FEBRUARY 23RD. - WHITBY, YORKSHIRE. The records of the life-boat service are full of stories of gallantry, but it is nearly always gallantry of coxswains and crews working together. The opportunities for personal gallantry by single men are much rarer, but there was one on this day, at Whitby, and the opportunity was taken at once. In the morning the fishing fleet had gone out.

Three hours later a gale sprang up, the seas were rising fast, and at 10.45 the No. 1 life-boat Mary Ann Hepworth was launched to be ready outside the harbour, to escort the fishing boats in as they returned. It is always a dangerous entrance in heavy weather, for there is a bar outside and the distance between pier and pier is only 80 yards. On this morning, with the gale blowing from the north-north-west, the seas were breaking right into the harbour mouth and were coming over the piers. The life-boat successfully escorted five fishing boats across the bar and between the piers, and then put out again to meet another boat, which was just coming in, the Easter Morn. The coxswain saw a great sea break over her and bury her. When she appeared again he saw men on board waving, saw men on the pier above waving too, and heard the crowd shouting. He knew that it must mean only one thing, that one of the men on the fishing boat had been washed out by that sea. He opened out his engines to full speed, and as the life-boat was lifted on the crest of a wave he could see a man in the water. He had a life-buoy ready with a line attached and it was flung, but the man in the water made no attempt to seize it and the coxswain saw him drifting astern of the life-boat. He shouted that he must be unconscious and, without hesitation, one of his crew, John Robert Harland, jumped overboard in his oilskins and life-belt.

He seized the unconscious man. The crew hauled in the buoy and flung it to him. Both men were pulled on board, and the life-boatmen worked on the unconscious man with artificial respiration until the harbour was reached. There a doctor came to him and he was quickly brought round.

There is no doubt that Robert Harland, by jumping without hesitation into those cold and tumultuous seas pouring between the piers, had saved the man’s life.

The life-boat then put to sea again and escorted in two more fishing boats.

There was one still to come. As she was seen approaching the life-boat again put out, but the fishing boat altered course and made for Scarborough, and the life-boat returned to her station, arriving at six that evening.

To JOHN ROBERT HARLAND the Institution awarded its silver medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum. It also awarded him the Miss Maud Smith reward for courage, in memory of John, 7th Earl of Hardwicke, for the bravest act of life-saving of the year by a life-boatman.

The King awarded him the silver medal for gallantry in saving life at sea, and the Carnegie Hero Fund an honorary certificate and £15. The Whitby magistrates, and others, presented him with a cheque.

To COXSWAIN HARRY MURFIELD, the Institution awarded its bronze medal for gallantry, with a copy of the vote inscribed on vellum ; To the coxswain and each member of the crew it made a special money award in addition to the ordinary award on the standard scale, and to J. R. Harland an allowance of £3 for damaged clothing. Standard rewards to crew and helpers, £13 15s. ; additional rewards to crew, £14 3s. 6d. ; allowance to J. R. Harland, £3 ; total rewards, £30 18s. 6d..