MARCH Launches 36 Lives rescued 12

MARCH 1ST. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE.

The fishing fleet was out in bad weather, with strong squalls from the north, snow showers and a rough sea, and at 11.30 in the morning, as four boats had not returned, it was decided to send out the No. 1 motor life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth. She left at 11.40 and found the N o r t h S t a r with her engine broken down one and a half miles to the north of Whitby. As the life-boat arrived she restarted her engine, and the life-boat escorted her in. The life-boat then went out again and stood by until the other three boats had made harbour. She returned to her station at 1.45. - Rewards, £7 11s.

MARCH 1ST. - RUNSWICK, YORKSHIRE.

The Staithes fishing fleet put to sea about eight in the morning in rough weather. By 9.30 the wind had increased to a north-north-west gale, bringing with it a very rough sea, and at 11.10 the Runswick motor life-boat Robert Paton - The Always Ready, put out. She reached Staithes half an hour later, in time to escort two cobles into the harbour, and arrived back at her station at 1.30 that afternoon. - Rewards, £11 13s.

MARCH 1ST. - FILEY, YORKSHIRE.

During the morning, while the fishing cobles were out, the wind increased until it was blowing strongly from the north-west, with a rising sea. All the cobles returned - many leaving their lines - with the exception of the motor coble Jean and Barbara. The motor life-boat The Cuttle was launched at 12.10, escorted the coble into harbour, and returned to her station at 1.45. - Rewards, £12 7s.

MARCH 8TH. - FRASERBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE.

At 4.37 in the morning, the coastguard telephoned that a rocket had been fired by a vessel ashore on the west side of Cairnbulg Beacon. She was the Faroese motor vessel Mjoanes, carrying a crew of nine and bound for Aberdeen laden with 150 tons of fish. The weather was fine, with a light south-west wind, and the sea was smooth.

At 5.10 the motor lifeboat John and Charles Kennedy was launched, and reached the Mjoanes fifteen minutes later. She found her leaking badly and in need of a motor pump.

Leaving two life-boatmen on board to help with the hand-pump, she returned to harbour and brought out a pump, which she put on board. More life-boatmen also went on board to help with the hand-pump. At 8.50 the Mjoanes floated. The life-boat helped her off the reef and took her to Fraserburgh, arriving at 9.25 that morning. - Property salvage case.

MARCH 10TH. - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. At 4.30 in the afternoon the Fairlight coastguard telephoned that all the fishing boats had returned except the Lady Violet, which appeared to be in difficulties to the southsouth- east, about one and a quarter miles off shore. A few minutes later a signal was made by the fishing boat, that her engine had broken down, and the motor life-boat Cyril and Lilian Bishop was launched at 5.7. A light north-east wind was blowing and the sea was calm, but owing to fog it was not until 6.15 that the life-boat found the fishing boat three miles south-east of Hastings. Motor launches had also been sent out from Dover to her help. She had a crew of two. The life-boat towed her to a safe position and returned to her station at 7.17 that evening.

- Rewards, £43 16s. 6d.

MARCH 13TH. - ST. ABBS, and EYEMOUTH, BERWICKSHIRE. The Royal Observer Corps saw signals of distress and reported them to the police, who informed the St. Abbs Life-boat station at 2.30 in the afternoon. A whole northerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea and the weather was very cold. The boat was known to be the Eyemouth motor fishing boat Spes Bona, with a crew of five. Her engine had broken down and she was leaking. An Admiralty trawler was seen attempting to help her. The St. Abbs motor life-boat Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest was launched at 3.5. Information had also been sent to Eyemouth and the motor life-boat Frank and William Oates was launched at 3.5. In the meantime the trawler had taken the fishing boat in tow, but the rope had parted in the heavy seas. A line was then run by the Eyemouth life-boat from the Spes Bona to the trawler, but the fishing boat could not pull in the wire rope attached to it.

She was heavily water-logged and in danger of sinking. Even if the wire rope had been pulled in the trawler drew too much water to be able to tow the fishing boat into either St. Abbs or Eyemouth harbour. T h i s w a s realised on shore and the motor boat Ravenscraig put out from Eyemouth and towed the Spes Bona into Burnmouth. Both life-boats went with them and they reached Burnmouth about six o’clock. The St. Abbs boat got back to her station about 6.45, but the Eyemouth boat was left at Burnmouth for the night and brought back to her station on the following day. - Rewards, St. Abbs, £17 3s.

6d. ; Eyemouth, £20 3s. 6d.

MARCH 20TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL.

Information was received through the military and the police at noon that a partly submerged boat or raft was drifting towards the rocks at Rosskearagh Point, Sligo. A west-north-west wind was blowing, with a rough sea. At 12.15 the motor lifeboat Queen Victoria was launched, and two miles south of Rosskearagh Point she picked up a trawler’s dan. She found nothing else and returned to her station at six o’clock.- Rewards, £9 19s. 6d.

MARCH 20TH. - PORT ASKAIG, ARGYLLSHIRE.

About 7.30 in the morning a telephone message was received from Kilchoman coastguard that a vessel was ashore about half a mile north of Coull Point, Islay. A strong north-west wind was blowing, with a heavy swell. The motor life-boat Charlotte Elizabeth was launched at 8.45 and found an enemy submarine ashore. She had been in tow of a destroyer but had broken loose. The destroyer and a tug were standing by. The life-boat stood by for a time and then returned to her station, arriving at 4.5 in the afternoon. - Rewards, £7 7s.

MARCH 24TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. About 8.33 in the morning,information was received from the naval base at Harwich, through the coastguard, that two American Fortress aeroplanes were down near the Pye Sands. A light west-southwest wind was blowing, with a slight sea.

The motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched at 8.50. She kept in communication with the coastguard station by lamp and wireless, and at 9.27 the coastguard told her that survivors had been picked up by a Walrus amphibious aeroplane and that she should take them on board. By this time, however, the Walrus was already in the air and returning to her station. The life-boat searched for more survivors and returned, bringing with her a rubber dinghy. She reached her station at 12.50 that afternoon. - Rewards, £10 2s. 6d.

MARCH 25TH. - STORNOWAY, HEBRIDES, CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE, AND BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES. At 6.45 in the morning the coastguard reported to the Stornoway life-boat station that a steamer was ashore three-quarters of a mile south of Glas Island Lighthouse, Scalpay, and needed help. She was the American steamer Park Holland, of Portland, Maine, of over 7,000 tons, laden, and bound with a crew of over 70 for Loch Ewe to join a convoy.

A light southerly wind was blowing and the sea was calm, but there was a dense fog.

After the life-boat crew had been assembled the naval base said it was not the life-boat that was required, but R.A.F. high speed launches, and two rescue launches left Stornoway at seven o’clock. A later message from the coastguard asked the life-boat to go, and the motor life-boat William and Harriot left at 8.30. When the life-boat was about eighteen miles south of Stornoway, at 10.30, she met the Park Holland making for Stornoway, escorted by the two launches.

The launches returned to port and the lifeboat escorted the steamer to a position off Stornoway Harbour. From there she had been directed by the launches to go to Loch Ewe. The life-boat reached her station again at 12.19 that afternoon.

Information about the Park Holland had also been given to the life-boat stations at Campbeltown and Barra Island, but not her correct position. Both life-boats were launched, but failed to find the steamer, which was actually many miles away. - Rewards : Stornoway, E3 16s. ; Campbeltown, £13 14s.

6d. ; Barra Island, £32 9s.

MARCH 26TH. - ST. DAVID’S, PEMBROKESHIRE.

At 11.30 at night, the life-boat honorary secretary received a telephone message from the R.A.F. at St. David’s that a Halifax aeroplane was down in the sea several miles west by north of St. David’s Head. She could be seen ablaze on the water.

A light south-west wind was blowing and the sea was calm. Five minutes later the naval base asked the life-boat to stand by, and at 12.10 the duty naval officer asked her to go out. He said that a high speed launch had left Fishguard at 11.45.

The motor life-boat Civil Service No. 6 was launched at 12.12. Included in her crew were the honorary secretary, Dr. Joseph Soar, Mus.Doc., and Squadron Leader Manton.

Aeroplanes dropped flares to help the life-boat and she searched for a long time, but all that she found was a wheel of the aeroplane, which she towed in. It was 7.5 next morning when she got back to her station.- Rewards, £12 8s.

MARCH 31ST. - GALWAY BAY. As a matter of grave urgency the local doctor asked for the services of the life-boat to take two of his patients to the mainland for immediate operations. The weather was fine, with a light south-west wind and a moderate sea, but no other boat was available.

At 6.44 in the evening the motor life-boat City of Bradford I, on temporary duty at the station, set out with the patients, landed them on the mainland and returned to her station at 9.30 that night. As a result of the life-boat’s help the life of one of the patients was saved. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

The following life-boats were launched but no services were rendered for the reasons given : MARCH 2ND. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, AND WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. A Liberator aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing was found. - Rewards : Clacton, £13 11s. 6d. ; Walton and Frinton, £20 8s.

MARCH 3RD. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

A British aeroplane had crashed, but two of her crew of four were rescued by a motor torpedo boat. - Rewards, £3 16s.

MARCH 6TH. - CAISTER, NORFOLK.

While the life-boat crew were standing by during air operations a Fortress aeroplane was seen to crash, but the life-boat found no survivors. - Rewards, £18 17s.

MARCH 6TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. While the lifeboat was out on a trial run an American Fortress aeroplane was seen to crash, but the life-boat found no survivors. - Rewards, £12 4s. 6d.

MARCH 7TH. - CLOVELLY, DEVON. A small boat had been reported adrift, but a floating tree was all the life-boat found.- Rewards, £13 15s.

MARCH 15TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. A fishing boat was thought to be flying a signal, but the object was a fishing basket and not a signal for help. - Rewards, £7 19s.

MARCH 17TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

A British Tiger Moth trainer aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £40 12s.

MARCH 18TH. - DONAGHADEE, CO. DOWN. Two British Mosquito aeroplanes had been reported fallen into the sea, butonly wreckage was found. - Rewards, £13 19s. 6d.

MARCH 21ST. - ARRANMORE, CO. DONEGAL. A ship had been reported to be sending out SOS messages, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £23 17s. 6d.

MARCH 2 3RD. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

An American Fortress aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but her crew were rescued by a motor torpedo boat. - Rewards, £29 13s.

MARCH 2 4TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL,.

A British Anson aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but her crew were rescued by a Walrus amphibious aeroplane.

- Rewards, £40 12s.

MARCH 25TH. - WICKLOW. Flares had been reported, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £22 1s.

MARCH 28TH. - CROMARTY. A British Wellington aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but nothing was found by the life-boat.

Other boats picked up one survivor and two bodies. - Rewards, £4 5s. 6d.

MARCH 29TH. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE, AND BEAUMARIS, AND MOELFRE, ANGLESEY. A report had been received that an aeroplane was in distress and another that three men had baled out of an aeroplane, presumably the same one, but nothing could be found, and it was learnt later that the aeroplane was a n American Douglas Dakota transport that had crashed on land and that the three men had been saved. - Rewards, Llandudno, £26 15s. ; Beaumaris, £19 13s. 6d. ; Moelfre, £18 12s.

MARCH 29TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

An aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but only wreckage was found. - Rewards, £19 5s. 6d.

MARCH 30TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

An airman had been reported to have baled out of an aeroplane, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £10 19s.

MARCH 31ST. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

A Lancaster aeroplane was returning from Germany with a damaged tail and the pilot ordered two airmen to bale out, thinking he was over land. The aeroplane was still over the sea, and the life-boat went out to look for the two men, but found nothing. - Rewards, £10 13s.

MARCH 31ST. - NEWCASTLE, CO. DOWN.

Red flares had been reported about thirty miles from Newcastle and a search was made, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £57 12s.