ILFRACOMBE, DEVON. At 6.30 in the evening of the 3rd of March, 1946, the police reported that two boys were cut off by thetide on the rocks at Lee. A strong northerly breeze was blowing and raising a rough sea.

Mr. S. Williams, ex-life-boat coxswain, aged 66, and two other men put out in a motor boat, with a small boat in tow. They attempted, at great risk in the gathering darkness, to get to the rocks, but failed.

They were, however, able to assure the boys that they could wait in safety until the tide had ebbed, when the police would rescue them from the shore. They then returned to Ilfracombe. The two boys were rescued when the tide ebbed. - Rewards, £4 10s., 6s.

for fuel used, and 4s. for damage to tow ropes.

BRIGHTON, SUSSEX. At 12.10 in the afternoon of the 31st of March, 1946, the coastguard received a message from a resident that a dinghy had capsized two miles off the Marine Parade. A light north-easterly breeze was blowing, with a slight southerly swell.

Two men put out in a small motor boat and rescued the dinghy’s crew of two. - Rewards, a letter of appreciation to Mr. C. A. Wood and to Mr. R. Andrews. (See Shoreham Harbour, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 29.) LOSSIEMOUTH, MORAYSHIRE. On the afternoon of the 6th of April, 1946, the Danish fishing vessel Bent Erik went ashore on the Covesea Skerries and at 4.47 the motor fishing boat Snowdrop put out to her help from Lossiemouth. A light south-easterly breeze was blowing and the sea was choppy.

The Snowdrop found that the fishing vessel was not holed and that her crew wished to remain on board. They returned to Lossiemouth, arriving at 5.45. Buckie life-boat was launched at five o’clock, reached the vessel at 7.20 and rescued three of her crew.

- Rewards, a letter of appreciation to Mr.

Joseph Stewart, skipper of the Snowdrop.

(See Buckie, ”Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” p. 30.)

WORTHING, SUSSEX. At 4.10 in the afternoon of the 6th of April, 1946, Shoreham coastguard received a message from the Worthing police that a rubber dinghy, with three boys on board, was drifting seawards half a mile off Worthing. A light northeasterly breeze was blowing, and the sea was calm. A local boatman, Mr. A. Winfield, put out in a rowing boat and picked up the boys, who by that time had drifted to a point two and a half miles off Goring. - Rewards, 10s.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE At 6.5 in the evening of Easter Monday, the 22nd of April, 1946, a message was received from the police that a boy in a canvas dinghy appeared to be in difficulties in mid-river. A moderate westerly wind was blowing against the ebb tide and raising a choppy sea. The coxswain and motor-mechanic launched the life-boat’s motor boarding boat and went to the Rock Channel. From there they saw the boat on the Crosby side of the river, crossed over, and found that the boy was out of the tide, in smooth water and making for the Crosby shore. As he appeared to be in no danger they returned to New Brighton, arriving there at 7.10. - Rewards, 15s.

FORTROSE, ROSS AND CROMARTY. At five in the afternoon of the 27th of April, 1946, the lighthouse keeper at Chanonry Point, Mr.

Norman McLeod, saw two boys drifting seawards on a raft, five hundred yards due east of the point. A fresh easterly breeze was blowing against a strong ebb tide and raising a choppy sea. The lighthouse keeper, a painter and a student, manhandled a rowing boat and towed it down to the shore by means of a motor car. They put out and picked up the boys, whose raft by that time was half submerged. The Cromarty life-boat was launched at 5.49, but her services were not needed. - Rewards, £3, and £1 for damage to boat. (See Cromarty, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 32.)

NEWQUAY, CORNWALL. At 6.30 in the evening of the 3rd of May, 1946, the motor pleasure fishing boat, P.W.30, with two on board, was in difficulties in Newquay Bay.

She was drifting towards the cliffs with her engine broken down. A light south-easterly breeze was blowing and the sea was smooth.

Ex-bowman Brown, who had left the harbour on a fishing trip in his motor boat, saw the motor boat to be in need of help and towed her into harbour. - Rewards, £1 for loss of fishing and fuel used.

BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. At 3.20 in the afternoon of the 4th of May, 1946, the life-boat coxswain’s wife received a telephone message that a sailing boat was reported to have sunk off Sea View. As the life-boat was off service for overhaul and the coxswain away from home, she passed on the message to the Harbour pilot, Mr. Wade. He put out alone in his motor launch. A fresh easterly wind was blowing and had raised a rough sea. He found that the sailing boat, as she rounded the Isle of Wight end of the Spithead defence boom, had missed stays and been carried on to the steel piles of the boom. They had torn out her side and she had sunk at once, leaving her crew of two clinging to the piles. The fresh breeze, the rough sea and the tide made it extremely difficult for the rescuing boat to get near the boom, but Mr. Wade handled her very skilfully, and manoeuvred her close enough to be able to drag the men from the piles to his boat by means of ropes. - Rewards, £1, and 5s. for fuel used.

HAYLING ISLAND, HANTS. At 6.30 in the evening of the 4th of May, 1946, a soldier and his son were out in a rowing boat near the mouth of Chichester Harbour, when they were caught by the strong tide and lost control. A light north-east off-shore wind was blowing. Seeing the boat in difficulties two men put out from Hayling Island in a small motor boat and brought the men to shore. - Rewards, £1 and 2s. for fuel used. (See Selsey, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 36.)

BLACKPOOL, LANCASHIRE. At seven o’clock in the evening of the 11th of May, 1946, the life-boat coxswain learned that a boy was drifting seawards in a rubber dinghy, two miles south-west of the boathouse.

A light off-shore breeze was blowingand the sea was calm. He launched his motor boat and, with the second-coxswain and motor-mechanic, put to sea only to find that the coxswain of the Fleetwood life-boat, who was returning home from fishing, had picked up the boy and his dinghy. He could not, however, have landed him at Blackpool, so the boy was transferred to the Blackpool coxswain’s boat and brought safely ashore.- Rewards, £1 10s. to the crew of the boat from Blackpool.

CARNA, CO. GALWAY. On the morning of the 14th of May, 1946, two men left Moyrus, Carna, in a small boat to go fishing in Cashel Bay. A strong, squally north-west wind was blowing, with a rough sea, and when they were passing Freaghillaun Island about ten o’clock a sudden squall struck the boat and capsized it. A man working on the mainland saw the accident and called two other men. They launched a curragh, only to find that one of its two oars was broken. With difficulty they got the curragh ashore again, procured other oars and then rowed half a mile to the capsized boat. They found one man clinging to an oar, dazed. They rescued him. He had been hanging on for over an hour. The other man had disappeared when the boat capsized. - Rewards, £3.

GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE. About 9.45 in the evening of the 14th of May, 1946, the police telephoned to the life-boat coxswain that a fishing boat, lying off the entrance to Lendal Bay, about four miles south of Girvan, had made distress signals. A fresh north-northwest breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea. As the life-boat was off-service for overhaul, the coxswain arranged with Mr.

Peter Stephens, owner of the motor fishing boat Margaret, to put out in his boat. They both went in her, with a crew of three, at 10.15 and found the motor fishing boat Advance, with her engines broken down. She had three men on board. They took her in tow and brought her into Girvan Harbour at 11.50 that night. - Rewards, a letter of appreciation to Mr. Stephens, and £3 to the crew of the Margaret.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 4.55 in the afternoon of the 16th of May, 1946, the New Brighton stageman telephoned that a person had fallen overboard from the ferryboat off New Brighton Stage, and was drifting out with the tide. A fresh northerly wind was blowing and the sea was choppy. The life-boat coxswain, second-coxswain and motor-mechanic put out in the life-boat’s motor boarding boat and searched, but without success. A boat was also launched from the ferry, but she also found nothing. It was learnt later that a woman had jumped overboard from the ferry. - Rewards, £1 2s. 6d.

HAYLING ISLAND, HAMPSHIRE. At 3.30 in the afternoon of the 16th of May, 1946, a sailing boat was capsized in a squall off Pilsey Sands in Chichester Harbour. A light, northeast wind was blowing, with a slight sea. The Sister at Treloars’ Home reported it to the coastguard, but the accident had been seen also by Mr. Sparkes, a demobilised R.N.V.R.

officer, owner of a boatyard at Sandy Point.

He at once put out single-handed in his motor boat and rescued a man and a woman.

Both had been hurt when their boat capsized.

- Rewards, a letter of appreciation to Mr. Sparkes.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At two in the afternoon of the 30th of May, 1946, the police reported to the life-boat coxswain that a motor boat, used by the Corporation’s shorewatcher, was in difficulties. Her engine had broken down and she was drifting through the Rock Channel. The man on board was signalling for help. A south-east breeze was blowing and the sea was choppy. The lifeboat second-coxswain and motor-mechanic put out in the life-boat’s motor boarding boat. They reached the boat and found that the man had got the engine going again. The two boats returned together. - Rewards, £1 2s. 6d.

LLANERCH-Y-MOR, FLINTSHIRE. At 1.30 in the afternoon of the 2nd of June, 1946, the Hoylake coastguard reported that a yacht was in difficulties in the River Dee, two miles from Mostyn. A south-westerly gale was blowing and the sea was choppy. Four men put out in the motor trawler Britannia at 1.45. They found the motor yacht Mildred, but by that time she had been able to anchor and did not require their help. - Rewards, £2 10s. and 5s. for fuel used.

PLYMOUTH, DEVON. At 7.30 in the evening of the 2nd of June, 1946, information was received from the King’s Harbour Master that a naval dinghy was in difficulties southwest of Mewstone, about five miles from Plymouth. A strong west-south-west wind was blowing. With the flood tide it had raised a confused sea. Six men of the lifeboat crew put out in the port medical officer’s launch at 7.45. They searched with naval vessels, but without success, and the launch returned at 9.15, knowing the naval vessels were remaining on the look-out. Of the two men in the dinghy, it was learnt later, one had been rescued by a yacht, but the other one was drowned. - Rewards, £7 10s.

CRAIL, FIFESHIRE. At 6.30 in the evening of the 3rd of June, 1946, a sailing dinghy from the Crail Royal Naval Air Station was capsized by a squall when three miles south-westby- south of Fifeness A light north-northwest wind was blowing, with a slight sea.

The accident was seen from the shore and two men at once put out in two motor boats, the Valerie and the Harvester. They found a member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service and an artificer of the Royal Naval Air Service.

The Wren was suffering from shock and the Valerie took her ashore at once. The artificer remained by the dinghy until it had been righted and was then brought ashore in the Harvester, which also towed in the dinghy.

- Rewards, £1 5s.

RAMSGATE, KENT. At 11.30 in the morning of the 16th of June, 1946, the policereported to the dockmaster that some children had been trapped by the tide at the Western Undercliff. The weather was fine with a smooth sea, and a light. south-west wind was blowing. Two men put out in the motor boat Favourite from Ramsgate Harbour, but found that the children had already been rescued from the shore. - Rewards, £1 for loss of business and fuel used.