DECEMBER 17TH. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. At 6.25 in the morning a request was received from the naval control for the life-boat to go to the Maplin Sands where a vessel had been driven ashore on the Black tail Spit. A strong southerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. At 6.55 the motor life-boat J. B. Proudfoot, on temporary duty at the station, was launched, and found H.M.S. Jeanie Deans ashore about half a mile west-south-west of Blacktail Spit. She was being swept by heavy seas. The Jeanie Deans signalled the life-boat to stand by her, so that, should a tug arrive, she could pass a tow rope. This the life-boat did, and at daylight H.M. tug Advice arrived. By now the tide had turned and the sea had increased.

The life-boat anchored, veered down to within 120 feet of the Jeanie Deans, and with her line-throwing gun fired a veering line on to her port bow. To this the crew of the Jeanie Deans bent on a warp and this the life-boat hauled in and bent on to it a cable.

The life-boat then approached the tug which had let go her anchor and was dropping towards the life-boat. The life-boat eventually succeeded in passing the cable to the tug which then bent a tow-wire to it, and this the crew of the Jeanie Deans pulled on board. She was now in a bad way, continually pounded by heavy seas. The tug took the weight on the tow-wire, but after she had been pulling for some time it broke.

A second attempt was made. The life-boat had to go head first to the sands, the seas making a clean sweep over her, filling her canopy and carrying two of her crew under it. Fortunately they were not injured. In spite of all the difficulties, the tow-wire was reconnected, and the Jeanie Deans’ own towwire was also connected to the tug. The tug now took the weight on two tow-wires and was successful in pulling the Jeanie Deans off the sands, just before high water. It was then just after one o’clock in the afternoon.

Without the life-boat the Jeanie Deans and her crew of 90 could not have been saved, for the tug could never have got near her because of her greater draught and the heavy seas. The life-boat was asked to stand by until the Jeanie Deans reached harbour, but on the return journey she saw two barges flying distress signals, about half a mile west of South Shoebury Buoy. As the Jeanie Deans was now able to travel under her own power, the life-boat went to the barges, which were the Ida, of Harwich, and the Xylonite, of Ipswich, loaded with flour. They were anchored in a very exposed position, were badly damaged and unmanageable. The four men of their crews had been exposed to the gale for a number of hours. They were wet, cold and hungry and it was only with difficulty that the life-boat rescued them. After landing the men at Southend Pier, where they were given hot food and dry clothing, the life-boat put out again to save the barges and their valuable cargo. Life-boat men hauled up their anchors and by using all available sail on the barges the life-boat was able to tow them to Southend. She returned to her station at 4.15 next morning.

The naval authorities expressed their appreciation of the valuable help given by the life-boat to the Jeanie Deans. - Rewards, £8 8s. for the rescue of the men on the barges, property salvage cases for both the Jeanie Deans and the two barges..