FEBRUARY Launches 38 Lives rescued 58 FEBRUARY 3RD. - SELSEY, SUSSEX.

The life-boat coxswain and others were at the life-boat station when, at 3.40 in the afternoon, they saw a Typhoon aeroplane, flying low, crash in the sea. A moderate southwest wind was blowing, with a slight sea.

They at once launched the reserve motor life-boat Hearts of Oak, on temporary duty at the station, and within ten minutes were away. Three-quarters of a mile south of the life-boat station they found an airman in his dinghy, and had rescued him twenty minutes after seeing the accident. The aeroplane had sunk. The airman was suffering from shock and cold and his head was cut. The life-boat was back at her station and landed the airman at 4.15. - Rewards, £7 3s.

FEBRUARY 4TH - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

At 3.55 in the morning the coastguard reported that a landing craft was dragging her anchor in the harbour and said that the life-boat might be needed. Another message at 4.20 asked her to launch. A west-northwest gale was blowing, the sea rough, the night dark with hail squalls. The motor life-boat A.E.D. left at 4.45 and ten minutes later found L.C.G.3. She was ashore on the rocks at the railway bridge, Salt Island, with a crew of forty-three on board. A tug and other vessels were standing by. They were unable to get close, and the tug was too far away to pass a wire to her. The life-boat was able to go right in, and the coxswain advised the officer commanding to wait. He put two life-boatmen on board her and, as the tide rose, with her engines going astern, she slid off. The life-boat piloted her into the Inner Harbour, and returned to her moorings at eight o’clock. - Rewards, £11 15s.

BRONZE MEDAL SERVICE AT THURSO FEBRUARY 8TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESS-SHIRE. A northerly gale was blowing, with high confused seas and storms of snow and sleet when, at 2.30 in the afternoon, the Wick coastguard rang up the life-boat station to say that two miles to seaward of Melvick Bay two objects had been seen. They seemed to be dinghies. At three o’clock the motorlife-boat H.C.J. was launched. She made with all despatch for Melvick Bay, 12 1/2 miles away, the coxswain reasoning rightly that, whatever the objects were, they were being blown rapidly inshore. The seas were running very high, sometimes ahead and sometimes abeam of the life-boat, and she shipped much water. As she approached Melvick Bay the seas became more confused, and the bay was covered with broken water. At 4.30 the life-boat saw two rafts. The smaller was only about 170 yards from the rocks, the larger still about a mile and a half away. The coxswain made at once for the smaller raft. Two exhausted men were clinging to it. He took the life-boat alongside it on the lee, or inshore side, and two spectators on the shore saw the grave risk that he was running, in those heavy, swirling seas, of losing his boat and his crew. Very quickly the two exhausted men were lifted on board - they had been rescued in the nick of time from certain death - and the coxswain turned at once for the other raft.

As he approached it he could see men lying on it, apparently beyond the power to help themselves. This time he took the life-boat alongside the weather side. There he made her fast with ropes at each end, fending her off with boathooks, and two of his crew, David Thomson, life-boatman, and the assistant motor-mechanic, William Sinclair, jumped on the raft.

Five men were on it, all dead of exposure. Their bodies were huddled together, arms and legs entwined.

Thomson and Sinclair had to extricate each one from the others, before throwing it to the other men in the life-boat. The work had to be done as quickly as possible, for all the time the two men were in considerable danger of being washed off the raft or crushed between it and the life-boat.

With all the life-boatmen fully engaged in the work it took ten minutes. The life-boat then made for Wick, and on the way the life-boatmen stripped the two rescued men, put them into dry, warm clothes and revived them.

They were from the Norwegian steamer Freidig, of Haugesund, bound from Aberdeen to Liverpool, with a cargo of grain. The grain had shifted, andoff Cape Wrath the steamer had foundered. The life-boat reached Wick at 7.10 that evening and the two rescued men were taken to hospital.

They recovered.

The service had been carried out at great risk, in a high and dangerous sea, and the coxswain had handled the life-boat with splendid seamanship, daring and resource. The Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN JOHN MACLEOD, the bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To DAVID THOMSON, life-boatman, and WILLIAM SINCLAIR, assistant motor-mechanic, each the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum for his courage in risking his life without hesitation by going on board the raft ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £1 in addition to the reward on the ordinary scale of £2 7s. Rewards on the ordinary scale to crew and helpers, £22 19s. ; special rewards to the crew, £8 ; total rewards, £30 19s.

Coxswain MacLeod was also awarded the M.B.E.

FEBRUARY 14TH. - RHYL, FLINTSHIRE.

At 11.9 in the morning the Rhyl coastguard reported that an aeroplane had crashed in the sea about a mile north of the coastguard look-out. The weather was fine, with only a light wind and a smooth sea. The motor life-boat The Gordon Warren was launched at 11.49, and half an hour later found wreckage of an R.A.F. Mosquito aeroplane two and a half miles north-north-east of Rhyl. She picked up a body, badly damaged as by an explosion, and took it to Foryd Harbour.

She then made another search, found landing wheels and other wreckage, and brought them in, returning to her station again at 6.15 that evening. - Rewards, £18 7s. (See Rhyl, “Services by Shore-boats,” page 55.)

FEBRUARY 14TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 1.55 in the afternoon the coastguard reported that a life-boat was required by a tanker on fire between Ql and Q2 Buoys in the Queen’s Channel. A light northerly wind was blowing with a slight sea.

The No. 2 motor life-boat Edmund and Mary Robinson was launched at 2.19, and at 3.50 reached the S.S. Sharpsburg, of Philadelphia, a ten-thousand-ton tanker, near the Bar Lightvessel.

The Sharpsbug carried a crew of about fifty and was laden with petrol and aeroplanes. Dock Board tenders were dealing with the fire, and some of the tanker’s crew were taken off by a naval frigate. The lifeboat stood by until 4.45, when the fire was extinguished, and returned to her station, arriving at 7.15. - Rewards, £20 5s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 15TH. - STORNOWAY, HEBRIDES.

About 8.10 in the morning the Stornoway coastguard telephoned that a vessel was in distress in the neighbourhood of Glas Island, Scalpay, some forty miles away. She was the Sebastian, of London, a steamer of 3,354 tons, bound in ballast from Glasgow to Newcastle by way of Loch Ewe, with a crew of thirty-nine. A south-southwest gale was blowing, with a heavy sea and rain squalls. The naval authorities sent a trawler. Two tugs from Aultbea were reported to have put out. Later messages from the light-keeper at Glas Island, Scalpay, said that the steamer was anchored and appeared to be holding. Shortly after nine o’clock it was decided to send the motor lifeboat William and Harriot, as it war, felt that there was great danger of the Sebastian going ashore. By this time a strong gale was blowing. After struggling against a headwind and heavy seas for five hours the lifeboat reached the Sebastian, to find that the trawler was standing by, but owing to the heavy motion could not go alongside, and that the Sebastian had lost her propeller. The life-boat stood by until dusk, when the master of the Sebastian decided to abandon ship, and the life-boat took off her crew. The wind had suddenly changed about six o’clock, and the life-boat again had a head wind.

It was not until eleven o’clock that night that she regained her station. On the following day the steamer was towed into Loch Ewe.

It had been a long and arduous service, and an increase in the usual money reward on the standard scale was made to each member of the crew. Standard rewards to crew, £16 19s. ; additional rewards to crew, £7 ; Total rewards, £23 19s.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - PADSTOW, CORNWALL.

Shortly before noon the coastguard at Stepper Point reported, by telephone, distress signals from a trawler four miles north-west-by-north of Trevose Head. A fresh northerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The No. 1 motor life-boat Princess Mary put out at 12.30 and found the Belgian trawler Atlantic, of Ostend, with her engine broken down. She was laden with fish and had a crew of six. At the request of her master the life-boat took her in tow, and at 4.30 the two boats arrived under Pentire Head to await the tide. Permission was sent by the naval authorities to enter harbour at ten o’clock, and the life-boat got under way again about nine o’clock. At eleven o’clock she brought the Atlantic safely into harbour. - Property salvage case.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE.

At 2.44 in the afternoon life-boatmen on the promenade saw an aeroplane crash west-north-west of the coastguard station, about a mile off shore. The crash was also seen and reported by the coastguard.

A fresh easterly wind was blowing, with a slight sea. At 2.55 the motor lifeboat Lawrence Ardern, Stockport, was laun-ched, but she only found some wreckage and papers which she picked up and handed to the police when she got back to her station at 5.30. An R.A.F. launch which was out picked up a wireless report that the crew of the aeroplane had baled out over land.- Rewards, £14 9s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 19TH. - TORBAY, DEVON.

At 4.47 in the afternoon the resident naval officer telephoned through the coastguard that landing craft belonging to the United States Amphibious Force were ashore on Paignton beach, between the Esplanade Pier and Redcliffe Hotel. Four vessels were ashore, L.C.I. 493, 498, 502, and 506, each with men on board. A fresh east-north-east wind was blowing, with a heavy swell, and it was very cold. The motor life-boat George Shee was launched at 5.8, reached the landing craft half an hour later, and helped in the work of salvage under directions of the American officers. She was out until 3.20 next morning. A wireless message then recalled her so that she could be refuelled and her crew rested. It was dead low water, hut in spite of the absence of lights and the presence of moored shipping, her coxswain brought her safely in and she was moored at 4.30 in the morning of the 20th.

Five and a half hours later she was asked to take the coastguard Boxer rocket apparatus to Paignton, and at 12.10 in the afternoon she left Brixham pier with it. She had also on board the district officer of coastguard and a naval signalman. On arriving off Paignton the life-boat anchored and veered down to the stranded landing craft. The motion of the boat made the firing of the rocket difficult, but a successful shot was made. Unfortunately it was wasted, for the crew of the landing craft, in spite of signals, hauled on the line until it parted, before the life-boat could pass it to a towing vessel.

Towing operations for the day were then abandoned and the life-boat landed the apparatus at Brixham at 4.30 that afternoon and reached her moorings ten minutes later.

On the afternoon of the 21st, she put out at 4.40 for the third time, to stand by, but later was signalled to return and was moored again at 6.45. In the end all four craft were towed off the beach. The American naval authorities expressed appreciation of the excellent seamanship and splendid co-operation of the life-boat’s crew. - Rewards, £10 16s. 6d. ; £7 7s. 6d. ; £9 11s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - TENBY, PEMBROKESHIRE.

While the motor boat S t e p h e n Harding, of Caldy Island, was crossing to the mainland, she had trouble with her propeller shaft and had to anchor about a mile and a half south-west of Castle Hill, about seventy-five yards off the shore. A moderate north-east wind was blowing, with a slight sea. Three people were in the motor boat.

They burned a flare and the coastguard reported to the life-boat station. The motorlife- boat John H. Webb was launched at 7.30 in the evening and towed in the boat, arriving at 8.10. The rescued people sent a letter of thanks and a donation. - Rewards, £18 12s.

FEBRUARY 26TH. - AMBLE, NORTHUMBERLAND.

At one in the afternoon the coastguard reported two cobles in difficulties a mile and a half to the south-east and unable to make the harbour. A north-east wind was blowing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boat Frederick and Emma was launched at 1.30 and escorted in the coble Pilot Me.

Going out again she put a man aboard the coble Glad Tidings and escorted her in.

She arrived back at her station at 2.30.- Rewards, £7 12s.

FEBRUARY 26TH. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND. At ten o’clock in the morning the coastguard reported H.M. barge Celtic in difficulties, with a. damaged rudder, about two miles northeast of Berwick High Lighthouse. An eastnorth- east gale was blowing, with a heavy sea and squalls of sleet. The motor life-boat J. and W. was launched at 10.20, and on reaching the barge was asked to bring a sick man ashore. She landed him at noon. At one o’clock she returned to the Celtic, and half an hour later asked a drifter to take the barge in tow. She put one of her crew on board the drifter and passed a line from her to the barge. The drifter towed the barge into Berwick Harbour, with the life-boat in attendance, at four o’clock. The resident naval officer expressed appreciation of the good work done by the life-boat’s crew.- Rewards, £5 7s.

FEBRUARY 27TH. - WICKLOW. At 9.30 in the morning the Wicklow civic guard telephoned to the life-boat mechanic that a ship was ashore in Brittas Bay, about six miles south of Wicklow Head. An eastnorth- east gale was blowing, with very heavy seas and squalls of snow. Visibility was poor. The motor life-boat Lady Kylsant was launched at 9.45 and found the ship to be the S.S. Dublin Bay, of 495 tons, carrying a crew of seven, with her back broken. The life-boat went alongside and rescued the crew, some of whom were very exhausted. She was alongside for about half an hour, and all the time heavy seas were breaking over the wreck. She also encountered heavy seas on the return journey. She arrived back at 12.45 that afternoon. It was a fine service, and an increase in the usual money award on the standard scale was made to each member of the crew. - Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £9 7s. ; additional rewards to crew, £8 ; total rewards, £17 7s.

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

FEBRUARY 5TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. The crew of an American aeroplane had baled out, but none of them could be found. It was learned later that they were safe. - Rewards, £11 17s.

FEBRUARY 8TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. A flashing light had been reported, but it was found to come from a dan (a buoy with a flag or a light attached),belonging to a trawler engaged in fishing.- Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 9TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESS- SHIRE. A ship’s boat had been reported drifting off Sandside Head, but nothing was found. The boat later went ashore, badly damaged, with no one on board.

- Rewards, £10 1s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 10TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

A small boat had been reported in difficulties off Kessingland, but nothing could be found. Before the call a vessel had collided with the south pier at Lowestoft and had dislodged a pile or two. It is possible that a pile was mistaken for a small boat, especially as no small boat was known to be at sea at the time. - Rewards, £6 4s.

FEBRUARY 13TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. An American aeroplane had come down in the sea and had sunk, but an airrescue boat rescued the pilot. - Rewards, £12.

FEBRUARY 1 6TH. - SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. A Halifax bombing aeroplane had been reported in difficulties and her crew were said to have baled out, but no survivors could be found in the sea. - Rewards, £34 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. An aeroplane had crashed in the sea north of the Stags of Broadhaven, Co.

Mayo, but. the lifeboat and an R.A.F. rescue ship could find no survivors. The life-boat. was out for over seventeen hours. - Rewards, £19 15s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - PADSTOW, CORNWALL.

A steam trawler had grounded on the bar, but later she got off and made for harbour under a pilot. - Rewards, £11 10s.

FEBRUARY 20TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

A steamer had blown up from some unknown cause about fifteen miles westnorth- west of Newquay, but the seventy survivors were picked up by other vessels.

- Rewards, £27 8s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An American Fortress aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but her crew had baled out on land. - Rewards, £29 13s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. A raft had been reported to be drifting, but it was found to be five timbers tied together with no one on it.- Rewards, £9 7s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - PORTHDINLLAEN, CAERNARVONSHIRE. An R.A.F. aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but the life-boat was recalled by wireless before she reached the position given.- Rewards, £12 5s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - WHITEHILLS, BANFFSHIRE. A British aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but later itbelonging to a trawler engaged in fishing.- Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 9TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESS- SHIRE. A ship’s boat had been reported drifting off Sandside Head, but nothing was found. The boat later went ashore, badly damaged, with no one on board.

- Rewards, £10 1s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 10TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

A small boat had been reported in difficulties off Kessingland, but nothing could be found. Before the call a vessel had collided with the south pier at Lowestoft and had dislodged a pile or two. It is possible that a pile was mistaken for a small boat, especially as no small boat was known to be at sea at the time. - Rewards, £6 4s.

FEBRUARY 13TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. An American aeroplane had come down in the sea and had sunk, but an airrescue boat rescued the pilot. - Rewards, £12.

FEBRUARY 16TH. - SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. A Halifax bombing aeroplane had been reported in difficulties and her crew were said to have baled out, but no survivors could be found in the sea. - Rewards, £34 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. An aeroplane had crashed in the sea north of the Stags of Broadhaven, Co.

Mayo, but. the lifeboat and an R.A.F. rescue ship could find no survivors. The life-boat.

was out for over seventeen hours. - Rewards, £19 15s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - PADSTOW, CORNWALL.

A steam trawler had grounded on the bar, but later she got off and made for harbour under a pilot. - Rewards, £11 10s.

FEBRUARY 20TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

A steamer had blown up from some unknown cause about fifteen miles westnorth- west of Newquay, but the seventy survivors were picked up by other vessels.

- Rewards, £27 8s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An American Fortress aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but her crew had baled out on land. - Rewards, £29 13s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. A raft had been reported to be drifting, but it was found to be five timbers tied together with no one on it.- Rewards, £9 7s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - PORTHDINLLAEN, CAERNARVONSHIRE. An R.A.F. aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but the life-boat was recalled by wireless before she reached the position given.- Rewards, £12 5s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - WHITEHILLS , BANFFSHIRE. A British aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but later itFEBRUARY 25TH. - BALLYCOTTON, CO.

CORK. Flares had been seen, but nothing could he found. - Rewards, £13 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 25TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but only a patch of oil was found. - Rewards, £10 6s.

FEBRUARY 26TH. - THURSO, CAITHwas learned that she had crashed on land.- Rewards, £24 5s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE, AND GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE.

A red light had been reported and information was received that a man had fallen overboard from an aircraft carrier, but nothing was found. - Rewards : Campbeltown, £9 19s. 6d. ; Girvan, £13 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

The life-boat stood by outside the harbour in readiness to go and search for a missing American Liberator aeroplane, hut her services were not needed.

- Rewards, £9 19s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.

A Wellington aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but four airmen were picked up from a rubber dinghy by an examination vessel, and a fifth man could not be found. - Rewards, £21 18s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 24TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

The life-boat was launched and stood by at sea while American Fortresses were returning from operations, but her services were not needed. - Rewards, £26 6s.

3d.

FEBRUARY 25TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

An R.A.F. Spitfire aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but the life-boat found nothing except a patch of oil. - Rewards, £17 8s.

NESS-SHIRE. A ship’s boat had been reported in difficulties near Cape Wrath, but a later message said that she had driven ashore with no one on board, and the lifeboat was recalled by wireless. - Rewards, £22 11s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 26TH. - STORNOWAY, HEBRIDES.

The American steamer William H.

Welsh, of Baltimore, had gone ashore and was totally wrecked, with loss of life, near Loch Ewe, in a north-north-east gale. Before the life-boat could reach the position, which was about thirty miles from Stornoway, it was all over. - Rewards, £16 19s.