Launches 28 Lives rescued None

NOVEMBER 1ST. - WEYMOUTH, DORSET.

At 7.21 in the evening, the Wyke Regis coastguard reported a vessel aground on Shambles Bank. She was the Swedish tanker Ariston, of 15,000 tons, laden with oil, from America for the United Kingdom, with a crew of about thirty. A light northnorth- east breeze was blowing, and the sea was smooth. At 7.40 the life-boat crewassembled, and at 8.40, at the request of the naval authorities, the motor life-boat Hearts of Oak, on temporary duty at the station, was launched. She stood by the steamer until 8.30 next morning and then returned to her station to refuel. At 10.30 she again put out and stood by the Ariston until three tugs arrived at 12.15. She then returned to her station, arriving at 1.15 that afternoon. The Ariston was towed off by the tugs at two o’clock. - Rewards, £19 16s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 6TH. - SALCOMBE, DEVON.

At 4.56 in the afternoon the Hope Cove coastguard reported that a small War Department motor launch, with a crew of three, had broken down and was making distress signals east of Start Point. A light north-easterly breeze was blowing, and the sea was smooth.

The motor life-boat Langham, on temporary duty at the station, was launched at 5.15, found the motor launch Cypress, with her engine broken down, and towed her into Dartmouth harbour. She then returned to her station, arriving at one o’clock next morning. - Rewards, £8 2s.

NOVEMBER 8TH. - GALWAY BAY. At 9.5 at night the life-boat coxswain heard a ship’s siren continually sounding, in the direction of Straw Island, and then saw distress rockets. A north-westerly breeze was blowing, but the sea was calm. The motor life-boat K.C.E.F. was launched at 9.25, and found the steam trawler Bellerophon, of Lowestoft, aground on a reef off Straw Island.

The tide was ebbing. Her crew wished to abandon her, but the coxswain advised them to stay on board as they were in no immediate danger. The life-boat stood by until high water, when she passed lines from the Bellerophon to three other trawlers. With their help the Bellerophon refloated at eight o’clock next morning. When it was clear that she was not making water, the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 9.45.- Property salvage case.

NOVEMBER 16TH. - ANSTRUTHER, FIFESHIRE. About 3.45 in the afternoon word was received that a motor fishing vessel had gone on the rocks near Cellardyke. A light north-easterly breeze was blowing, with a moderate swell. There was a thick fog.

The motor life-boat Nellie and Charlie was launched at 4.20 and found the M.F.V.988, a minesweeper, with a crew of four. She had gone over a reef and was trapped on the other side by the ebbing tide. Visibility had by this time been reduced to a few yards. The coxswain fired a line-carrying rocket. It landed on a reef, uncovered by the falling tide, on which some boys were watching the motor fishing vessel. Three of the vessel’s crew got into a rubber raft, and, seizing the rocket line, hauled themselves ashore. The life-boat took off the fourth man by means of a breeches buoy and landed him at Anstruther.

She returned to her station at 5.30 that afternoon.

- Rewards, £14 12s.

NOVEMBER 18TH. - WALMER, KENT. At 4.10 in the afternoon a steamer had been seen to go ashore on the Goodwin Sands. A moderate north-east wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at 4.45 and nearly an hour later found the steamer, about eight miles south-east of Walmer. She was the Edam, of Rotterdam, bound for that port from New York, and carrying passengers as well as cargo. Three life-boatmen boarded her, and her master asked the life-boat to stand by. This she did. At 6.15 the steamer got off without help and the life-boat escorted her to safety.

She re-embarked the three life-boatmen and returned to her station, arriving at 7.40 that evening. - Rewards, $41 8s.

NOVEMBER 24TH. - WALMER, KENT. At 5.50 in the evening, the Deal coastguard reported a vessel aground on the Goodwin Sands. Ten minutes later the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched, and found the American Liberty ship Leland Stanford on the southern part of the Sands, with several hundred troops on board bound for the United States. Six lifeboatmen went on board and took soundings.

The life-boat stood by until midnight. Then she laid out a kedge anchor and about 2.15 next morning the steamer refloated, but her propeller had been fouled by the wire of the kedge. Tugs were then engaged, and towed the Leland Stanford clear of the Sands. The life-boat accompanied her round the South Goodwin Lightvessel to an anchorage in the Downs, collected her six men and returned to her station, arriving at 6.30 that morning.

- Property salvage case.

NOVEMBER 26TH. - NEWBIGGIN, NORTHUMBERLAND.

During the morning seven cobles were fishing north of Church Point. The northerly breeze was moderate, but the sea was very rough, and the weather was getting worse. At 10.20 the motor lifeboat Augustus and Laura was launched, escorted the cobles to safety, and returned to her station, arriving at 12.10 that afternoon.

- Rewards, £12 13s.

NOVEMBER 28TH. - TEESMOUTH, YORKSHIRE.

During the afternoon the motor life-boat J. W. Archer was out on exercise.

She saw the tug Charing Cross, with two empty hoppers in tow, enter the Tees, and the second hopper, the Normandy 2, part her tow rope and drive ashore at Battery Point, South Gare Breakwater. The life-boat went to her help and fired a line to her. In this way she got another tow-rope fixed between the hopper and the tug, but the tug failed to haul the hopper off. The tug decided to stand by and make another attempt as the tide flowed, and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at 4.30. At 9.15 news was received from the lighthouse keeper that the hopper was badly holed ; she would not float; the two men aboard would have to be taken off. The life-boat left at 9.55, in a moderate sea, with a westerly wind blowing. She took off the men, put them on board the tug, and returned to her station at 10.30 that night.- - Rewards, £22 8s. 6d.NOVEMBER 28TH. - BROUGHTY FERRY, ANGUS. About two in the afternoon, four boys put out duck-shooting in a rowing boat.

By seven o’clock they had not returned. The night was very dark, and a strong southwesterly breeze was blowing, with a rough sea.

Enquiries were made, but there was no news of the boys, and at 7.45 the motor life-boat Mona was launched to search for them. She went close in along the south side of the river, using her searchlight. As she approached Lucky Scaup, she saw a light for a moment and found the boys there. Their boat had been driven ashore and, realising that they would be unable to get back, they were lighting a fire round which they intended to pass the night. They launched their boat and came aboard the life-boat, which took their boat in tow and reached Broughty Ferry at 9.10. - Rewards, £13 13s.

NOVEMBER 29TH. - WICK, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

About ten in the morning a doctor telephoned that he had heard from Stroma Island that a woman on the island had broken a leg. There was no doctor or nurse on the island, and the heavy westerly sea running in the Pentland Firth prevented any boat from the island crossing to the mainland. He asked for the life-boat, and at eleven o’clock the motor life-boat City of Edinburgh was launched, and made for Stroma, taking with her the doctor and the woman’s husband, who was on the mainland. She returned to Wick with the injured woman at five in the afternoon, and the woman was taken to hospital. The doctor and the husband expressed their thanks and the husband made a donation. - Rewards, £10 8s. 6d. Repaid to the Institution.

NOVEMBER 30TH. - WALMER, KENT. At 11.30 at night the Deal coastguard reported a vessel aground on the Goodwin Sands. A south-easterly wind was blowing and the sea was rough. The motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched at 11.50. She found two steamers aground on the South Goodwins, within 500 yards of each other. One, the American steamer U.S.O., did not need help. The life-boat went to the other. She was the cargo steamer Andre' Thome' of La Rochelle, of over 2,000 tons, bound, laden with pitch, from Middlesbrough to Dieppe. She had a crew of 28. Her master asked the life-boat to help him refloat her by laying out a kedge anchor. Six life-boatmen went on board her, and with the help of a motor boat, which had also put four men on board the steamer, the life-boat laid out the anchor.

It was then half an hour after midnight.

The sea was increasing, and the coxswain decided to lie off. The life-boat was tossing violently, and, as she was casting off the securing ropes, one of her crew, W. Willis, was thrown overboard between the life-boat and the steamer. The motor-mechanic, C. P.

Cavell, saw him go, left his controls and sprang to the side just in time to seize him.

They were both in danger of being crushed between the two vessels, but were hauled on board unhurt. As the weather was the American steamer U.S.O. refloated, and at 9.30 the Andre' Thome' was also floating.

If the kedge wire had been slipped at once she would probably have come clear of the Sands, but there was some hesitation, and she grounded again. The coxswain then decided, at the master’s request, to stand by until next high water, and he tried to take the life-boat alongside, but she was caught in a tide rip, and although her engines were going full speed ahead, she was carried under the steamer’s after quarter. Her main mast, which was stowed, was broken in two, and a stanchion was pulled out. After this the coxswain decided to lie off some distance from the steamer. Here she lay for that day, and the greater part of the night, and at three in the morning of the 2nd of December she again went alongside and again was flung against the steamer, hitting her with her stem head fitting, which was slightly strained, but she succeeded in taking off her six men and the four men of the motor boat. She then returned to Walmer to refuel, and put out again at seven o’clock. It was now impossible to go alongside the steamer. The wind had risen to a gale and the heavy seas were breaking right over her. She was continually flashing “Come,” but it was impossible to go near her, and the coxswain decided to lie off until the flood-tide should ease. At 9.15 he saw that the seas were forcing the steamer along the sands, and half an hour later she had righted and was in deep water. She was able to get under way, and the life-boat escorted her clear of the Goodwins. She arrived back at her station at 11.55 that morning. She had been out for 36 hours.

getting rapidly worse, it was thought advisable that the motor boat should return ashore, and Willis was sent back in her.

At 8.20 next morning, the 1st of December, For his prompt and plucky rescue of the life-boatman flung overboard, the Institution awarded to the motor-mechanic, C. PERCY CAVELL, its thanks inscribed on vellum.- Rewards, £96 3s.

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

NOVEMBER 1ST. - WALMER, KENT. Red lights, thought to be from a vessel aground, had been reported by the East Goodwin Lightvessel, but nothing could be found.- Rewards, £33 1s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 2ND. - RAMSGATE, KENT.

Two vessels, the motor ship Phirsaparoea, of Curacoa, and the American steamer Pomona Victory, had been in collision, but did not need the life-boat. - Rewards, £11 17s.

NOVEMBER 4TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. A motor fishing vessel had been drifting, but was taken in tow by a tug. - Rewards, £9 6s.

NOVEMBER 7TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.

An airman had been reported in thesea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £8 13s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 7TH. - WALMER, KENT. The American steamer Arthur Riggs had been damaged in collision with the S.S. Egton, but the Arthur Riggs did not need help and the Egton could not be found. - Rewards, £31 5s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 8TH. - TORBAY, DEVON.

Star shells fired from a naval vessel had been mistaken for distress signals. - Rewards, £12 2s.

NOVEMBER 8TH. - HOLYHEAD, ANGLESEY.

The trawler St. Jan Berchmans, of Ostend, had stranded, but refloated without help. - Rewards, £5 12s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 9TH. - SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. Two swimmers had been reported in difficulties, but the police rescued one and the other was drowned. - Rewards, £38 1s NOVEMBER 1 0TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE. The steam trawler Notre Dame de Montligeon, of Boulogne, had gone aground, but refloated without help. - Paid permanent crew.

NOVEMBER 13TH. - BUCKIE, BANFFSHIRE.

An aeroplane had crashed in the sea. An air-sea rescue launch picked up one body, but the life-boat found nothing.- Rewards, £15 12s. (See Nairn, “Services by Shore-boats,” 1946, page 71.) NOVEMBER 1 4TH. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE. An object leaving a smoke trail had been seen and an aeroplane was thought to have crashed in the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £13 2s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 15TH. - SHOREHAM HARBOUR, SUSSEX. A motor yacht had drifted ashore with her engine broken down, but her crew of two got ashore unaided.- Rewards, £16 2s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 22ND. - WICK, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

A fishing boat had been reported overdue, but reached harbour unaided.- Rewards, £11 17s.

NOVEMBER 22ND. - LYTHAM-ST. ANNES, LANCASHIRE. A motor fishing vessel had been overdue, but after spending the night aground she arrived next morning. - Rewards, £5 19s.

NOVEMBER 26TH. - ARKLOW, CO. WICKLOW.

A fishing vessel had been reported in distress, but got out of her difficulties without help. - Rewards, £15 10s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 28TH. - BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but nothing could be found.

- Rewards, £10 6s. 6d.

NOVEMBER 29TH. - KIRKCUDBRIGHT.

An aeroplane had fallen in the sea, but the airmen had already reached safety in their rubber dinghy. - Rewards, £12 4s.