MARCH Launches 43 Lives rescued 45 MARCH 2ND. - MONTROSE, ANGUS.

The Admiralty tug Seaman put out from Montrose with a battle target in tow and the life-boat coxswain on board as pilot. A strong northerly wind was blowing, with a heavy ground swell. The target broke adrift and went ashore on the rocky coast near Scurdy Ness. A call was sent for the lifeboat and at 6.40 in the evening the motor life-boat Good Hope was launched, but her services were not needed and she returned at 7.55 and was moored for the night. In the early morning the tug Seaman went out to attempt to tow the target off the rocks, and as the sea on the bar was now much heavier the coastguard asked the life-boat to go out to escort the tug over the bar. She went at 4.35 and returned at 6.40 with the tug.- Rewards, £18 8s. 6d. and £17 18s. 6d.

MARCH 3RD. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND, AND EYEMOUTH, AND ST. ABBS, BERWICKSHIRE. About 3.15 in the afternoon men were seen to bale out from an aeroplane which crashed in the sea some two miles off Burnmouth. A light westerly wind was blowing, with a moderate swell. The police at Berwick-on-Tweed and the coastguards at Eyemouth and St. Abbs called for the life-boats and all three left about 3.40. The St. Abbs boat was out on an exercise with the district inspector on board, and received the message at sea by wireless.

The motor fishing boat White Heather, of Burnmouth, also went out, and an R.A.F. launch. The White Heather rescued two men.

The Eyemouth motor life-boat Frank and William Oates picked up a dead body, and the R.A.F. launch another body. That was the whole of the crew. - Rewards : Berwick-on- Tweed, £8 18s. 6d. ; Eyemouth, £27 8s. ; St. Abbs, £24 14s.

MARCH 4TH. - DUNGENESS, KENT. At 6.50 in the evening information was received from the coastguard that the owner of a Rye Harbour fishing boat had reported that his boat had not returned from the fishing ground. A fresh north-west wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. The motor lifeboat Charles Cooper Henderson was launched at 7.10 and found the motor fishing boat Fair Irene at anchor about a mile and a half westsouth- west of Dungeness. She had run out of fuel. The life-boat towed her to Rye Harbour and reached her station again at 11.45 that night. - Rewards, £33 4s. 6d.

MARCH 5TH. - DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.

During the afternoon the life-boat crew assembled as the fishing fleet was overdue, but their services were not needed until 7.15 in the evening. A strong north-north-west gale was then blowing, with a rough sea, and a report was received that the motor fishing boat Peveril, with a crew of four, had broken down. The motor life-boat Manchester and Salford was launched, and four miles south-east-by-east of Douglas Head found the Peveril with a fouled propeller.

The Peveril’s crew succeeded in clearing it, and she was able to make for home under her own power, escorted by the life-boat.

They arrived at nine o’clock. - Rewards, £18 3s.

MARCH 8TH. - TOBERMORY, ARGYLLSHIRE.

At 2.30 in the afternoon the local doctor asked for the services of the life-boat to take to Oban a young girl who was ill with appendicitis and in a critical condition. The motor life-boat Sir Arthur Rose took her and a nurse. She reached Oban at 6.15 and got back to her station at 10.20 that night. She had saved the life of the girl, who was operated on at once. Her father made a donation of £20 to the Institution in gratitude. - Rewards, £8 9s. 6d.

MARCH 13TH. - COURTMACSHERRY, CO. CORK. At 4.45 in the morning the military barracks at Cork reported distress signals seen off Galley Head. It was a fine night, with a slight haze, calm sea, and a light southerly wind. With the second coxswain in command, the motor life-boat Sarah Ward and William David Crosweller was launched at 5.10. About five miles west of Galley Head she found a number of dinghies containing 37 members of the crew of a German submarine, which had sunk eight hours before. The life-boat brought them in and handed them over to the military, who had in charge eleven others who had gone ashore at Galley Head. The life-boat reached her station at 11.55 that morning.- Rewards, £10 17s. 6d.

MARCH 21ST. - PLYMOUTH, DEVON.

At 4.3 in the afternoon a message was received from the king’s harbour master that a vessel was sinking five miles north-east of Eddystone, as the result of enemy action.

A southerly wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. There was fog and visibility was poor. At 4.23 the motor life-boat Ministre Anseele was launched and found the U.S.A.

Liberty ship James Eagan Layne being towed by a tug ; other tugs and naval vessels were also in the neighbourhood. The lifeboat spoke the towing tug and was told that all the crew had been accounted for, and that the captain of the James Eagan Layne was on board the tug and thanked the lifeboat for the prompt offer of help. There were two fully-equipped rafts, undamaged, floating nearby, and these the life-boat towed into port, returning to her station at 9.20 that evening. The James Eagan Layne was eventually beached. - Rewards, £16 9s.

MARCH 21 ST. - PENLEE, AND THE LIZARD, CORNWALL. At 4.15 in the afternoon a message was received at Penlee from the coastguard at Penzance, that a vessel and possibly two, nine miles west of The Lizard, needed help. There was a light southerly wind and fog. The sea was smooth. About 4.30 the motor life-boat W. and S. was launched and at 5.30 found the American steamer John R. Park, of San Francisco. She had been torpedoed and was sinking. H.M. ships were standing by.

One of them told the life-boat that the whole crew of 76 had been rescued. Some of them had returned to their steamer to recover their kit, and the life-boat stood by until they again left the steamer. She then made for her station, arriving at 7.30 that evening.

The news of the sinking of the John R.

Park was given to the life-boat station at The Lizard by the Cadgwith coastguard at 4.23, and at 4.56 the motor life-boat Duke of York was launched. She reached the scene at 5.50 to find H.M. ships and the Penlee life-boat already there, stood by for a time, and then returned to her station, arriving at 8.30 that evening. - Rewards : Penlee, £20 2s. ; The Lizard, £25 13s.

MARCH 21 ST. - SHOREHAM HAR-BOUR, SUSSEX. At 5.18 in the afternoon a message was received from the coastguard that a vessel off Goring was leaking badly and needed the help of a life-boat. There was no wind and the sea was smooth, but therewas a thick fog. At 5.48 the motor life-boat Rosa Woodd and Phyllis Lunn was launched.

At 7.15 she found the R.A.F. salvage vessel Dutch Lady. She was down by the head, but was able to proceed under her own power and the life-boat escorted her into Littlehampton, and then returned to her station at 11.5 that night. - Rewards, £10 10s.

MARCH 22ND. - SENNEN COVE, CORNWALL.

At 3.40 in the afternoon an explosion was heard and it was seen that a vessel had been torpedoed about seven miles northwest of the life-boat station. A moderate east-south-east wind was blowing, but the sea was calm. At 3.50 the motor life-boat The Newbons was launched and on reaching the scene was signalled by an escort vessel to come alongside her. She had on board 49 of the crew of the torpedoed ship, the S.S.

Empire Kingsley, of Greenock. The lifeboat took them on board. Four were injured men on stretchers. She landed them at Sennen and returned to her station at six o’clock. - Rewards, £17 18s.

MARCH 23RD. - KILMORE, CO. WEXFORD.

A telegram was received at 5.30 in the afternoon asking that the life-boat might be used to bring off a sick man from the Coningbeg Lightship. The weather was too bad for an ordinary boat. A moderate gale was blowing, with a heavy sea. At six o’clock the motor life-boat Ann Isabella Pyemont was launched. It was only with great difficulty that she embarked the man, as the lightship was lying very awkwardly in the heavy seas. She brought him ashore and returned to her station at 11.30 that night. The Commissioners of Irish Lights made a donation of £20 to the Institution. - Rewards, £40 6s. 6d.

MARCH 26TH. - PENLEE, AND THE LIZARD, CORNWALL. At 7.20 in the morning a message was received at Penlee from the coastguard that a vessel 4 1/2 miles south-west of The Lizard needed help. A light north-east wind was blowing. The sea was smooth. At 7.40 the motor life-boat W. and S. was launched and on reaching the position given at nine o’clock was told by a naval vessel that the Dutch motor vessel Pacific had been torpedoed and had sunk, and that an escort vessel had rescued part of her crew. The life-boat searched for the remainder, but all she found was a ship’s boat floating keel up. She turned it over to see if anyone was underneath, but there was no one. She then took the ship’s boat in tow and spoke another naval vessel which told her that she had been ordered to stand by in case survivors from the enemy submarine which had attacked the Pacific and which had been damaged by depth charges, should come to the surface. The life-boat also stood by while more depth charges were dropped. She then returned to Newlyn Harbour, arriving there at 2.15 in the afternoon.

At The Lizard the news was received at 7.29 and the motor life-boat Duke of York was launched at 8.18. On reaching the scene at 9.18 she searched for two hours with air-sea rescue boats and the Penlee life-boat, but found only oil on the water. She returned to her station at 1.30 that afternoon.

- Rewards : Penlee, £8 8s. ; The Lizard, £12 8s.

MARCH 28TH. - ANGLE, PEMBROKESHIRE.

A telephone message was received at five in the afternoon from the naval base at Milford Haven that the S.S. Antonio had been in collision near Milford Buoy. A southsouth- west wind was blowing. The sea was rough, and there was a thick fog. At 5.30 the motor life-boat Elizabeth Elson was launched. On reaching the Milford Buoy she was directed by an examination ship on a south-south-east course and found the Antonio at anchor. A party from a French corvette was on board, and the life-boat was not needed. She went to the corvette and found that they had an injured man and two dead on board. The injured man did not wish to leave the corvette. At the request of the officer-of-the-watch the lifeboat took six men from the corvette to the Antonio, and then returned to her station, arriving there at 9.30 that evening. On the following day the life-boat was again launched at 2.10 in the afternoon at the request of the naval authorities, to stand by the Antonio while tugs attempted to tow her to harbour.

The life-boat found no one on board the steamer and no sign of the tugs, so she returned. - Rewards : first service, £14 15s. 6d. ; second service, £27 17s. 6d.

MARCH 29TH. - SENNEN COVE, AND PENLEE, CORNWALL. A message was received at Sennen Cove at 7.33 in the morning that a vessel needed help four miles north-north-west of Pedn-men-Dhu. A strong south-south-west wind was blowing and the sea was rough. At 7.48 the motor life-boat The Newbons was launched and at 8.25 found the corvette K458. She had been torpedoed, and her stern nearly blown off.

The life-boat went alongside and was asked to search in the wake of the corvette for two men who were missing. She found no one, returned to K458 and stood by until she was taken in tow by another vessel. She accompanied them for some way, and then, as a large tug was coming up to take over the tow and the Penlee life-boat had arrived, she returned to her station, arriving at 1.15 that afternoon.

The news of a ship in distress had been received at Penlee at 8.8 in the morning, and at 8.25 the motor life-boat W. and S. was launched. She reached the scene at 9.45, just as a naval vessel was connecting a tow rope to the corvette. The ships were then less than half a mile from the shore. The towing started and the Penlee life-boat stood by as well as the Sennen life-boat, in case of need.

When they were about five miles south of the Longships Rocks, the tow-rope parted. It was now that the tug arrived to take over the tow and the Sennen Cove life-boat returned to her station. The new tow rope fouled the bottom and parted. The wind was freshening, the tide running stronger, and the K458 was drifting fast towards therocks. The Penlee coxswain advised her to anchor. The Longships Rocks were now only a mile away, and the life-boat was asked to go alongside and take off some of the K458's crew. She took off 57 men and stood off for further instructions. Naval vessels again took the K458 in tow, and with the approval of her captain, the life-boat left for Newlyn harbour with the men she had on board.

There she landed them and returned to her station at 5.30 that afternoon. - Rewards : Penlee, £14 0s. 6d. ; Sennen Cove, £13 11s.

MARCH 29 TH . - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 3.50 in the afternoon the Hoylake coastguard reported that a fishing boat was ashore on the Burbo Bank and that seas were washing over her. Two men and a boy were on board. A strong west-southwest, wind was blowing and the sea was rough.

At 4.5 the No. 2 motor life-boat Edmund and Mary Robinson was launched, and found the fishing boat Agnes, of Preston, ashore. There was not enough water to get alongside.

The life-boat went back for a punt and again went out to the Agnes. She took off the two men and the boy and, leaving the boat at anchor, landed them. She returned to her station at 5.50. - Rewards, £10 4s. 6d.

MARCH 31ST. - HELVICK HEAD, CO. WATERFORD. A fishing boat, which had been under repair at Dungarvan, left about 7.30 in the evening, with two men on board, to return to Helvick. As she was passing out of Dungarvan harbour the wind blew the skipper’s cap overboard. The man at the wheel turned the boat to retrieve it, and ran her on the beach. Another fishing boat towed her off on the rising tide and brought her back to Dungarvan. At 9.30 the fishing boat again put to sea, but when about a third of her way home she was seen to stop.

It was dark and she had no lights, but it was thought that she had grounded on the Sand Bar. A strong south-west wind was blowing and the sea was very choppy. At 10.15 the Helvick Head motor life-boat Elsie was launched and made for Dungarvan, but in the darkness she passed the boat needing help without seeing her. The life-boat sent up a flare to say that she was still continuing the search. At the same time the boat in distress sent up a flare, but this was not seen by the life-boat’s crew in the brightness of their own flare. The position was again signalled to the life-boat from Dungarvan, and the life-boat turned towards Helvick.

meanwhile the two men in the fishing boat had lifted their two anchors and drifted into the channel, feeling sure that the life-boat would pick them up on its return. This she did and found her to be the St. Augustine, of Helvick, a boat belonging to Mr. P. J. Morrisey, the honorary secretary of the Helvick Head life-boat station. She towed her into Helvick, where they arrived just after midnight.

- Rewards, £15 12s.

The following life-boats were launched, but no services were rendered for the reasons given : MARCH 1ST. - WELLS, NORFOLK. A Lancaster aeroplane was believed to have blown up in the air, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £22 11s. 9d.

MARCH 1ST. - KILLYBEGS, CO. DONEGAL.

Flares had been reported at sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £11 5s.

MARCH 4TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

Four men had been reported to have baled out of a burning aeroplane before she crashed into the sea, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £43 13s.

MARCH 4TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK. A Liberator aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but only wreckage was seen by the life-boat.

Two airmen were picked up by a motorboat.- Rewards, £9 1s.

MARCH 8TH. - FENIT, CO. KERRY. A big object, which appeared, through fog, to have people on it, had been reported, but nothing was found. It seems probable that the object was the carcase of a whale with birds on it. - Rewards, £14 2s.

MARCH 12TH. - BARROW, LANCASHIRE.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but it had crashed on land.

- Rewards, £14 15s.

MARCH 16TH. - SELSEY, SUSSEX. A pontoon had been reported adrift, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £19 16s.

MARCH 16TH. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

A Lancaster aeroplane had blown up over the sea, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £21 19s.

MARCH 1 7TH. - NEWQUAY, CORNWALL.

A burning vessel had been seen at night ten miles out at sea, but only burning oil was found. The life-boat was launched with great difficulty at dead low water in a rough sea and the launching carriage sank so deeply into the soft sand that it had to be abandoned. It was recovered later. Men of the R.A.F. and the American Air Force helped with the launch and the recovery of the carriage. Letters of appreciation and rewards were sent to them, but they returned the rewards as donations to the Institution. - Rewards, £47 7s.

MARCH 18TH. - BEAUMARIS, ANGLESEY.

A canoe had capsized, but the two persons on board were drowned before the lifeboat could reach them. - Rewards, £19 11s.

MARCH 19TH. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. An aeroplane had been reported to have come down in flames, but nothing, could be found. - Rewards, £13 17s. 6d.

MARCH 20TH. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

A Mosquito aeroplane had been reported fallen into the sea, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £26 13s.

MARCH 22ND. - SKEGNESS, LINCOLNSHIRE.

A Lancaster aeroplane had crashed in the sea off Hunstanton, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £23 18s.

MARCH 24TH. - MARGATE, KENT. A burning aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but the ten airmen had all baled out and come down on land near Birchington.- Rewards, £8 11s.

MARCH 24TH. - LLANDUDNO, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

A Wellington aeroplane had crashed in the sea, but only oil and wreckage were found. - Rewards, £9 7s.

MARCH 29TH. - PWLLHELI, CAERNARVONSHIRE.

The naval authorities had asked for the life-boat’s help in salving a small vessel, but the help was not needed.- Rewards, £6 19s.

MARCH 3 0TH. - ALDEBURGH, SUFFOLK.

Heavy explosions had been heard and a coaster seen to be sinking, but her crew was rescued by a trawler. - Rewards, £34 3s. 6d.

MARCH 31ST. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

A fighter aeroplane had fallen into the sea, but only a pair of gloves was picked up and patches of oil seen. - Rewards, £3 16s.

MARCH 31ST. - THE MUMBLES, GLAMORGANSHIRE.

A naval vessel had been reported in need of help, but she was able to proceed under her own power. - Rewards, £17 18s. 6d.

MARCH 31ST. - MARGATE, KENT. A boy in a small boat had drifted out to sea. but he was picked up by a fishing boat from Whitstable. - Rewards. £16 17s. 6d. (See Whitstable “Services by Shore-boats,” page 57.).