DECEMBER 21ST. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. At 5.30 in the afternoon the coastguard reported distress signals east-south-east of Walton. The night was very dark, with rain. A strong east-south-east wind was blowing and the sea was very rough.

It was nearly low water. At 6.15 the motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched and found the naval motor fishing vessels 96 and 611 stranded on the North East Gunfleet Sands, about five miles from Walton. They were about a hundred yards apart. There was just enough water for the coxswain to take his boat alongside one of the vessels on the inside of the sands.

Heavy seas were breaking over her, but the senior seaman on board refused to leave. He asked the life-boat to stand by, but she was bumping heavily on the sands and the coxswain had to cast off and move to deeper water.

Soon both fishing vessels again made distress signals but now the water was too shallow for the life-boat to approach them from inside the sands, so the coxswain took her round the end of the sands to try from the outside, but here there was no more water and the seas were heavier, so he returned to the inside. By this time the tide had started to flow, and he drove his boat over the sands and brought her alongside the first fishing vessel. At the same moment a sea lifted the fishing vessel’s bow and brought it down on the life-boat’s stern, smashing the rudder quadrant and putting the rudder out of action.

Undaunted by this mishap the coxswain went astern and found himself near the second fishing vessel. He went alongside her, steering with his engines. He secured the life-boat alongside and the fishing vessel’s crew of six jumped aboard her. The ropes were cut away and the life-boat moved clear. Still steering her by her engines, the coxswain then returned to the first fishing vessel, went alongside and rescued her crew of five. The rescue was complete. It had taken four hours. The coxswain again moved clear of the sands and into deeper water. There, with ropes, he got his rudder working again and made for Brightlingsea. He arrived about two in the morning and put the rescued men on board a naval vessel. The life-boat did not return to her station.

She was sent straight to Rowhedge for repairs. The coxswain, a man of sixty-five - ably supported by his motormechanics and crew - carried out this difficult service with skill, endurance and determination, and the Institution made the following awards : To COXSWAIN THOMAS H. BLOOM a clasp to the bronze medal for gallantry which he already held, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To GILBERT BARRS, motor-mechanic, and FRASER T. BACON, assistant motormechanic, the thanks of the Institution inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew a special reward of £2 in addition to the reward of £2 16s. 6d.

on the standard scale. Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £38 2s. 5d. ; additional rewards to crew, £20; total rewards, £58 2s. 5d..