JANUARY Launches 51 Lives rescued 103 JANUARY 1ST. - GALWAY BAY. The priest of the Inisheer Island was at Kilronan on Inishmore, where the Galway Bay life-boat is stationed. It was necessary that he should return to Inisheer on New Year’s Day. A very strong south-easterly wind was blowing, with a very rough sea, and as no other boat could make the passage the motor life-boat K.E.C.F. was launched to take the priest.

She left at 9.30 in the morning and arrived back an hour later. - No expense to the Institution.

JANUARY 4TH. - WICK, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

At 5.48 in the evening the coastguard reported a boat burning flares close to rock on the north side of Wick Bay, and the motor life-boat City of Edinburgh was launched at six o’clock, in a fresh southwesterly wind, with a slight sea. She found the fishing boat Glad Tidings, with a crew of three. Her engine was not working properly.

She had already struck against the rocks.

The life-boat took her in tow and brought her into harbour at 6.30. - Rewards, £11 5s.

JANUARY 8TH. - NEWBIGGIN, NORTHUMBERLAND.

At 12.10 in the afternoon the coastguard reported that eight fishing cobles were out. A strong southerly wind was blowing. The sea was very rough and rising. At 12.24 the motor life-boat Augustus and Laura was launched and found the cobles about two miles off Church Point.

She first escorted into the bay the coble Ethel, whose engine had broken down. She then escorted in six more cobles. Only the Adventure remained. She also was having trouble with her engine, but the life-boat brought her safely in at 1.30. - Rewards, £24 18s.

JANUARY 10TH. - RAMSGATE, KENT.

At 8.10 in the morning information was received from the pier that a steamer was in danger of grounding in Pegwell Bay, and the motor life-boat Prudential was launched at 8.25. A moderate west-south-west wind was blowing, with a moderate sea. The life-boat found the steamer, the Amethyst aground half a mile south-west of Ramsgate harbour.

No one was on board. She returned at 9.26.

At 1.10 in the afternoon the harbour master pointed out the danger if the steamer, with no one on board, refloated on the rising tide, and the life-boat was again launched at 1.25, and put life-boatmen on board the steamer.

It was found later that she had been on her way to Antwerp for repairs in tow of a tug.

The tug had anchored her in the Downs, but her anchors had dragged. At 2.45 a salvage tug arrived and took her in tow for the Downs, escorted by the life-boat. The towing wire parted, but a fresh wire was fixed. After seeing the steamer and the tug safely in the Downs, the life-boat reached her station at 8.8 that evening. Rewards: first service, £8 3s. ; second service, £1 3s. and property salvage case.

JANUARY 14TH. - CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE. Information was received at 11.35 in the morning from the naval signal station on Davaar Island that a fishing boat was flying a signal of distress and drifting towards the shore. At 11.45 the motor lifeboat City of Glasgow was launched. The southerly wind was fresh, but the sea very rough. The life-boat found the Aberdeen fishing boat White Squall about one mile north of Davaar Lighthouse, with a crew of six. Her engine had broken down, her anchor was not holding, and she was drifting towards a rocky shore. Her crew succeeded in starting her engine again and she got under way, but the master decided to return to harbour to complete repairs and, escorted by the life-boat, she came into harbour at 12.45 that afternoon. - Rewards, £6 19s.

JANUARY 16TH. - EASTBOURNE, SUSSEX.

At 8.15 in the morning the coastguard telephoned that a motor boat was in distress about four miles south of the life-boat station.

The motor life-boat Jane Holland was launched at 8.40. A strong north-easterly wind was blowing, with a rough sea. She found the Shoreham fishing boat Number One, with two on board. Her engine had broken down. The life-boat towed her to Newhaven and arrived back at her station at 2.15 that afternoon. - Rewards, £16 17s.

JANUARY 17TH. - ANGLE, PEMBROKESHIRE.

At 4.20 in the morning the Tenby coastguard telephoned that a landing craft was in need of help off St. Ann’s Head, and at five o’clock the motor life-boat Elizabeth Elson was launched in an east-north-easterly wind and a moderate sea. Six miles southwest of St. Ann’s Head she found L.C.T. 972 with her back broken, and escorted her into harbour, where she was taken over by tugs.

The life-boat returned to her station at nine o’clock that morning. - Rewards, £12 12s.

JANUARY 18TH. - THE HUMBER, YORKSHIRE.

A messenger came from the signal station at 1.22 in the morning with a message from the Trinity House superintendent at Great Yarmouth : Would the life-boat go to the Humber Lightvessel, eight miles east of Spurn, where there was an injured man ? The motor life-boat City of Bradford II was launched, with a doctor on board, at 2.45.

A strong easterly wind was blowing, with a very rough sea. The life-boat went alongside the lightvessel with some difficulty, andput the doctor on board her. She waited, embarked the doctor and the injured man, and made for Grimsby, where the man was sent to hospital. She reached her station again at 9.30 that morning. - Permanent paid crew. Expenses met by the Trinity House.

JANUARY 18TH. - DUNGENESS, KENT.

At 7.5 at night the Lade coastguard reported a small vessel ashore east-by-north of Lade, but not in need of help. A strong southeasterly wind was blowing, with a very choppy sea. The weather was bitterly cold, with snow. The life-boat crew assembled, and at 8.40 saw the vessel refloat, go a short way, stop, and burn distress signals. At 9.10 the motor life-boat Charles Cooper Henderson was launched and found that the vessel was the motor cabin cruiser Kinuna, of Southampton, homeward bound from Rochester with two men and two girls, the daughters of the master. She had sprung a leak and her engine-room was flooded. The master asked for a tow, and a rope was passed to him.

After half an hour he decided to abandon the cruiser, as she was now unmanageable, with her bow almost under water. The girls were the first to be rescued, and were almost exhausted through exposure to the wet and cold. All the four were landed at 11.45 at Dungeness and taken to the life-boat house to be revived with rum and biscuits. The cruiser foundered, and the rescued left for Southampton in the morning by train.- Rewards, £35 3s. 6d.

JANUARY 20TH. - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.

At 6.10 in the morning the coastguard reported that a vessel was close inshore, and at 6.34 that she was ashore on East Scar. The motor life-boat Louisa Polden was launched at 7.8. A westerly breeze was blowing, the sea was heavy, and there was fog. The life-boat found the S.S.

Dunsley, of Whitby, of 800 tons, in ballast from Leith to Middlesbrough, with a crew of thirty-seven. The crew were in no danger, but the master asked that the life-boat should come back at two o’clock. The lifeboat reached her station again at 9.41 and put out for the second time at 2.15. Her coxswain intended to bring the crew ashore, but the master decided to keep them aboard.

The life-boat stood by for some time in a heavy sea, and then returned to her station, arriving at 4.20 that afternoon. - Rewards, first service, £10 5s. 6d. ; second service, £9 13s. 6d.

J ANUARY 2 0 T H . - SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. The fishing cobles B. S. Callings, Premier, and Hilda were at sea. A north-easterly wind was blowing, and by the afternoon a heavy ground swell was breaking across the bay. At 2.55 the motor life-boat Herbert Joy II was launched, and met the cobles a mile and a half east of Castle Hill.

She passed life-belts to their crews and escorted them into harbour. She was back at her station by four o’clock. - Rewards, £21 10s.

JANUARY 20TH. - LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK.

After dark the naval motor fishing vessel 1165 ran on Corton Beach, and the mate scrambled ashore to get help. At 10.35 the coastguard informed the life-boat station, and at 10.47 the motor life-boat Michael Stephens was launched. The coastguard’s life-saving apparatus was also called out.

A north-north-easterly wind was blowing, with a moderate swell. Owing to shallow water the life-boat could not get alongside the vessel. Three of the crew of six scrambled ashore unaided and the life-saving apparatus rescued the other three. The life-boat stood by during the rescue and until two o’clock next morning, when she returned to her station, arriving at 2.30. The vessel became a total wreck. - Rewards, £11 5s.

JANUARY 20TH and 21ST. - ABERDEEN, ABERDEEN NORTH PIER LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS, AND ABERDEEN TORRY LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS. At 7.30 in the evening the steam trawler Spurs, of Grimsby, on her way to the fishing grounds, but trying to get into Aberdeen to land a sick man, was seen to go aground on the north bank of the navigation channel, at the eastern end of the north pier, and the No. 1 motor life-boat Emma Constance was launched at 8.23. The south-easterly wind was moderate, but there was a heavy swell. The north pier life-saving apparatus was assembled and the tug St. Machar put out. Several attempts were made to tow the Spurs into the tidal basin, but five ropes were carried away and she grounded again, east of the south jetty. There a pilot went on board her and a wire was taken to the north pier by the life-boat and made fast by the L.S.A. In the meantime the tug S t . M a c h a r had grounded off the south jetty. The life-boat tried to refloat her, but got a rope round her starboard propeller. She returned, bringing with her part of the tug’s crew, and another tug brought in the St. Machar.

Meanwhile the trawler had refloated again, but was unable to manoeuvre, owing to a damaged propeller, and eventually ran on the beach on the south bank, west of the old south breakwater. It was now one o’clock in the morning of the 21st. The Torry lifesaving apparatus was at once called out and fired a line to the trawler, but it was thought safer for her crew to wait for the life-boat. It was then three o’clock. As her fouled propeller could not be cleared, the lifeboat went out again on one engine. The trawler’s crew put their gear aboard the lifeboat, but preferred not to jump and decided to wait for low water, so the life-boat returned at seven o’clock. About ten o’clock the Torry L.S.A. landed eleven of the crew, and the pilot, by breeches buoy, and a few minutes later three others waded ashore. At 4.30 in the afternoon another four of the crew were taken off by the Torry L.S.A. This left on board the master, and he was taken off by a salvage vessel on the following day, the 22nd.

- Rewards : life-boat, £15 10s. 6d. ; North Pier L.S.A., £11 10s. 6d. ; Torry L.S.A., £35.

JANUARY 21ST. - REDCAR, YORKSHIRE.

At 6.30 in the morning the coastguard reported that a vessel half a mile to the north-west had fired a rocket and hoisted asignal, and the motor life-boat Louisa Polden was launched at 7.10. A westerly wind was blowing, the sea was heavy, and there was fog.

The life-boat found the S.S. Empire Facility, of London, loaded with scrap, ashore on Saltscar Rocks, took off her crew of eight and landed them at 7.40. At 10.30 fishing boats took the crew back to their ship, but, after laying out an anchor, they came ashore again at one in the afternoon. The seas were too heavy for them to remain on board. About 3.30, as the tide was rising, a tug went alongside the abandoned ship, put men on board her and refloated her. Seeing this the master and mate were very anxious to return to her.

No suitable boat was available, so the lifeboat again went out at 4.12 and put the master and mate, and a life-boatman, on board. She returned at six o’clock. - Rewards : first service, £10 5s. 6d. ; second service, property salvage case.

JANUARY 23RD. - GREAT YARMOUTH AND GORLESTON, NORFOLK. About 6.55 in the morning the coastguard telephoned a message from the naval authorities at Lowestoft that a vessel in Corton Roads was in need of help and the motor life-boat Louise Stephens was launched at 7.5. A strong south-easterly wind was blowing, with heavy seas. She found the minesweeper B.Y.M.2051, with a crew of about thirty, aground on the South Holm Sands. She took off 22 of the crew, landed them at Lowestoft, and then returned to the minesweeper. The minesweeper was then afloat again, but was making a lot of water, and the life-boat stood by. Another minesweeper arrived to take the 2051 in tow and the life-boat took a pump and six men from her to the 2051. The second minesweeper took the 2051 in tow, but the rope parted, and the tow was continued by a tug from Lowestoft. The life-boat then took back the pump and the men to the second minesweeper, and escorted them to Lowestoft, where they arrived at 9.54. She returned to Gorleston at noon. - Rewards, £7 10s.

JANUARY 23RD. - GALWAY BAY. At 12.20 in the afternoon the honorary secretary of the life-boat station (on Inishmore Island) was told that a girl on the island was dangerously ill and that the only chance of saving her life was to take her at once to Galway Hospital, on the mainland. No other boat was available and the motor life-boat K.E.C.F. was launched at 12.45. A strong south-westerly wind was blowing and the sea was rough. ‘The life-boat reached Galway, with the girl on board, at four that afternoon and got back to her station again at one the following morning. - Rewards, £20 13s. 6d.

JANUARY 24TH. - THURSO, CAITHNESSSHIRE.

At 12.5 in the afternoon a fisherman telephoned from Melvick that a fishing boat was in distress about seven miles east of Port Skerra, and the motor life-boat H.C.J. was launched at 12.20. A whole southerly gale was blowing, with a very rough sea. She made a wide search, going as far as Hoy Head, but found nothing. About six o’clock, while she was still searching, she received a wireless message from the steamer St. Ninian that she had taken a fishing boat in tow seven miles north-west of Dunnet Head. The boat was the Fisher Boy, of Wick. A net had fouled her propeller. She had a crew of five. The tow-rope had parted and the Fisher Boy had been damaged.

Another tow-rope was made fast, but the St. Ninian had found the tow too much for her and had cast the Fisher Boy adrift. She stood by her until, at seven o’clock, the lifeboat arrived. They were then fourteen miles north-north-west of Dunnet Head. With difficulty, the life-boat passed a rope to the Fisher Boy and towed her to Scrabster, where they arrived at 11.20 that night.- Property salvage case.

JANUARY 28TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. During a south-westerly gale with a very rough sea H.M.S. Rhyl, a minesweeper, parted her tow from a tug off Felixstowe.

She anchored, but the anchors dragged and she was drifting towards a lee shore. The coastguard reported it at 10.45 at night, and a few minutes later the naval authorities at Harwich asked that the crew should be taken off. At 11.45 the motor life-boat E.M.E.D. was launched, and after a search found the minesweeper half a mile south of Felixstowe pier. The weather had improved a little and the officer-in-charge did not want to abandon ship, but on orders from Harwich the life-boat took him off and his thirty-five men and landed them at Harwich about 3.40 next morning. She returned to Walton at 11.15 that morning. The officerin- charge at Harwich expressed thanks for her excellent work. - Rewards, £33 10s. 6d.

JANUARY 3 0TH - 31ST. - WALMER, KENT. At 9.20 at night, just after the lifeboat had returned from the American steamer Am-Mer-Mar, which had gone aground on the Goodwin Sands, but had got off without help, the Deal coastguard reported another vessel aground. A moderate west-north-west wind was blowing and the sea was rough. At 9.45 the motor life-boat Charles Dibdin (Civil Service No. 2) was launched, and found another American steamer, the Luray Victory, of Los Angeles, aground on the Goodwin Sands, near South Goodwin Buoy. She was in a very bad position. The life-boat could not go alongside owing to the heavy seas. She signalled that she would anchor close by for the night. At six next morning, the 31st of January, she weighed anchor and took a wire from the steamer to a tug, but the weather became worse and it was impossible to run wires to another tug without damage to the life-boat. Efforts were made to refloat the Luray Victory at high tide, but they were unsuccessful. The steamer was now listing to port and she asked the life-boat to stand by. As it seemed probable that she would again have to stand by all night, the coxswain decided to return to Walmer and refuel. He signalled this to the Luray Victory and left her at 11.45 that morning.

During the whole time on service the lifeboat had not been able to get near enough tothe Luray Victory to obtain food, although repeatedly signalled by her to do so. At three in the afternoon the life-boat again put to sea. Owing to the state of the tide she had to set her course round the south part of the Goodwins and reached the Luray Victory at four o’clock. She saw that the steamer’s boats were being lowered and preparations made to abandon her. She was beginning to break up. The life-boat’s first attempts to go alongside failed, but in the end the coxswain brought her, and held her, close enough for her crew of forty-nine to jump aboard.

The rescue took just half an hour. The sands round the stern of the steamer were beginning to dry and the work had to be quickly done if the life-boat herself were not to be stranded. The life-boat then made for Walmer, where she arrived at 5.50 that evening. - Rewards : first service, £48 l6s.

6d. ; second service, £24 12s.

JANUARY 31ST. - AITH, SHETLANDS.

On the evening of the 30th of January, a doctor reported that a man was seriously ill on the Island of Foula and in urgent need of a doctor. He was a merchant seaman, recently repatriated from a prisoner-of-war camp in Japan. For some days gales had prevented the ferry-boat making the passage between the island and Aith, and no other boat was available. That night the seas were too rough at the island for a boarding boat to be able to put out to the life-boat, when she arrived, but in the morning the postmaster telephoned to Aith that the seas had moderated, and at 9.30 in the morning of the 31st the motor life-boat The Rankin was launched. A west-north-west gale was blowing, with a very heavy sea. She took the doctor with her and arrived at Foula at one in the afternoon. It was decided that the only hope of saving the man’s life was to bring him to hospital at Aith, and the lifeboat left the island with him at four o’clock.

She reached Aith at 7.30 and the man was sent at once to hospital. - Rewards, £19 18s. 6d.

Repaid to the Institution.

JANUARY 31ST. - PETERHEAD, ABERDEENSHIRE.

At 5.30 in the evening, the coastguard reported a boat showing distress signals a mile and a half north of Peterhead, and the motor life-boat Julia Park Barry of Glasgow was launched at six o’clock. A fresh southerly wind was blowing, with a heavy swell. She found the motor boat Trust On, of Peterhead. She had been towing a derelict drifter. Her engine broke down ; the drifter was washed ashore ; she herself anchored to hold her until help came.

The life-boat took her in tow and, with difficulty, brought her round the North and South Heads into harbour at 7.30 that evening. - Rewards, £11 17s.

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

JANUARY 1ST. - SOUTHEND - ON - SEA, ESSEX. Red rockets had been reported, but nothing was found. - Rewards, £14 5s.

JANUARY 1ST. - CLACTON - ON - SEA, ESSEX. A tug had been disabled by an explosion on board, but was taken in tow by another tug. - Rewards, £27 6s. 4d.

JANUARY 3RD. - MARYPORT, CUMBERLAND.

An aeroplane had been reported down in the sea, but it had crashed near Glasgow after the pilot had baled out.- Rewards £29 19s.

JANUARY 4TH. - POOLBEG, CO. DUBLIN.

A boy in a rowing boat had got into difficulties, but was helped by a dredger.- Rewards, £12 7s. 6d.

JANUARY 7TH. - WALMER, KENT. Flares had been reported, but no vessel in distress was found, and it was assumed that the flares were connected with military exercises on shore. - Rewards, £33 1s. 6d.

JANUARY 9TH. - DUN LAOGHAIRE, CO.

DUBLIN. Three boys had taken a ship’s boat without permission and had got into difficulties, but the boat was carried against the east pier and smashed, and they were able to get ashore. - Rewards, £18 1s. 6d.

JANUARY 10TH. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE, AND KIRKCUDBRIGHT.

A landing craft had been reported missing, but nothing was found. Then bodies were washed ashore. The landing craft had foundered in a gale and all her crew of twelve were drowned. - Rewards, £20 1s. 6d.

JANUARY 10TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. A fishing boat had been reported overdue, but before putting out to sea the life-boat found her in the outer harbour. - Rewards, £14 6s.

6d.

JANUARY 11TH. - BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. The naval authorities had asked the life-boat to bring an injured man ashore from a steamer, but the steamer could not be found. - Rewards, £12 4s.

JANUARY 11TH. - WALTON AND FRINTON, ESSEX. The coastguard had passed on a message from Ostend Radio that a steamer had signalled that she had struck a mine, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £10 6s.

JANUARY 12TH. - BERWICK - ON - TWEED, NORTHUMBERLAND. A man had been reported to have baled out from an aeroplane, but it was a target drogue that had been released by the aeroplane.- Rewards, £3 15s.

JANUARY 12TH. - PORT ERIN, ISLE OF MAN. An aeroplane had been seen to be losing height and to hit the sea, but nothing could be found. - Rewards, £13 10s.

JANUARY 12TH. - NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. A man had jumped overboard from a steamer, but he could not be found. - Rewards, £13 7s. 6d.

JANUARY 13TH. - TORBAY, DEVON. A motor trawler’s engine had broken down, but another trawler helped her. - Rewards, £14 6s. 6d.

JANUARY 13TH. - FISHGUARD, PEMBROKESHIRE.

A ship’s raft had been seen drifting, but there was no one on board.

- Rewards, £6 18s.

JANUARY 18TH. - PORTRUSH, CO. ANTRIM.

A Warwick aeroplane had been seen in difficulties and flying low, but she reached her base. - Rewards, £11 6s. 6d.

JANUARY 22ND. - PORTPATRICK, WIGTOWNSHIRE.

A landing craft had gone aground in Luce Bay, but the life-boat was not needed. - Rewards, £26 2s.

JANUARY 22ND. - TROON, AYRSHIRE.

A steamer had anchored as her boiler was giving trouble, but she was able to repair it and went on her way. - Rewards, £6 19s.

JANUARY 2 4TH. - WALMER, KENT.

The American steamer Carnifex Ferry and another steamer had been in collision, but they did not need the help of the life-boat.- Rewards, £13 19s.

JANUARY 26TH. - DUNGENESS, KENT.

The motor vessel Monica, of Gothenburg, had stranded, but the tide was ebbing and the crew were in no danger. - Rewards, £17 9s.

JANUARY 2 9TH. - NEW QUAY, AND ABERYSTWYTH, CARDIGANSHIRE. An airman had been reported to have baled out from a Spitfire aeroplane, but nothing could be found. - Rewards : New Quay, £22 7s. ; Aberystwyth, £48 8s.

JANUARY 30TH. - CROMER, NORFOLK.

A steamer had run aground on the Haisborough Sands, but she refloated without help. - Rewards, £41 2s.

JANUARY 30TH. - WALMER, KENT. The American steamer Am-Mer-Mar had gone ashore on the Goodwin Sands, but she got off without help. - Rewards, £31 17s. 6d.

JANUARY 31ST. - CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLLSHIRE.

A vessel had been reported in difficulties, but she got under way before the life-boat reached her. - Rewards, £18 6s.