NOVEMBER MEETING INCHCOLM ISLAND, FIFESHIRE. On the evening of the 15th of July, 1945, five men and women of the Services went out on pleasure in a naval dinghy intending to sail from Aberdour to Inchcolm. They started in calm weather, but before they could reach the island they were overtaken by a fresh wind with squalls of gale force, which raised a very choppy sea. They decided to make for Inverkeithing Bay, some two miles from Inchcolm, but at about eight o’clock, when they were a mile and a half from Inchcolm, a squall capsized the dinghy. The accident was seen by an army officer on Inchcolm, and he sent out a small rowing boat. It was manned by two non-commissioned officers of the Royal Artillery and the custodian at Inchcolm Abbey, who had the use of only one arm. In spite of the rising wind and choppy sea they reached the upturned dinghy and rescued three men and a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service. The fifth member of the party, a gunner, lost his life in attempting to swim to an aircraft carrier, a mile and a half away, to get help, - Rewards, £3.WICKLOW. On the evening of the 24th of August, 1945, the life-boat coxswain, with a boy aged 13, was out fishing in a rowing boat when he saw a small rowing boat three miles south-east of Wicklow harbour and apparently drifting out to sea. A fresh westnorth- west breeze was blowing, with a choppy sea, and the three people in the rowing boat, two women and a man, were waving. The coxswain rowed over to them and found that they had broken a rowlock and were unable to make headway against wind and tide. He took the two women into his boat, and leaving the man in the disabled boat, toned it to harbour. - Rewards, £1.

BRIDLINGTON, YORKSHIRE. At 8.10 in the evening of the 11th of September, 1945, the coastguard reported that a vessel appeared to be on fire one mile south-east of Flamborough Head. A light south-south-west wind was blowing, with a slight sea. Four men put out in the motor coble Frances, and the life-boat coxswain asked the R.A.F. to send out its air-sea rescue launch. She went out with the coxswain on board. The men found that the “fire” was from smoke flares, which had been jettisoned by an R.A.F. tender.

- Rewards, £3 15s.

BOGNOR, SUSSEX. At 6.30 in the evening of the 11th of September, 1945, a fisherman learned that two boys had gone out in a rowing dinghy half an hour earlier. The weather was calm but there was fog. As it was increasing and the boys were young, he decided to go out and look for them. With another man he put out in an outboard motor boat and searched for an hour and a half before he found the boys and towed them ashore. - Rewards, £1 10s. (See Selsey, "Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 41.)

WICKLOW, Co. WICKLOW. At 3.30 in the afternoon of the 12th of September, 1945, the sailing boat Ria, of Wicklow, with five on board, was struck by a squall and capsized half a mile north of Wicklow harbour. The five men were thrown into the water but clung to the upturned boat. A strong southwest wind was blowing and the sea was choppy.

The men were seen from the shore and five fishermen put out in a rowing boat. They picked them up, but were unable to tow the sailing boat, which was brought in later by a motor torpedo boat. - Rewards, £3 2s. 6d.

and £1 for rope lost.

LITTLEHAMPTON, SUSSEX. When two men were returning on the morning of the 19th of September, 1945, in their motor fishing boat Theresa, heavily laden, the boat was holed on a submerged defence post and sunk three hundred yards south-east of Littlehampton harbour. It was then about 11.30. A moderate west-by-south wind was blowing. The two men were able to cling to the mast, which floated when the boat sank. The accident was seen by a fisherman on the pier.

He quickly enlisted the help of two other men. They put out in a motor boat, andwithin ten minutes had rescued the two men.

- Rewards, £1 17s. 6d.

FALMOUTH, CORNWALL. At 3.30 in the afternoon of the 23rd of September, 1945, a gig from the Falmouth Naval Base, with seven men on board, capsized while sailing off Restronquet, Carrick Roads. A strong, squally, south-west wind was blowing and the sea was rough. A man put out in his motor boat and first rescued one of the men, who could not swim. Another man, who was already out in a motor boat, also went to the rescue, and by their combined efforts the two rescued the remaining six men and brought them ashore. The man who had put out to the rescue supplied hot drinks and dry clothing for the seven men, and they were then taken to their depot by a naval motor ambulance. - Rewards, letters of appreciation.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 10.20 on the night of the 11th of October, 1945, the Wallasey police reported a white flare off shore between New Brighton pier and the Battery. A light easterly wind was blowing.

The sea was smooth. The life-boat motor boarding boat was sent out, manned by the coxswain and motor-mechanic. They made a search, but found nothing. Some lifebuoy canisters were found to have been washed ashore, and one of them may have become ignited and caused the flare. - Rewards, £1.

ABERDEEN. About 1.20 in the afternoon of the 21st of October, 1945, the coastguard reported to the harbour master that a small boat was in difficulties off Girdleness Lighthouse, and shouts for help had been heard.

A moderate south-east wind was blowing, with a rough, choppy sea. Three men put out in a pilot boat, found the small boat waterlogged, took off the three on board her, and towed her into Aberdeen. - Rewards, £2 17s. and 6s. for a helper on the shore.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE, At 10.20 in the morning of the 23rd of October, 1945, a boy in a canvas dinghy was seen by motormechanic Bray in difficulties about two hundred yards north of Egremont Ferry.

The sea was rough and a strong, squally, westerly wind was blowing. The mechanic telephoned the coxswain, and they and a third man put out in the life-boat’s boarding boat, rescued the boy and towed in his boat.

- Rewards, £2 17s.