DECEMBER 7TH - 10TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

At 11.45 in the morning, the naval base at Great Yarmouth asked, through the coastguard, that the life-boat should launch to the British-manned Liberty ship Samnethy, which had stranded on Hammond Knoll two days previously, and at 12.20 the No. 1 motor life-boat H. F. Bailey was launched with a crew of six. The weather was fine The life-boat reached Hammond Knoll: twenty-three miles from the life-boat station, at 3.15 and found four naval salvage tugs and a motor launch in attendance on the Samnethy.

The coxswain boarded the Samnethy and discussed the position with the captain and salvage officer. The life-boat was only required to remain handy in case it became necessary to abandon ship, and the captain agreed to provide food. All through the night of the 7th and the day of the 8th the life-boat remained at anchor. About, midnight on the 8th the wind and sea increased and the life-boat had to move out to deeper water.

The weather continued to get worse, the wind rising at times to a gale, with squalls of sleet, heavy seas and intense cold, and at about nine in the morning of the 9th the coxswain warned the salvage officer that if men were to be taken off, It must be done before dark. At 2.30 in the afternoon the life-boat was secured alongside, but heavy seas parted the rope which fouled the lifeboat’s port propeller. It was cleared by the special knife provided. At 3.30 the life-boat was again secured alongside, rising and falling some twelve to fifteen feet, and took off 35 men. She put them on board a tug, to which she herself made fast. At 7.30 she was called alongside the Samnethy again. This time she took off the thirteen remaining members of the crew and four salvage officers. She then made for Gorleston, which she reached at one in the morning of the 10th, and landed the seventeen men. Later in the day tugs brought the Samnethy into Yarmouth Roads.

It had been an arduous service of sixty hours. The rescued men gave £42 10s. to the life-boatmen in gratitude for it. The Institution wrote to the Ministry of War Transport to express its appreciation of the help given by the signalling of the Winterton coastguard. To each member of the life-boat crew the Institution made an increase in the usual money reward on the standard scale.

Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £67 15s. 6d. ; additional rewards to crew, £18 ; total rewards, £85 15s..