LOSSIEMOUTH, MORAYSHIRE. At 11.25 in the morning of the 21st of December, 1944, the coastguard saw a Mosquito aeroplane crash in the sea near Covesea Skerries, two or three miles north-west of Lossiemouth. The Institution’s auxiliary rescue-boat was at sea fishing. Six men put out in the motor fishing boat Dayspring, and reached the position at 12.5. They could find only some gear. Air-sea rescue-boats also searched, but found no survivors. - Rewards, £4 10s.

and 10s. for fuel used. The men returned the money as a donation to the Institution.

BOSTON, LINCOLNSHIRE. At ten in the morning of the 6th of March, 1945, a Lancaster aeroplane crashed on a sandbank four miles east-south-east of the river mouth, near Boston. It had come down through cloud over the Wash, had mistaken the sandbank for more cloud and attempted to go through it. The weather was fine and the sea smooth. The police told the motor fishing boat Nancy, which was about to go out fishing. With a crew of three she at once went to the sandbank and rescued three airmen who were in a dinghy. The police also told the Eastern Sea Fisheries Joint Committee’s motor vessel Witham. She went out and recovered three bodies from the wreckage.

The body of the remaining airman was picked up by H.M.S. Wincliffe. - Rewards : the crew of the Nancy, £3, and 15s. for fuel used, and £12 for loss of fishing ; to the skipper and crew of the Witham, a letter of appreciation.

KILKEEL, Co. DOWN. At four in the afternoon of the 12th of March, 1945, a Boston aeroplane crashed in the sea, one hundred yards off Derry Oge Point, near Greencastle. A light southerly wind was blowing, with a slightly choppy sea. The coastguard informed Mr. John Mitchell, who put out in his rowing boat,, with four members of the U.S.A. Air Force, who took tools with them. They climbed into the cockpit of the aeroplane and extricated the body of the pilot,. Four other men, two of them American airmen, put out in another boat, from Cranfield, and a launch put out fromGreencastle. The Air Ministry expressed their thanks. - Rewards, letters of appreciation to Mr. John Mitchell, and to Mr. J.

Morgan and Mr. Gaffney, who took out the other two boats.

WHITSTABLE, KENT. At 5.30 in the afternoon of the 3lst of March, 1945, a boy in a small open boat was carried out to sea. A strong south-west wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. The boy was seen by the coastguard, who told the police. They told a boatman, who, with a police sergeant, went to the rescue in his motor boat Jolly Roger.

He found the boat nearly waterlogged, and the boy baling with his cap, four miles out, off Swalecliff. After three attempts he and the police sergeant rescued the boy and took his boat in tow. The boat sank, but was recovered later. The Margate life-boat was also launched, but was recalled by wireless when it became known that she was not needed. - Rewards, £1 10s., and 6s. for fuel used ; also £1 for a man engaged on shore by the boatman. (See Margate, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 24.) HILBRE ISLAND, CHESHIRE. At four in the afternoon of the 16th of April, 1945, the keeper on Hilbre Island saw a dinghy capsize in Hilbre Pool some fifty yards from the island. A fresh westerly wind was blowing, hut the sea was smooth. The keeper put out in his rowing boat single-handed. He found that three boys had been in the capsized boat.

One of them was swimming and was helped to some rocks ; another clinging to the upturned boat was rescued. The keeper took both of them to the island and he and his wife gave them a meal and dried their clothes. The third boy had swum to another boat. The keeper’s boat was damaged, but was repaired at the expense of the father of one of the boys. - Rewards, £1 5s.

HELMSDALE, SUTHERLAND. At 6.30 in the evening of the 16th of April, 1945, a Liberator aeroplane crashed in the sea four miles southsouth- west of Helmsdale harbour. The weather was fine, the sea calm. Fishermen, who had just unloaded the day’s catch, at once put out in the auxiliary rescue-boat Hazel, followed by three other boats. A total of seventeen men manned the four boats. When the first boats reached the scene the aeroplane had already broken in two, and each part was burning furiously.

Two of the boats each picked up a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, but one died. - Rewards : to the crew of the auxiliary rescue-boat, £4 15s. and 5s. for fuel used ; to the crews of the other boats, £7 10s., and 5s.

to each boat for fuel used. (See Helmsdale, “Services by Auxiliary Rescue-boats,” page 65.) FRASERBURGH, ABERDEENSHIRE. At ten at night on the 24th of April, 1945, the Kinnaird Head coastguard reported a motor boat near Sandhaven, with her engine broken down. A light south-south-west wind was blowing. The sea was calm. It was unnecessary, in that weather, to launch the life-boat, and some of her crew were sent out in the motor fishing boat Dove. Meanwhile, about 9.30 the information had reached the crew of the motor boat Harmony, and they had put out. They found the disabled boat, the Liberty, and towed her into Fraserburgh, escorted by the Dove. The Liberty‘s owners gave £10 10s. to the Institution in gratitude.

- Rewards : to the crew of the Dove, £3 15s., and 6s. 3d. for fuel used ; to the crew of the Harmony, £8 15s. and 6s. 3d. for fuel used.

ARRANMORE, Co. DONEGAL. On the 24th of April, 1945, the S.S. Monmouth Coast was mined or torpedoed east of Tory Island.

The Tory Island auxiliary rescue-boat put out and made a long search but found no survivors. At 8.45 in the morning of the 26th of April a man on Arranmore saw a raft about three miles off shore. A northwest wind was blowing, with a fairly choppy sea. Two men put out in a small sailing boat and found a damaged raft with one man, the sole survivor of a crew of fourteen. Had not the rescuers acted at once on seeing the raft the man would have been lost, for it was drifting towards the cliffs, where it would have been wrecked. - Rewards, £1 5s. (See Tory Island, “Services by Auxiliary Rescueboats,” page 65.) ABERSOCH, CAERNARVONSHIRE. While out sailing in a hired boat on the 28th of April, 1945, the chaplain of H.M.S. Glendower - a camp - got into difficulties and signalled for help. A moderate north-west wind was blowing. The sea was smooth. Two men put out in a rowing boat and brought the chaplain and his boat to Abersoch - Rewards, £1.

HOPEMAN, MORAYSHIRE. At 3.25 in the afternoon of the 2nd of May, 1945, an R.A.F.

Wellington aeroplane was seen to crash in the sea half a mile north of Hopeman. A light north-north-east wind was blowing, with a slight sea. Two men who were working on their motor boat in Hopeman harbour at once put out, found the six men of the crew of the aeroplane in their rubber dinghy drifting towards a rocky shore, and rescued them. During the service the magneto of the motor boat was put out of action.

- Rewards, £1, with £11 6s. 1d. for repairs to magneto, and £10 for loss of fishing.

HELVICK HEAD, Co. WATERFORD. On the 2nd of May, 1945, three boats were fishing seven or eight miles south-south-east of Helvick Head, when, about 11.30 in the morning, the fishing boat Naom Garban was blown to pieces by a mine, which she had picked up in her trawl. The weather was fine, with a light north wind, and a calm sea.

On two other boats near-by, the Betsie and An Comluadar, the crews had been knocked down by the blast, but they at once cut away their gear, made for the spot, and reached it while timbers were still falling. Each boat picked up a man, but one was dead. They could not find the other two members of the crew. They searched for a time and left when a third boat arrived. The HelvickHead life-boat was also launched, but found only oil and wreckage. - Rewards, £8. (See Helvick Head, “Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” page 29.) The war ended on the last minute of the 8th of May.

FILEY, YORKSHIRE. At 1.30 in the afternoon of the 13th of May, 1945, it was reported to the life-boat coxswain that the sailing boat Lilian, with a party of visitors on board, was being blown out to sea off Filey Brig. A westerly wind was blowing, with a rough sea.

The coxswain and four other men put out in the motor fishing coble I s a b e l l a . They picked up the sailing boat two miles out and towed her back to Filey. - Rewards : £2 10s.

and 5s. for fuel used, and 15s. for helpers on the shore.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 10.40 on the night of the 9th of June, 1945, the stageman at New Brighton reported that the sea cadet boat Free Lance was dragging her anchors north of New Brighton pier. A fresh westerly wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. Life-boat motor mechanics Macdonald and Bray hailed the boat, found that she was in need of help and put off in the life-boat’s boarding boat, with the bowman.

They tried to tow the boat but failed, and took off the two officers and seven scouts on board. Later the life-boat put out and saved the Free Lance. - Rewards, £1 17s. 6d.

(See New Brighton, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 30.).