DECEMBER 17TH. - TORBAY, DEVON.

Shortly after midnight on the 16th of December the Paignton police telephoned that a ship was ashore at Hollacombe Point, near the Torquay and Paignton Gas Works. A later message said that there were two. One was a tug and the other a vessel which she had in tow. A gale was blowing from the south-east, with very heavy seas and torrential rain. At 12.43 in the morning of the 17th the motor life-boat George Shee slipped her moorings.

She had on board only six men instead of the usual crew of eight.

Just after one o’clock she saw a white masthead light and a green deck light.

They were on board the tug Empire Alfred. The night was so dark, and the rain so fierce, that even with the searchlight the coxswain could see nothing but the two lights, and it was impossible to tell which way the tug was lying. She must have been not more than fifty yards from the shore and the surf was breaking four hundred yards out. The lead gave the life-boat a depth of not more than two fathoms and the coxswain went astern at full speed and lay on the edge of the breakers. He made a second attempt to find how the tug lay, but failed, and at the third attempt he shouted to the tug’s crew to put up a stern light for his guidance. With the help of this light he was able to judge her position. She had her bow on shore, with the wind and sea on her starboard quarter, and it was impossible to approach her on her lee side because of a ledge of rock. With the lights and his lead to guide him the coxswain went to the weather side. The tug was rolling heavily, but the life-boat secured alongside fore and aft. There she lay, with the seas breaking right over her and the tug, and again and again, in the trough of the seas, the life-boatmen felt their boat touch bottom. As the life-boat rose on the crests of the seas the men of the tug jumped for her, but in the darkness and the rain - with the searchlight still useless - it was half an hour before the last of the fourteen was aboard.

All the time life-boatmen stood by the ropes ready to cast them off if the lifeboat and tug should not move to the seas together.

The vessel which the tug had had in tow was lying farther inshore in still shallower water. She was yardcraft 345. The life-boat moved in, looking for her, at a very reduced speed, and taking soundings all the time.

Suddenly the depth altered from about two fathoms to just over a fathom, and the coxswain gave the order "come astern full.” At the same moment the life-boat hit the sea-bottom and the men were nearly shaken off their feet.

The vessel was then, it was estimated, about 40 yards nearer the shore.

When the life-boat had come out into deeper water, the coxswain and the captain of the tug decided that it would be better to take the rescued crew to Brixham at once, as they were all drenched and some of them had very little clothing, and to return to attempt again the rescue of the crew of the yardcraft.

The life-boat reached Brixham at 4.51 in the morning, and a quarter of an hour later set out again. Knowing the shallowness of the water where the vessel lay, and the danger, among the rocks, of damaging his rudder and losing control of the boat, if he had suddenly to come out at full speed astern, the coxswain decided to anchor and veer down. Visibility had now improved a little, and he could see the vessel and judge his distances. The life-boat paid out 80 fathoms of cable, and when she had dropped down to the vessel, found her lying broadside on to the seas, which were sweeping clean over her. The lead then gave 1 1/2 fathoms, and it was impossible to get under her lee, through lack of water.

Again there was nothing to be done but to attempt a rescue from the weatherside. The coxswain handled the life-boat with great skill, knowing that any mistake would mean great damage, or even disaster to her, but no mistake was made and he came safely alongside and made fast. The vessel was rolling and bumping very heavily in the sea and there was a fierce undercurrent. Again and again it carried the life-boat away, and she had to be brought back alongside.

Owing to the absence of two men of her crew the assistant motor-mechanic had to be on deck, and the mechanic had to handle his engines alone. The cockpit was often flooded, but he made no mistake, and the coxswain said afterwards that he appeared to know by instinct what to do. There were only five men on the yardcraft, but, owing to the under-current, it took a long time to rescue them, and after four had been safely taken off it was well over twenty minutes before the last man was safely on board the life-boat.

The life-boat reached Brixham for the second time at 7.50 in the morning. She had then been out just over seven hours.

It was a most difficult and dangerous service in the heavy seas, shallow water and intense darkness, and that it was successfully carried out, with only very slight damage to the lifeboat, was due to the splendid seamanship and courage of the coxswain, the great skill with which the motormechanic, alone at his controls, handled the engines and the unhesitating support which the coxswain received from all the crew.

The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN FREDERICK C. SANDERS, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To RICHARD T. HARRIS, motormechanic, a second-service clasp to the bronze medal for gallantry which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To SAMUEL B. GLANVILLE, bowman, HENRY O. THOMAS, assistant motor-mechanic, HAROLD P. SOPER and ABRAHAM BARTLETT, life-boatmen, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £1 in addition to the usual reward on the standard scale.

Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £12 10s.; additional rewards to crew, £6 ; total rewards, £18 10s..