

AUGUST 15TH. - PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A small rowing boat had been reported missing, but it got to land without help after having been stranded on a sandbank.

- Rewards, £13 16s.

AUGUST 20TH. - BROUGHTY FERRY, ANGUS. Six boys on a raft had got into difficulties and five got ashore, but the sixth was lost before the life-boat could reach the spot. - Rewards, £5 5s. 6d.

AUGUST 26TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE, AND PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A British Wellington bombing aeroplane had come down in the sea, but an R.A.F. launch rescued her seven men from a rubber dinghy. - Rewards : Barmouth, £19 ; Pwllheli, £15.

AUGUST 27TH. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND. A boy had been reported floating out to sea on an air cushion, but what had been seen was a floating log.- Rewards, £5 1s.

AUGUST 28TH. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE.

Red flares had been reported, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £7 3s. 6d.

AUGUST 30TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE.

A British Beaufighter aeroplane had crashed into the sea, but nothing could be found. - Paid permanent crew.