INVERGORDON, ROSS-SHIRE. On the 21st of August, 1946, the Invergordon and Balblair motor ferry boat was on a run to Invergordon when, at 4.20, she saw a naval whaler capsize. A north-east wind was blowing against the ebb tide and raising a choppy sea.

The crew of the ferry-boat consisted only of sixteen-year-old Munro Fraser. He had one passenger, Mr. David Ross, aboard. They went at once to the rescue and had picked up five men before service craft arrived.

Four men of the whaler were lost. - Rewards, an inscribed wrist watch and £1 to Munro Fraser and a letter of appreciation and £1 to Mr. David Ross.

SHEERNESS, KENT. On the afternoon of the 28th of August, 1946, three men were out in the motor boat Nancy, in a rough sea, with a moderate south-west wind blowing. The boat’s engine failed, and she drifted out to sea off Sheerness. She was seen by Mr. J. F.

Bell, and at 2.30 he put off single-handed in the motor fishing boat LO.149. He took the Nancy in tow, but his own boat became waterlogged.

Their difficulties were seen, and at 4.20 two men went to their help in the motor boat Silver Queen, although one of her engines was not working. They found the two other boats three miles below the Nore No. 1 Buoy and at considerable risk took them in tow, but they had to cut the LO.149 adrift and later she sank. They brought the Nancy, with her three men and Mr. Bell on board, into Sheerness at 7.30 that evening.

The tide was then out, and they could not moor the Silver Queen until midnight, and employed two watchmen to look after her.

Mr. Bell valued his lost boat and gear at £150.

She was not insured, and there was little hope of salvage. A public subscription was raised and he received £136. - Rewards, £14 to Mr.

Bell to bring the public subscription up tothe £150 ; £3 to the crew of the Silver Queen ; 6s. for fuel used and £2 to the - Rewards, £9, and 5s. for fuel used. (See watchmen and £1 7s. for a lost rope.

Torbay, “Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” page 55.) BRIXHAM, DEVON. During a north-northwest gale of almost hurricane force, with a very rough sea, on the afternoon of the 20th of September, 1946, an Admiralty motor fishing boat broke adrift and fouled and badly damaged the yacht Casita, anchored 200 yards east of Brixham pierhead. Two men put out in an open motor boat, but realising that further help was needed put back and went into the inner harbour, where two other men joined them. They handled their boat with fine seamanship in that very rough weather, and at great risk brought her alongside the Casita and took off first a baby and then the mother. The crew of two followed her, and then, after some hesitation, the owner jumped aboard the rescuing boat.

Later the yacht caught fire and foundered.

TORBAY, DEVON. About eleven in the morning of the 7th of October, 1946, two children, a girl aged 8 and her brother aged 9, were cut off by the tide on the rocks at Corbyn’s Head, about half a mile outside Torquay harbour. They tried to wade ashore. The boy succeeded but the girl returned to the rocks. The boy told a man, who informed the police. A police sergeant obtained the help of five men and a motor boat. He went with them and they took with them a rowing boat. A strong southeast wind was blowing, with a rough sea.

With the rough sea breaking among the rocks the motor boat had to lie off, but the police sergeant and three of the men rowed in the rowing boat close to the rocks and rescued the girl. - Rewards, £4 10s..