NOVEMBER 23RD. - PADSTOW, CORNWALL, AND CLOVELLY, DEVON.

At 2.30 in the morning the Padstow coastguard telephoned that news had been received from the naval authorities at Falmouth that a ship was ashore at Knap Head, near Welcombe Mouth. A fresh westerly wind was blowing, with a rough sea and very heavy, blinding squalls of rain. At 3.30 the No. 1 motor life-boat Princess Mary was launched. The second motor-mechanic was in command, as he had greater experience than the coxswain and second-coxswain, both of whom had only recently been appointed. The information was also sent to Clovelly and the motor lifeboat City of Nottingham put out at three o’clock. She reached Welcombe Mouth two hours later. There she found the Norwegian steamer Sjofna, of Oslo, loaded with china clay and bound from Fowey to Larne. She had a crew of nineteen. She was inside the breakers under high cliffs, one mile south of Knap Head. The Clovelly life-boat could not make contact with her and stood off to await daylight.

At 6.25 the larger Padstow life-boat (she was a 60-feet boat as compared with the 35 feet of Clovelly) arrived. She had had 28 miles to travel. She found the Sjofna broadside on to the seas, which were pounding her. All her crew had taken refuge on the bridge. It was still quite dark and as there was a reef of rocks near the steamer the actingcoxswain decided to wait. As soon as day came he anchored and dropped down stern first towards the wreck.

All the time the life-boat was swept by heavy following seas, and one broke right on board her, injuring one of the crew. As each sea broke, the motor-mechanic steamed up to meet it, so as to take the strain off the cable.

When the life-boat got near enough she fired two lines from her linethrowing gun. Each fell over the steamer, but the crew were unable to get hold of them in the heavy seas breaking on board. The acting coxswain then hove up his anchor and anchored in a fresh position, from which he could drop down nearer to the steamer’s bridge. The life-boat was now so close inshore that she was bumping heavily on the bottom in the trough of the seas. The line-throwing gun again fired two lines and this time the Sjofna’s crew were able to seize them and make them fast. By means of these lines a breeches buoy was rigged between the steamer and the life-boat and seven men were dragged to the life-boat through the seas.

Then the line, which had been chafed, was carried away. As the life-boat had no more lines to fire, the acting coxswain went out through the breakers to the Clovelly life-boat, which was standing by, and borrowed her linethrowing pistol. He did not need to use it, however, for he saw that the coastguard life-saving apparatus company had now got a line on to the steamer from the top of the cliff’s and was taking off the twelve remaining members of her crew. The life-boat then made for Padstow, which she reached at 3.45 in the afternoon. She had been out for over twelve hours.

The Clovelly life-boat got back to her station at 4.15 in the afternoon ; she had been out for over thirteen hours.

The Padstow acting coxswain acted with great courage and skill in taking this 43-ton life-boat right into the heavy surf. The Institution made the following awards : To ACTING-COXSWAIN WILLIAM ORCHARD, the silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum. He was also awarded the Miss Maud Smith reward for courage in memory of John, 7th Earl of Hardwicke, given for the bravest act of life-saving of the year by a life-boatman.

This is the award for 1945, the year in which the medal for this service was awarded ; To JOHN T. MURT, coxswain, and JOHN H. ROKAHR, motor-mechanic, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To MR. R. R. WILTON, honorary secretary, a letter of appreciation ; To the acting-coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £2 in addition to the usual reward on the standard scale ; To the Clovelly coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £1 in addition to the usual reward on the standard scale.

Padstow : standard rewards to crew, £8 9s. 6d. ; additional rewards to crew, £14 ; total rewards, £22 9s. 6d.

Clovelly : standard rewards to crew and helpers, £48 7s. ; additional rewards to crew, £8 ; total rewards, £56 7s. Total rewards for both life-boats: £78 16s. 6d.

A letter was received from the Norwegian Government expressing its most sincere thanks.

For their outstanding and arduous services during a period of sixteen hours’ continuous duty the Hartland life-saving apparatus company were presented with the shield given each year by H.M. Coastguard for the best service of the year by the life-saving apparatus..