FEBRUARY Launches 53 Lives rescued 22 FEBRUARY 2ND. - WALMER, KENT. At 8.58 in the morning the coastguard reported a vessel in distress east-south-east of the coastguard station. A southerly gale was blowing against the first of the flood tide and raising a very rough broken sea. The motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at 9.30 and found the armed trawler Snakefly, with a crew of eighteen, on the inner side of the Goodwins, two miles east of the Goodwin Fork Buoy. She was labouring heavily and being swept by the seas. The life-boat was made fast alongside with four ropes, under her lee on the starboard side, and at the request of the commanding officer the second-coxswain went on board the Snakefly. It was only with much difficulty and risk that he did it.

The trawler then rolled away from the lifeboat, parting the ropes, and rolled back on to her, damaging her rudder, pulling out two stanchions and smashing eight feet of her fender. As the life-boat sheered off to avoid further damage, the trawler fell over on her port bilge. She went so far that the coxswain of the life-boat thought that all her crew would be washed overboard, and stood by to rescue them. At the same moment second-coxswain Upton, on the bridge of the trawler, saw a huge sea about to strike her.

He shouted “Full speed ahead.” This advice was promptly acted on and the Snakefly, momentarily lifted by the sea, moved into deeper water. Second-coxswain Upton then piloted her to safety in the Downs. The life-boat escorted her and then stood by until another trawler took her in tow. The lifeboat reached her station again at 2.30 that afternoon. She had been out for five hours.

The Institution awarded to Second-coxswain FREDERICK UPTON its thanks inscribed on vellum in recognition of the personal risk that he had run in boarding the trawler and his prompt action which had saved her.- Rewards, £15 14s.

FEBRUARY 2ND. - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.

At 11.50 in the morning the coxswain reported a vessel ashore on a slag bank south-east of the South Gare Breakwater. A fresh northerly wind was blowing, with a strong sea and heavy rain. The motor lifeboat Louisa Polden was launched at 1.20 and ten minutes later reached the S.S. Lowick, of Newcastle. She stood by until at three o’clock a salvage officer arrived in a tug. The life-boat put him on board the steamer and remained in attendance until the Lowick refloated at 4.30. She then returned to her station. - Rewards, £9 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 2ND. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. At 1.20 in the afternoon the coastguard telephoned that the naval authorities at Portsmouth had reported a floating crane in difficulties in Hayling Bay. A moderate south-west gale was blowing, with a rough sea. The motor life-boat Canadian Pacific was launched at 1.35 and found the crane dragging its anchor towards Chichester Harbour Polls. The tug L.T.639 was lying off. She was unable to get near enough to give any help. At the request of the skipper of the crane the life-boat picked up a towrope from the tug and carried it to the crane.

The tug then took the crane in tow. The life-boat left Hayling Bay at 3.40 and reached her station again at 5.5. - Rewards, £15 9s.

FEBRUARY 3RD. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. At 4.5 in the morning the naval control at Southend reported that H.M.

drifter Silver Seas had been abandoned and was adrift to the west side of Southend pier.

A strong southerly wind was blowing, with a rough sea and squalls of sleet. The motor life-boat Greater London (Civil Service No. 3) was launched at 4.30 and twenty minutes later reached the drifter. She was on the sands, without anchor or moorings, about one hundred feet from the pier and driving on to it. It was impossible to take the Silver Seas in tow in such weather. The life-boat dropped its main anchor and, paying out seventy fathoms of cable, steamed near enough to the drifter for three life-boatmen to jump aboard her. They did it at considerable risk to themselves. Then, with a heaving line, the life-boat got her cable on board the drifter, which the three men made fast, so that the drifter was now held by the life-boat’s main anchor and stopped by it from smashing through the pier. About 5.10 the tug T.I.D.7 came on the scene and the life-boat secured her tow rope to the drifter and made with it towards the tug. While she was trying to get this tow-rope on board the tug, the tug came astern and damaged her. The tug was of shallow draught and had much difficulty in getting into position in that strong wind. Eventually she picked up the tow rope, but while she was trying to get in to position to tow, the rope wound round her propeller.

She was then too close to the pier to anchor, but went alongside the drifter. The life-boat’s cable and anchor were now holding both the drifter and the tug from driving into the pier.

Going alongside the drifter the life-boat passed her spare cable and her spare anchor to her, which held her until, with the tide falling, she grounded. This was about 6.45.

The life-boat then returned to her station.

When the tide was out the life-boat coxswain went to the drifter and found a great deal of rope round the propeller. This was cleared away and the anchor which had held the drifter was taken farther out.

At four in the afternoon the life-boat went out again to the two vessels. Three lifeboatmen were put on the drifter and one on the tug. Under the direction of the lifeboat’s coxswain the tug made fast her tow rope to the drifter. The life-boat then put her tow rope aboard the tug, and they both took the weight. After they had pulled awhile without result, the position of the tow rope on the drifter was altered and the tug and life-boat pulled her head round. They continued to pull until she refloated and towed her to a safe anchorage. The life-boat returned to her station at seven that evening.

- Property salvage case.

FEBRUARY 3RD. - MONTROSE, ANGUS.

At 10.10 in the morning a report was received from Scurdy Ness that two fishing boats which were at sea would find it dangerous to enter harbour. A northerly wind  was blowing, with a heavy swell. The No. 1 motor life-boat Good Hope was launched at 10.25 and found one boat outside the harbour.

She waited for the second boat and then escorted both in to harbour. She returned to her station at 12.5 in the afternoon.

- Rewards, £8 9s.

FEBRUARY 3RD. - LYTHAM - ST. ANNES, LANCASHIRE. At 5.30 in the afternoon the coastguard telephoned that a ship’s boat could be seen in the river by the Twelfth Mile Light. A strong south-east breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea. It was raining heavily. The motor life-boat Dunleary left her moorings at 6.15 and found a ship’s boat, marked D.383 V.H.JB., aground on a bank on the south side of the river. Some of the lifeboat crew went ashore and found the boat damaged and full of water. They moored her with a grapnel and put her gear and stores on board the life-boat, which returned to her station, arriving at ten o’clock that night. On the following day life-boatmen, using a fishing boat, salved the boat. - Rewards, £12 9s.

FEBRUARY 4TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

About five in the afternoon the coastguard reported that a trawler had arrived off Cromer with a small fishing boat in tow and had signalled asking for a boat to be sent out to tow the fishing boat to port. A moderate north-west wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. The No. 1 motor life-boat H. F.

Bailey was launched at six o’clock and found that the fishing boat was the Valder, of Hartlepool, with her engine broken down.

The life-boat took her in tow about 6.30, and five hours later reached Great Yarmouth.

She arrived back at her station at four o’clock next morning. - Property salvage case.

FEBRUARY 7TH. - SALCOMBE, DEVON.

At 3.45 in the morning the naval authorities at Salcombe informed the coxswain that a ship was ashore at Lannacombe Bay. A fresh west-south-west wind was blowing, with a moderately rough sea and rain. The motor life-boat Samuel and Marie Parkhouse was launched at 4.15 and three-quarters of an hour later found the S.S. James Otis, of San Francisco, ashore on the rocks. She was a vessel of about 7,000 tons, with a crew of seventy-six, and was bound, light, from Antwerp to Plymouth. At the request of her captain the life-boat stood by until high water. With the help of tugs from Plymouth the James Otis was refloated at 1.25 in the afternoon. The life-boat reached her station again at 3.30. - Rewards, £20 13s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 7TH. - FILEY, AND SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. The Filey motor life-boat The Cuttle was launched at 1.10 in the afternoon to stand by the local fishing cobles as a strong south-west wind was blowing and the sea was rough. When thelife-boat was escorting the cobles in about 3.45 she saw a parachute coming down about three miles north-east of Filey Brigg. She made for it. The aeroplane from which the parachutist had come had crashed on land at Osgodby, near Scarborough. Aeroplanes, high speed launches and a Scarborough coble, the Francis and Mary II, were also searching, and at 3.57 the Scarborough motor life-boat, Herbert Joy II, was called out. She had about twelve miles to go. But though the search went on for a long time, neither the aeroplanes nor the boats found the airman, and the Francis and Mary II broke down.

The Filey life-boat took her in tow. Meanwhile the Scarborough life-boat had returned to her station, where she arrived at 7.15.

There she learned that the Francis and Mary II had broken down, put out again, took over the tow from the Filey life-boat and arrived, with the coble in tow, at Scarborough at eight o’clock. The Filey life-boat arrived at her station at nine o’clock that night. - Rewards : Filey, £37 15s. 6d. ; Scarborough, £49 2s.

FEBRUARY 9TH. - GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE.

About 3.15 in the afternoon the coastguard telephoned that a fishing boat had gone aground on the bar on the north side of Girvan harbour. A fresh south-south-west wind was blowing, with a slight swell. The motor lifeboat Lily Glen - Glasgow was launched at 3.30 and found the motor fishing boat Maggie Noble, of Fraserburgh, in a dangerous position, towed her off and brought her into harbour at 5.30. During the service she lost three fenders and picked up pieces of rope and net in her propeller, but without damage to it.- Rewards, £12 8s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 9TH. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL. At 4.45 in the afternoon the military look-out post at Mullaghmore telephoned that an aeroplane had crashed in the sea one mile from the post, and that the airmen were taking to their dinghy. A southwest gale was blowing, with rough seas and showers of sleet. The motor life-boat Queen Victoria was launched at 5.15 and reached the aeroplane at 6.50. She was still afloat, with seas washing over her. In a dinghy, half submerged, were four frozen and helpless airmen, and one of them, the pilot, badly injured.

With difficulty the life-boat took them on board and gave them first-aid. She learned from them that two men were missing, and the injured pilot was very anxious that a search be made. This the life-boat did, but without success, and when a rescue ship arrived the life-boat decided to return to her station as the rescued men were in need of further attention and were very sea-sick. She arrived at 8.45 and the airmen were at once taken charge of by the Red Cross. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 13TH. - ABERYSTWYTH, CARDIGANSHIRE. At 10.15 in the morning the coastguard telephoned that an object had been seen in the sea one and a half miles to the north-west. The sea was rough, with a heavy ground swell. A moderate west-southwest wind was blowing. The motor life-boat Frederick Angus was launched at 11.20 and found a raft of the type usually carried by small coasting vessels. No one was on it.

To avoid any danger to shipping the life-boat brought it in, arriving at 12.20 in the afternoon.

- Rewards, £15 14s.

FEBRUARY 13TH. - APPLEDORE, DEVON.

At 12.29 in the afternoon the coastguard reported smoke at sea and what appeared to be a man in a rubber dinghy. A westerly wind was blowing, with a bad ground swell. The motor life-boat Violet Armstrong was launched at 12.39, and two miles west-by-south of Westward Ho found the rubber dinghy. In it was an RAF.

wireless operator, who had got free from an aeroplane which had crashed. The life-boat rescued him, injured and exhausted. Under wireless directions from the naval officer-incharge she took him to Clovelly, arriving there at 3.10. Naval vessels were also out searching, but found no trace of the other members of the aeroplane’s crew, although they found wreckage. The life-boat reached her station again at five that afternoon- Rewards, £8 3s.

FEBRUARY 15TH. - FALMOUTH, CORNWALL.

The naval authorities reported to the life-boat station that at nine o’clock the previous evening a small launch had left the naval pier. Anxiety was felt for the safety of the officer and two men on board her.

Naval craft had already searched for her but without success. The sea was smooth, but there was a thick fog. At two o’clock in the morning the motor life-boat Crawford and Constance Conybeare was launched. She went first to No. 5 Buoy, the destination of the launch, but did not find her. She then searched towards the harbour mouth and Found her near St. Anthony Lighthouse, where she had made fast alongside a tug to wait for the fog to lift. The life-boat returned, with the officer on board, arriving at 4.30. - Rewards, £13 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - STORNOWAY, HEBRIDES.

The small motor fishing boat Scot, with a crew of four, left Stornoway to fish in the morning, and anxiety was felt when darkness came on and she had not returned. A southerly gale was blowing, with a heavy sea.

The motor life-boat William and Harriot was launched at 7.25 and found the Scot sheltering off the village of Bayble. She took off the men and with the boat in tow started for home at 9.30. She arrived at midnight.- Rewards, £7 10s.

FEBRUARY 20TH. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. About 5.30 in the afternoon the coxswain received information from the coastguard that a fishing boat was flying a signal and appeared in need of help. A light north-by-west wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. The motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched at 5.52 and found the motor fishing boat John and Sarah, of Great Yarmouth, with a crew of two. Her engine had broken down two miles south of the pier. The life-boat towedher to Gorleston, arriving at 6.45 - Rewards, £13 12s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 21ST. - CROMARTY. At 6.30 in the evening a message was received at the post office that the motor boat Enterprise, of Cromarty, which carries mails and goods between Cromarty and Invergordon, was in danger of being driven ashore near Saltburn.

A south-west gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. A destroyer anchored in the roads went to the help of the boat, but was unable to approach her owing to the shallow water, and the motor life-boat James Macfee was launched at 6.40. She found that the Enterprise’s engine had broken down, but her crew had repaired it. She escorted her to Cromarty, arriving at 7.20. - Rewards, £5 12s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE.

At 6.15 in the evening the coastguard reported a fishing boat ashore on the north side of the entrance channel to Girvan harbour and asking for help. A light northwesterly wind was blowing, with a slight sea.

The motor life-boat Lily Glen - Glasgow was launched at 6.30 and found the motor fishing boat Violet, of Fraserburgh, with a crew of six.

She was filling with water. The life-boat passed ropes to people on the pier and by this means the Violet was refloated and pulled into harbour, the life-boat steadying the vessel with ropes and standing by until she was safely beached. After beaching she was pumped out by the Girvan fire brigade. The life-boat reached her station again at 7.15.- Rewards, £13 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 24TH. - ABERYSTWYTH, CARDIGANSHIRE. At 4.20 in the morning the naval base at Milford Haven asked through the coastguard that the life-boat be sent to search for a dinghy which had been reported by an aeroplane about twelve miles north-west of Aberystwyth. The sea was calm, with a light easterly wind. The motor life-boat Frederick Angus was launched at 5.30, and two hours later found the Admiralty motor fishing vessel No. 641, with her engine broken down. She was a new boat which had left Aberystwyth on the afternoon of the 21st for Holyhead, and had a crew of five.

She was in a dangerous position on a lee shore near Sarn Bwch, Towyn Causeway. Two life-boatmen went on board and the life-boat towed her back to Aberystwyth, arriving at 10.50 that morning. - Property salvage case.

FEBRUARY 27TH. - THE LIZARD, CORNWALL.

At eleven in the morning the coastguard telephoned that the naval authorities had asked for the services of the life-boat to search for survivors of a steamer which had been torpedoed about six miles south-west of The Lizard. A light westerly wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. The motor life-boat Duke of York was launched at 11.35 and searched for three hours, but found only one dead body. She reached her station again at 4.20 that afternoon. Later it was learned that the steamer had sunk in three minutes, that eighteen survivors had been landed at Falmouth by other vessels, and that the body picked up by the life-boat was the only Englishman in a crew of Norwegians.- Rewards, £14 19s. 6d.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given : FEBRUARY 1ST. - EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but the naval authorities recalled the life-boat. - Rewards, £29 17s.

FEBRUARY 2ND. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE.

An Anson aeroplane had been reported to have crashed in the sea, but the life-boat was recalled by the naval authorities. - Rewards, £5 16s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 3RD. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE . An aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but a rowing boat from Colwyn Bay picked up two survivors.- Rewards, £29 1s. (See Colwyn Bay, “Services by Shore-boats,” page 55.)

FEBRUARY 3RD. - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE.

The naval authorities had asked the life-boat to go out to look for a partly submerged waterlogged pontoon, which a shore-boat had found earlier in the day, but had been unable to tow ashore. The life-boat failed, in the darkness, to find it. - Rewards, £9 3s. 6d. (See Blackpool, “Services by Shore-boats,” page 55.)

FEBRUARY 4TH. - BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE. An aeroplane had been reported to have crashed in the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £24 4s.

FEBRUARY 5TH. - MOELFRE, ANGLESEY.

Two airmen had been reported to have come down by parachutes, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £16 14s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 5TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK. A fighter aeroplane had been reported to have crashed in the sea, but nothing was seen and the life-boat was recalled by a wireless message. - Rewards, £24 11s.

FEBRUARY 6T H . - SENNEN COVE, CORNWALL. A casualty was reported by the coastguard, but nothing was found.- Rewards, £24 18s.

FEBRUARY 7TH. - SHERINGHAM, NORFOLK.

An army officer had reported seeing a small parachute, with something attached to it, come down in the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £19 16s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 8TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

The Norwegian steamer Vestmanrod made the signal ”I have struck a shoal or object,” but was found at anchor and not in need of help. - Rewards, £35 15s.

FEBRUARY 9TH. - ILFRACOMBE, DEVON.

A motor vessel had signalled that herengine had failed, but she repaired it and was able to go on her way. - Rewards, £23 8s.

FEBRUARY 10TH. - BARRA ISLAND, HEBRIDES. A report had been received that a large object was floating in the sea, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £6 5s.

FEBRUARY 10TH. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

Two aeroplanes, a bomber and a fighter, had collided, and some airmen who had baled out came down on land, but no one was found in the sea. - Rewards, £10 19s.

FEBRUARY 10TH. - STORNOWAY, HEBRIDES.

Rockets had been reported north of Pabby Island, but when the life-boat was nearing the position given, she intercepted signals saying that an aeroplane crash was suspected and that aeroplanes would search at daybreak. In view of this the life-boat decided to return, as her petrol was insufficient for the long return journey in addition to a prolonged search. - Rewards, £14 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 11TH. - CLOUGHEY, AND DONAGHADEE, CO. DOWN. The lifeboats were called out to search for an aeroplane’s dinghy and it was found by the Donaghadee life-boat, but it was only a test call by the air-sea rescue service. - Rewards, Cloughey, £16 4s. ; Donaghadee, £6 17s.

FEBRUARY 11TH. - PLYMOUTH, DEVON.

The Belgian steamer Persier, of Antwerp, had been sunk by enemy action four miles north of the Eddystone, but the life-boat was re-called by wireless by the naval authorities. In the early hours of the following morning the lifeboat again put out to search for men on a raft missing from the ship, but saw only a raft with no one on board. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

and £19 15s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 14TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. After a collision a steamer had been beached, but her crew were taken off by another vessel. - Rewards, £13 12s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 15TH. - MARGATE, KENT.

The Dutch tanker Liseta had been torpedoed, but the survivors of her crew were picked up by an escort vessel. A boat from the American steamer Ranci Vigo was found broken down, and was towed back to her ship by the life-boat. - Rewards, £16 17s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - SHERINGHAM, AND WELLS, NORFOLK. Three airmen had baled out of an American Liberator aeroplane which later crashed on fire. The Wells lifeboat searched in the morning but found nothing, and after a parachute had been reported in the sea later in the day both lifeboats went out but found nothing. One airman got ashore alive and the body of another was found on the sands by the coastguard.- Rewards : Sheringham, £29 1s. ; Wells, £12 11s. 9d. and £26 2s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 17TH. - APPLEDORE, DEVON.

The S.S. Alcoa Master, of New York, had grounded on Rat Island, Lundy, but refloated without help as the tide rose.- Rewards, £17 18s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 19TH. - DUNGENESS, KENT.

An object, looking like a raft flying a flag, had been reported, but nothing could be found.- Rewards, £34 17s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - FOWEY, CORNWALL.

An unknown vessel had been sunk by enemy action. Only wreckage was found by the life-boat, but some survivors were picked up by an air-sea rescue launch- Rewards, £16 9s.

FEBRUARY 22ND. - SELSEY, SUSSEX.

A steamer had gone aground, but she was not found and was apparently towed away before the arrival of the life-boat. - Rewards, £13 11s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 23RD. - TENBY, PEMBROKESHIRE.

A steamer had sunk after being in collision, but the survivors were landed by a naval vessel. - Rewards, £11 15s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 24TH. - HOLY ISLAND, NORTHUMBERLAND. An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found. An ex-coxswain, an exsecond coxswain and two farm workers helped to make up the life-boat’s crew. - Rewards, £20 4s.

FEBRUARY 2 4TH. - SENNEN COVE, CORNWALL. An unknown vessel had been torpedoed, but only wreckage was found.- Rewards, £15 11s. 6d.

FEBRUARY 28TH. - FISHGUARD, PEMBROKESHIRE.

The life-boat put out at the request of the naval authorities to search for survivors from a steamer, but on reaching the position given, she found naval vessels exploding depth charges and they directed her to return. - Rewards, £23 11s.