Launches 41 Lives rescued 56

APRIL 3RD. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

A message was received from the son of the life-boat coxswain, Dumble, that his father and his father’s partner were out in their crab-boat Gwendoline off West Runton, attending to their  crab-pots. A strong northerly wind was blowing, with squalls of gale force, and the sea was rough. The Cromer coastguard were asked if they could see the boat, but visibility was poor, they could see nothing, and at 4.55 in the afternoon the Sheringham motor life-boat Foresters Centenary was launched. The second-coxswain was in command. She searched along the coast, and near West Runton found the Gwendoline on the rocks. In that wind and sea the two men had been powerless to prevent her from being driven ashore. They succeeded, however, in refloating her, and the life-boat towed her to Sheringham. When they got near the shore the life-boat passed life-belts to the two men, and stood by a little distance away while they came through the surf to the shore. The life-boat got back to her station at 6.10. - Rewards, £16 16s.APRIL 5TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. At 4.15 in the afternoon the coastguard reported a steamer ashore on the Scroby Sands. A light westerly wind was blowing and the sea was smooth.

At 4.50 the motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched and found the S.S. Marianne II stranded three miles east-north-east of Gorleston piers. The coxswain went on board.

shortly afterwards a tug with a salvage officer arrived. The life-boat took him to the Marianne II, stood by until two hours after high water, and then brought him ashore.

The life-boat then returned to her station, arriving at 7.10. - Rewards, £5 16s. 6d.

APRIL 5TH. - ST. ABBS, BERWICKSHIRE.

At nine at night a message was received from the St. Abbs Head signal station that a vessel appeared to have struck a mine. There was a light north-west wind and the sea was calm. At 9.8 the motor life-boat Annie Ronald and Isabella Forrest was launched. She found the S.S. Gasray, of London, either mined or torpedoed, and picked up sixteen of her men from rafts about two miles north of St. Abbs Head. As the men were almost without clothes, and suffering from shock and exposure, members of the life-boat crew gave some of their own clothes to them. The life-boat searched, but found no more survivors, and returned to her station, arriving at 10.30. A doctor and ambulance were waiting. One man who had a fractured leg was taken to hospital. The villagers of St. Abbs took in the others, and the Eyemouth branch of the Shipwrecked Mariners’ Society, and the naval depot at Leith fitted out the men with clothing.- Rewards, £13 5s.

APRIL 6TH. - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. A message was received at 7.50 in the morning from the Foreland coastguard that a large steamer was sinking six miles to the south-south-east and that a destroyer was in the neighbourhood. There was a light south-west breeze and the sea was smooth.

At 8.21 the motor life-boat Jesse Lumb was launched, but found that the steamer had sunk and that her crew had been rescued by the destroyer. The sea was covered with floating wreckage but there was no sign of life among it. The life-boat picked up eight ship’s boats and towed them to her station, arriving at 1.30 that afternoon. Later they were taken to Portsmouth by an Admiralty launch. - Property salvage case.

APRIL 8TH. - WALMER, KENT. Late at night a doctor received a call from the Deal coastguard asking him to visit the American Liberty ship Ernest L. Grant, which was a quarter of a mile south of the South Goodwin Buoy. A strong north-east wind was blowing, with a heavy sea. It was too rough for an ordinary boat to take the doctor, and the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at midnight. Fifty minutes later she reached the steamer. One of the steamer’s crew had acute abdominal pains. The life-boat put the doctor on board, stood by, and re-embarked him at 1.50.She reached her station again at 2.45.- Rewards £20 14s.

APRIL. 10TH. - ABERDEEN. The Faroese fishing vessel Albert Victor, of Vaag, with a cargo of fish, arrived off Aberdeen during the afternoon and was instructed to go to Hull.

A pilot went on board her, but her compass was out of order, and while she lay waiting for it to he adjusted, she drifted ashore half a mile north of Aberdeen. A light east wind was blowing and the sea was smooth, but there was a heavy ground swell. A tug tried to tow the Albert Victor off but failed, and at 11.10 at night the No. 1 motor life-boat Emma Constance was launched. By this time a heavy surf was breaking over the vessel and the life-boat made several attempts to get alongside before she was able to rescue the crew of seven, a North Sea pilot and a local pilot, who were on board. The local pilot injured his foot while being hauled into the life-boat, and on landing was taken to hospital. The life-boat’s deck rails were damaged. She reached her station again at 1.40 next morning.

- Rewards, £11 9s.

APRIL 13TH. - ABERDEEN. News was received that a vessel was ashore on Aberdeen beach, and at 7 in the morning the No. 1 m o t o r l i f e - b o a t Emma Constance was launched. The easterly breeze was light, but there was a heavy swell with a breaking surf.

It was foggy. The life-boat found the Dutch trawler Maria, of Ymuiden, stranded, stood by her, and, as the tide rose, ran out two anchors for her. The trawler refloated and went to Aberdeen, and the life-boat returned to her station at 1.30 that afternoon. - Property salvage case.

APRIL 13TH. - ROSSLARE HARBOUR, CO. WEXFORD. At 7.10 in the morning a message was received from the owner of the fishing boat Mary Bridget, of Wexford, that she was missing. She had a crew of three.

A southerly wind was blowing and the sea smooth. At 8.30 the motor life-boat Agnes Cross, on temporary duty at the station, was launched and found the Mary Bridget off Raven Point about eight miles north of Rosslare Pier. Her trawl had fouled her propellers, and she was lying close to the breakers on the beach. Her skipper was afraid that she would be driven ashore and asked the life-boat to tow her to Wexford. This the life-boat did, and reached her station again at 1.20 that afternoon. - Rewards £1 19s.

Partly paid permanent crew.

APRIL 14TH. - GALWAY BAY. At 12.50 in the morning word was brought to the lifeboat coxswain that a vessel was in distress.

A south-east gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. At 1.15 the motor life-boat K.E.C.F.

was launched and found the trawler Golden Lily, of Swansea, ashore on the rocks on the east side of Straw Island. She was being pounded on the rocks and there was no chance of escape for her crew of six. But for the arrival of the life-boat they would have lost their lives. The life-boat got a line aboard the Golden Lily, pulled her off the APRIL 16TH. - NORTH SUNDERLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND. At 7.35 in the evening a message was received from the Craster coastguard that a vessel had been torpedoed while in convoy, nine miles northeast- by-north of Craster, and had sunk within sight of shore. A light westerly wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. At 7.45 the motor life-boat W.R.A. was launched.

She saw another steamer in the convoy heave to, and then go on her way ten minutes before she herself arrived and presumed by this that this steamer had picked up any survivors, for though she made a long and extensive search among the wreckage, she found only two empty life-boats. She brought them ashore, arriving at 11.15 that night. - Rewards, £15 9s.

rocks and towed her to Kilronan Pier. She arrived back at her station at 4.30 next morning. - Property salvage case.

APRIL 15TH. - ABERDEEN, NORTH PIER LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS. At 5.30 in the afternoon a request was received to land a salvage party from the Faroese fishing vessel Albert Victor. She was ashore in Aberdeen Bay and the Aberdeen No. 1 life-boat had rescued nine people from her on the 10th of April. A light easterly breeze was blowing, with a moderately heavy ground swell, and surf on the beach. At 5.40 the North Pier Life-saving Apparatus left the station and at six o’clock fired a line to the Albert Victor and hauled the salvage party ashore. It returned to its station at seven o’clock. - Rewards, £7 19s. 6d.

APRIL 19TH. - DUNMORE EAST, CO.

WATERFORD. At 11.15 at night the civic guard telephoned that flares for help had been seen. A light south-east wind was blowing. The sea was smooth. The motor life-boat Agnes Cross, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 11.40 and found the fishing boat Stella, of Waterford, with two on board. Her engine had broken down, and she had anchored off Creaden Head, in Waterford harbour. The life-boat towed her into Dunmore at 12.35 next morning. - Rewards, £8 15s.

APRIL 22ND. - CAISTER, NORFOLK. A message was received from the Winterton coastguard at 12.50 in the afternoon that a steamer appeared to be aground on North Caister Shoal about two miles from the coastguard station. A moderate north-north-west gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. At 1.15 the motor life-boat Jose' Neville was launched and found the S.S. Wilno, of Gdynia, Poland, a ship of 2,000 tons, with a crew of twenty-seven. While the coxswain was giv-.

ing instructions to her captain, she broke away from her anchor and collided with the lifeboat, damaging her rudder. After about two hours the Wilno refloated under her own power and the life-boat escorted her into Yarmouth Roads. The life-boat then went to Gorleston, where she arrived at 4.30 in the afternoon. There she was moored for thenight, returning to her station the next day.

- Rewards, £15 15s.

APRIL 23RD. - TORBAY, DEVON. A motor fishing host, returning to Brixham in the morning, reported that the engine of the fishing boat lolanda had broken down in St. Mary’s Bay. A freshening south-east wind was blowing, and there was a rough swell. At 11.36 the motor life-boat George Shee was launched with a crew of four, and found the boat anchored some 20 feet off the weather side of Sharkham Point, among rocks. Her propeller was fouled by a crab pot line. The life-boat took her in tow and brought her safely to Brixham at 12.40 that afternoon. - Rewards, £2 6s. 6d.

APRIL 23RD. - ST. IVES, CORNWALL.

At 4.23 in the afternoon a message was received from the naval authorities at Penzance, through the coastguard, that a vessel was in distress through enemy action, thirteen miles north-north-east of St. Ives Head. The east-south-east wind was light, but the sea was rough. At 4.42 the motor life-boat Caroline Oates Aver and William Maine was launched, and found that the S.S. Riverton, of Newcastle, had been torpedoed, and had been taken in tow. The survivors were aboard the Admiralty tug Director, but the captain of the Riverton would not allow them to be taken on board the life-boat and brought ashore. As naval and other vessels were in attendance the life-boat returned to her station at 9.20, but the naval authorities asked her to remain afloat, as she would probably he needed during the night. When, later, the Riverton was being brought into St. Ives Bay, sinking, the life-boat put out again and brought ashore 34 of her men, in two trips. Four of them had been lost. The life-boat returned to her station at six next morning. - Rewards, £32 4s.

APRIL 26TH. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR, SUSSEX. At 2.55 in the morning a message came from the coastguard that a boat was adrift west of Worthing pier, and that no reply had been received to signals. No boats or men were available at Worthing, and at 3.35 the motor life-boat Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunn was launched in a light northeasterly breeze and a calm sea. She picked up the drifting boat about a mile south-west of Worthing pier, with no one on board and full of water. The life-boat returned to her station at 5.35. - Rewards, £10 2s.

APRIL 2 6TH. - BALLYCOTTON, CO. CORK. At 6.15 in the evening a message was received that the fishing boat Emily, of Ballycotton, returning from Youghal fishing grounds, was drifting out to sea and flying a signal of distress, about 5 miles east-southeast of Ballycotton harbour. A strong northerly wind was blowing, with a choppy sea.

At 6.30 the motor life-boat Mary Stanford was launched, and found the Emily with her engine broken down. She towed her into harbour at 7.45. - Rewards, £6 19s. 9d.

APRIL 27TH. - FILEY, YORKSHIRE. As a strong north-west wind had suddenly sprung up, raising a rough sea, the motor life-boat The Cuttle was launched at 12.20 in the afternoon to escort the fishing cobles to harbour.

Some of them were a long way out and some had to leave their gear, but all had reached safety, escorted by the life-boat, by 4.40 that afternoon. - Rewards, £8 12s.

APRIL 28TH. - BROUGHTY FERRY, ANGUS. At 9.45 at night a message was received from the Carnoustie coastguard station that a fishing boat was in need of help a mile and a half east-south-east of the station. A strong north-west wind was blowing, with a rough sea. At ten o’clock the motor life-boat Mona was launched. The night was dark, the fishing boat drifting, and the life-boat had great difficulty in finding her. At 10.55 she received a wireless message giving the approximate position and in a short time found the fishing boat, the Annie, of Westhaven, anchored, half-a-mile southeast of Westhaven. She had two men on board, both very exhausted. The life-boat rescued them, gave them rum, took their boat in tow and brought them to Broughty Ferry.

She returned to her station at 1.20 next morning. - Rewards, £9 6s.

APRIL 29TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

At 4.20 in the afternoon it was reported by fishing boats returning from the fishing grounds that the engines of two other boats had broken down off Southwold. A northnorth- west gale was blowing, with a choppy sea. At 5.20 the motor life-boat Michael Stephens was launched and in about half-anhour met the longshore fishing boat Unity, of Lowestoft. She had got her engines working again. The life-boat escorted her to harbour, and again went to sea to search for the second boat. She went to Covehithe Ness and onward to Southwold. Then, going inshore, she found the boat beached, and not in need of help. She returned to her station at 7.30 that evening. - Rewards, £5 14s.

APRIL 29TH. - HOWTH, CO. DUBLIN.

At 5.45 in the evening a message was received from the Bailey Lighthouse that a boat had capsized between Poolbeg Light and Dun Laoghaire harbour. A strong and squally north-north-west wind was blowing and the sea was rough. At six o’clock the motor life-boat R.P.L. was launched and found a rowing boat with five men and a boy on board, a mile and a half west-south-west of Bailey Lighthouse, flying a distress signal. The party had anchored to fish, but the boat had dragged her anchor. Then they had broken an oar. The boat had drifted out to sea, and was now water-logged. The life-boat took the men and boy on board, and with their boat in tow returned to Howth. There she was told that another boat was in distress in Dublin Bay. She put to sea again at 7.50 and searched the bay, but met the Poolbeg life-boat, which told her that she had picked up a sailing dinghy, and that its crew of two men had been lost. The Howth life-boat returned to her station at 10.15 that night.- Rewards, £9.APRIL 29TH. - POOLBEG, CO. DUBLIN.

At 6.50 in the evening a message was received from the harbour master at Dun Laoghaire that a small sailing boat off Poolbeg needed help. A strong north-west breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea. At 7.5 the motor life-boat Helen Blake was launched and found a sailing boat which had capsized. She made a thorough search for her crew of two, but could not find them, and with the sailing boat in tow returned to Dun Laoghaire at 10.15 that night. - Rewards, £7 5s.

APRIL 29TH. - CULLERCOATS, NORTHUMBERLAND, AND SUNDERLAND, DURHAM. At 11.3 at night a message was received at Cullercoats from the Blyth coastguard that a destroyer was in need of help at the entrance to the Tyne. A strong westnorth- west wind was blowing, with snow squalls and a rough sea. At 11.20 the motor life-boat Westmorland was launched. It was low water, and some of the helpers, among whom were several women, had to wade in waist-deep to launch her. Searchlights showed the destroyer ashore on the south side of the south pier. She was H.M.S.

Witherington, with a skeleton crew of seven on board, being towed to a shipbreaker’s yard, and her tow had parted. The life-boat reached her at 12.20, and, after several attempts, was able to go alongside and rescue the seven men. She landed them at North Shields at two next morning. The continuing bad weather prevented her from returning to her station until the 3rd of May.

News of the Witherington was also sent by the coastguard to Sunderland, and the motor life-boat Edward and Isabella Irwin was launched at 11.40. She reached the Witherington, but did not receive any response from her to signals. Her crew had already been rescued. She attempted to get in touch with the coastguard by wireless, but without success, and no reply was received to lamp signals which she made to the beach. She searched for about two hours and then returned to her station at 4.50 next morning.

Messrs. France, Fenwick Tyne and Wear Co., Ltd., who were the employers of the rescued men, gave £100 to the Institution in appreciation of the prompt and efficient help given. An increase in the usual money awards on the standard scale was made to each of the Cullercoats crew and helpers.- Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £34 19s. ; additional rewards to crew and helpers, £11 ; total rewards, £46 19s. Rewards to Sunderland, £13 1s. 6d.

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

APRIL 2ND. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but only oil and small pieces of wreckage were found. - Rewards, £23 2s.

APRIL 4TH. - WALMER, KENT. The Glasgow steamer Tortuguero and the American steamer Clifford E. Ashby had been in collision and both had been damaged, but they did not need the life-boat’s help. - Rewards.

£14 12s. 6d.

APRIL 9TH. - DUNGENESS, KENT. The American steamer Solomon Juneau had been torpedoed and one man had been blown overboard, but the life-boat could not find him. - Rewards, £26 6s.

APRIL 10TH. - WICK, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

The life-boat put out to help search for a rubber dinghy from a crashed aircraft about forty-two miles east-by-south of Wick, but was recalled. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

APRIL 10TH. - ST. DAVID’S, PEMBROKESHIRE.

A Spitfire aeroplane had crashed in the sea and the pilot had baled out, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £3 8s.

APRIL 13TH. - FLEETWOOD, LANCASHIRE.

At 10.50 in the morning a Wellington bomber crashed in the sea a mile northwest of the life-boat station. The southerly breeze was light, the sea calm. As the coxswain and crew of the life-boat were not within easy reach, the motor-mechanic, to save time, gathered a scratch crew consisting of an able seaman of the Royal Naval Reserve, two corporals of the United States Army, and a civilian visitor, and the life-boat was launched at 11.10. Ten minutes later she reached the aeroplane, but a fishing boat, going to sea, was there before her, and had rescued three airmen, one of whom died later.

Four airmen were missing and the life-boat searched for them, but found no one. She returned to her station at noon. In the early evening, when the tide was out, the four missing men were found in the aeroplane, dead. - Rewards, £5 5s. 6d.

APRIL 15TH. - DUNBAR, EAST LOTHIAN.

An aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but only oil and wreckage were found.

Two bodies had already been picked up by a patrol vessel. - Rewards, £4 7s. 6d.

APRIL 16TH. - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE.

Wreckage thought to be an aeroplane had been reported. The life-boat found it to be wreckage of a ship, but there was no sign of her crew. - Rewards, £6 3s. 3d.

APRIL 18TH. - ST. DAVID’S, PEMBROKESHIRE.

An aeroplane had come down in the sea, but her crew of two were lost and a fishing boat picked up their dinghy.- Rewards, £4 13s.

APRIL 21ST. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR, SUSSEX. A Spitfire aeroplane had crashed in the sea and blown up, but only pieces of the smashed propeller were found. - Rewards, £5 18s.

APRIL 21ST. - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. A small sailing boat had capsized off Hayling Island. The life-boat found nothing, but a naval launch found the boatand picked up two dead bodies. - Rewards, £4 13s.

APRIL 21ST. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. A canoe which had put off from Clymping with two on board had not returned, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £14 4s. 6d.

APRIL 22ND. - TORBAY, DEVON. A rowing boat with two sailors on board had not returned, but next morning it was found on Preston Beach. - Rewards, £8 4s.

APRIL 23RD. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. Two airmen had been reported to have baled out over the sea, but later the report was found to be untrue. - Rewards, £4 18s. 9d.

APRIL 26TH. - ARRANMORE, CO. DONEGAL.

An aeroplane had been reported to be in difficulties, but she reached her base.- Rewards, £5 15s. 6d.

APRIL 28TH. - PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A sailing boat had been reported in distress, but she did not need any help. - Rewards, £2 17s.

APRIL 28TH. - HASTINGS, SUSSEX. A fishing punt with two on board had put to sea at midnight and had not returned, but she had been picked up by another vessel.- Rewards, £17 3s. 3d.

APRIL 2 9TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. A rowing boat had been in difficulties, but she was towed to harbour by a motor boat.- Rewards, £3 16s..