OCTOBER MEETING ST.ABBS, BERWICKSHIRE. About mid-day on the 13th of July, 1945, it was reported that an aeroplane had crashed in the sea off St.

Abbs Head. A light north-east wind was blowing, with a slight sea, and the weather foggy. Two fishing boats, the Freedom and the Laurel, put out, and, keeping close inshore, saw smoke rising from the cliff near St.

Abbs Head Lighthouse. Men landed from the boats and climbed to a ledge where they found the badly burned and mutilated bodies of four airmen. The boats returned to St.

Abbs for blankets and stretchers, and the men took them out to the cliffs in a flatbottomed salmon punt. At risk from exploding ammunition and falling rock they again climbed to the ledge, lowered the bodies to the rocks, carried them to the punt, and brought them to St. Abbs. Later it was learned that two airmen were unaccounted for, and on the following day, another boat, the Violet, put out. Men from this boat found the bodies in a crevice under part of the burnt-out aeroplane, and brought them to St. Abbs. Altogether 20 men took part in the service. - Rewards, £20, £3 of which was returned to the Institution as donations.

See St. Abbs, “Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” p. 35.)

TROON, AYRSHIRE. During the afternoon of the 16th of July, 1945, three fishermen were returning to Troon in the motor fishing boat Wag, of Greenock, with lobster pots, when a squall from the north-west sprang up suddenly, bringing heavy rain and causing a rough sea. The Wag was in danger of capsizing or being dashed against rocks some quarter of a mile away and half a mile south of Troon harbour, and flew a pair of trousers as a distress signal. The Troon life-boat was under overhaul ; the Girvan life-boat could not arrive for several hours ; no naval or R.A.F. craft were available. Two H.M.

landing craft, which were at sea, attempted to help, but could do nothing owing to the rocks.

Two pilots employed by the London Midland and Scottish Railway then put out in a motor pilot boat belonging to the railway.

They passed a tow-line to the Wag, but this fouled their own propeller and put their boat out of action. The pilots then lashed the Wag to the pilot boat, let go their anchor, and skilfully paid out the cable until all the men in the two boats could jump on to the rocks. It was a rescue carried out successfully at considerable risk, and the pilot boat was dashed to pieces against the rocks and completely wrecked, but her engine was salved later. - Rewards, £4.

KILMORE, Co. WEXFORD. While two men were out fishing to the west of Big Saltee Island on the 25th of July, 1945, in the motor fishing boat Guillemot, their engine failed. They were last seen at seven o’clock in the evening to seaward of the Coningbeg Lightship, drifting westwards. The sea was rough, with a fresh easterly breeze blowing.

Thunder-storms threatened. As the boat had been out since two in the morning, peopleon shore became anxious, and at eight o’clock the life-boat coxswain and three other men put out in the motor boat Water Lily, as the Kilmore life-boat was under survey.

They picked up the Guillemot six miles south of the Hook and towed her into Kilmore at six o’clock next morning. - Rewards, £5, and 12s. for fuel used.

KILMORE, Co. WEXFORD. On the evening of the 26th of July, 1945, two inexperienced men were out fishing in an ill-found sailing boat south of Big Saltee Island. They were caught in a fresh easterly breeze, with a rough sea running, and had no chance of reaching harbour under sail. As the Kilmore life-boat was under survey the coxswain, with two other men, put out in the motor boat Helvic and brought the boat in. - Rewards, £1 17s. 6d. and 7s. 6d. for fuel used.

FERRYSIDE, CARMARTHENSHIRE. At five o’clock on the afternoon of the 28th of August, l945, the life-boat motor-mechanic was fishing in the estuary of the River Towy in a motor boat when he saw a red flag being waved from an American “duck,” an amphibious craft. It was low water. A light wind was blowing and the sea was smooth, but there was some swell on the banks. The motor-mechanic found the “duck” bedded in the sand. She had six men on board and they were afraid that she would not float with the rising tide. At their request the motor-mechanic ran out an anchor for them and then stood by. The “duck” refloated as the tide rose and was able to go to her base. - Rewards, 12s. 6d., and 2s. 6d. for fuel used.

ST. COMBS, ABERDEENSHIRE. On the evening of the 29th of August, 1945, the small motor fishing boat Mary, with three men on board, was upset while trying to make the shore at St. Combs Beach. A fresh northerly wind was blowing and the sea was rough for small boats. Two men in a fishing boat were nearby. They heard a shout from the shore that the Mary had disappeared and at once pulled in the direction in which they had last seen her. They found her submerged, and were in time to rescue two of her crew who were clinging to her gunwale. The third man had been swept away and drowned. - Rewards, £2.

BARMOUTH, MERIONETHSHIRE. On the morning of the 30th of August, 1945, four visitors, in a rowing boat, were sinking at the mouth of Barbach. The wind was light, but there was a heavy swell on the beach. The visitors were waving oars. The coastguard reported it to the life-boat coxswain, and four life-boatmen put out in a motor boat and rescued the visitors. Their boat was salved later. A Royal Marine craft also went out. - Rewards, £2 10s.

PADSTOW, CORNWALL. Between one o’clock and 1.30 in the afternoon of the 31st of August, 1945, an aeroplane landed on the sea about eleven miles west of Trevose Head. A moderate southerly wind was blowing. Thesea was choppy. In a motor fishing vessel, some three miles away, were the coxswain and the motor-mechanic of the Padstow No.

2 life-boat, and another man. They cast off their gear and made for the spot. The aeroplane had disappeared, but they picked up the pilot and his dinghy and brought them to P a d s t o w . It was learnt later that the navigator had baled out some miles away, and been saved by a steamer and put on board an air-sea rescue launch. Boats also put out from Newquay and Portreath, but were not needed. - Rewards, £1 17s. 6d., 15s.

for fuel used, 5s. for a hat lost, and £1 10s.

for loss of fishing.

PORT ERIN, ISLE OF MAN. While out fishing in the morning of the 12th of September, 1945, a fisherman saw a large steamer either on the north side of the Calf of Man or lying in a dangerous position. The weather was very foggy. A light southerly breeze was blowing and the sea was smooth. The fisherman came in and reported to the honorary secretary of the life-boat station at 7.30, who sent out the motor boat Jean manned by the owner of the boat, the fisherman and another fisherman. They searched for an hour but found nothing. - Rewards, £1 17s.

and 5s. for fuel used. (See Port Erin, and Peel, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 41.) TENBY, PEMBROKESHIRE. On the 28th of September, 1945, two men were fishing in the motor trawler Pretty Polly, in Carmarthen Bay. A strong north-west wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. About two in the afternoon they saw two men waving from the motor boat Hope. They hauled in their trawl and went to her. She had run out of fuel and was being blown out to sea. They brought her in to Tenby. - Rewards, £4 10s. for fuel used and loss of fishing.