BOURNEMOUTH, HAMPSHIRE. About 2.20 in the afternoon of Easter Sunday, the 21st of April, 1946, the pleasure craft Skylark sank in Bournemouth Bay about a mile off Alum Chine, with 70 or more people on board. The weather was fine and the sea smooth. A number of boats put out from Bournemouth and rescued everybody but one man, a member of the crew, who had put on a lifebelt and jumped overboard. Among the rescuers were two schoolboys, Tony Dryansky, aged 14, and James A. Salisbury, aged 15. Each rowed out single-handed and rescued five lives. James Salisbury also went overboard from his boat in an attempt to rescue the man who lost his life. At the inquiry held by the Ministry of Transport, reference was made to their gallantry. Besides the boats from Bournemouth two boats put out from Poole, a launch of the British Overseas Airways Corporation and the Poole and Bournemouth life-boat. The life-boat had five miles to travel and arrived in time to rescue only one from a raft. - Rewards, inscribed silver watches and £1 each to Tony Dryansky and James A. Salisbury. (See Poole and Bournemouth, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 30.)

ILFRACOMBE, DEVON. A boy of eleven fell from the Torrs Cliffs on to the rocks at White Pebble beaches on the evening of the 9th of May, 1946. The police found it impossible to reach him without a boat and obtained the services of four men in a rowing boat. A strong easterly wind was blowing, with a choppy sea. The men found the boy, with severe injuries to the head, and took him to Wildersmouth beach. - Rewards, £2.

FINDON, ABERDEENSHIRE. A Barracuda aircraft crashed in the sea two miles east-bynorth of Findon coastguard station at 3.45 in the afternoon of the 19th of June, 1946.

The sea was calm and the wind light. The accident was seen by a man, who informed the police and they collected a crew of five, who put off at once in a motor boat, but just before they reached the spot a passing steam trawler had rescued the pilot. - Rewards, £3 and 3s. for fuel used.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 9.45 in the evening of the 30th of June, 1946, the life-boat motor-mechanic saw two girls and two boys trapped by the tide on the bank opposite the boathouse. A light, southerly breeze was blowing, with a smooth sea. The motor-mechanic and a life-boatman put out in the life-boat’s motor boarding boat and brought the girls and boys to New Brighton stage. Their prompt action undoubtedly saved four lives, for the beach and boat patrols had gone off duty. -Rewards, 15s.

PORTHOUSTOCK, CORNWALL. At 10.45 on the night of the 2nd of July, 1946, the relatives of a 74-year-old man, who had gone fishing earlier in the day in a rowing boat, reported that he had not returned and they were anxious for his safety. A light westerly breeze was blowing, the sea smooth, but there was dense fog. Coverack life-boat was launched at 11.55 and searched all night, but without success. She arrived back at her station at nine o’clock next morning, the 3rd. At 10.45 that morning the motor fishing boat Ocean Swell, which was at sea with a crew of three, picked up the fisherman in Falmouth Bay, near the Manacles rocks, and brought him to Porthoustock. - Rewards, £1 17s. 6d 5s. for fuel used and £2 for loss of ., fishing. (See Coverack, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” page 44.)

HASTINGS, SUSSEX. On the night of the 3rd of July, 1946, the motor fishing boat Ocean Spray was fishing two miles south of the coastguard watch-house at Fairlight. At 11.23 her skipper saw distress signals from another fishing boat, the Minnie. The sea was smooth, with a light south-east wind.

The Ocean Spray found the Minnie with her engine broken down and towed her into Rye about two o’clock next morning. A thunderstorm, the worst for many years, delayed her return to Hastings. - Rewards, £1 10s., and 12s. for fuel used.

GIRVAN, AYRSHIRE. About 12.40 in the afternoon of the 4th of July, 1946, the police telephoned the honorary secretary of the lifeboat station that a small yacht appeared to be in difficulty off Currach, about two miles north of Girvan. A strong south-south-west wind was blowing, with a rather rough sea.

The life-boat coxswain went out with six other men in the motor fishing vessel Teresa, but returned two hours later without having found the yacht. He had not been given her true position. He put out again and towed her in. - Rewards, £4 7s. 6d. and 10s.

for fuel used.

CLACHNAHARRY, INVERNESS-SHIRE. At six in the evening of the 14th of July, 1946, the sailing boat Lyre Geo was capsized while pleasure sailing in Beauly Firth, some four hundred yards from Inverness shore. The strong ebb tide and a squally north-west wind had raised a choppy sea. The accident was seen by Mr. George Ralph (who already held the Institution’s thanks on vellum for a rescue) and he put out single-handed in his rowing boat. As he rowed out a woman swam ashore from the sailing boat. He arrived to find three men clinging to the upturned boat and rescued them. - Rewards, £1.

PADSTOW, CORNWALL. At four in the afternoon of the 18th of July, 1946, a message was received by the honorary secretary of the life-boat station that a girl was stranded on the bar. Motor-mechanic Orchard and reserve motor-mechanic O’Dell pulled the life-boat dinghy across the bar to the sands on the eastern side. There they found a girl who told them that she and a friend who had been paddling had been swept off their feet by the tide. She had managed to get back to the bar, but her friend had disappeared.

The mechanics waded into the sea and searched, but without success. They returned to the life-boat station for a motor boat and were joined by motor-mechanic Baker and another man. The four men manned Orchard’s motor boat and searched the eastern channel, but again without success. After mooring the motor boat the four men got into the dinghy but it capsized, and they had to swim ashore. Later motormechanic Baker swam out and pulled the dinghy to the shore. - Rewards, £2 and 6s. for fuel used.

BEMBRIDGE, ISLE OF WIGHT. At four in the afternoon of the 18th of July, 1946, the sailing dinghy Snark capsized half a mile off shore at Under Tyne. A moderate southwest wind was blowing, with a choppy sea.

Mr. Blackman, a bathing-hut proprietor, put off in a rowing boat and found three men clinging to the dinghy. As his boat was too small to take the men aboard he supported them until the arrival of Mr. Wade, the harbour pilot, who had put off in a motor boat. He brought the three men ashore, went out again and brought in Mr. Blackman and the capsized dinghy. - Rewards, £1 5s.

and 5s. for fuel used.

SCARBOROUGH, YORKSHIRE. At 12.50 in the morning of the 19th of July, 1946, the coastguard informed the life-boat station that a man had reported that an aeroplane had crashed in the sea. A light off-shore wind was blowing and the sea was slight. The life-boat coxswain and four other men put out in a motor coble, made a thorough search, but found nothing. They returned about four that morning. - Rewards, £7 10s. and 12s. for fuel used.

ABERYSTWYTH, CARDIGANSHIRE. About five in the afternoon of the 28th of July, 1946, the motor boat Skylark, with a crew of two, was towing in the sailing yacht Mary Lou. A fresh westerly breeze was blowing and the sea was rough. When they were off the harbour bar the rope parted, but the Skylark continued on her course. She thought that another motor boat astern would pick up the yacht, but this she did not do. The yacht was now in a dangerous position and the honorary secretary of the life-boat station sent out six men in the motor boat Belle Isle. In the meantime the Skylark had put about and was trying to get a line aboard the Mary Lou, which had anchored. After several attempts the Belle Isle went alongside, got a line aboard, and towed the Mary Lou into harbour, with the Skylark standing by. - Rewards, £4, and 5s.

each to the Skylark and Belle Isle for fuel used.

PADSTOW, CORNWALL. At five in the afternoon of the 29th of July, 1946, the Stepper Point Coastguard reported receiving a message that two people had been seen trapped under Pentire Head. The coastguard could see no sign of them, but the life-boat coxswain and motor-mechanic went out in the mechanic’s motor boat, with a punt in tow. They searched, but found nothing.- Rewards, £1, and 4s. for fuel used.

LULWORTH, DORSET. At 7.25 in the evening of the 29th of July, 1946, two visitors reported to the coast preventative man at Lulworth that they had seen a boat capsize, three miles west of Lulworth Cove, and two people swimming in the water. A light, west-north-west breeze was blowing, with a moderate sea. Both wind and sea were increasing. Three men put out in an open motor boat and another man in a smaller motor boat. They searched over a large area, but found nothing and returned at ten o’clock. On the following morning it was learnt that at the time of the reported accident a small fishing boat had fouled her propeller. For an hour her crew tried to clear it, and then rowed ashore. - Rewards, £3 and 8s. for fuel used ; and £1 10s. for loss of business.

MARGATE, KENT. At two in the afternoon of the 30th of July, 1946, a man in a rubber dinghy was carried out to sea. A strong south-west breeze was blowing, with a rough sea. Mr. R. J. Chidwick, a retired hotel keeper, and Mr. W. A. Kemp, an accountant, were out fishing off The Ness in a motor boat. They saw the drifting dinghy.

Being unable to pull up their anchor they buoyed it and went after the dinghy, which they reached when it was about two miles east of Margate harbour. They found the man rather distressed, took him in to their boat and brought him and his dinghy to Palm Bay. The Margate life-boat was called out, but her services were not needed. - Rewards, letters of appreciation to Mr. Chidwick and Mr. Kemp. (See Margate, “Accounts of Services by Life-boats,” p. 45.)

MABLETHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE. About 3.45 in the afternoon of the 4th of August, 1946, a rubber dinghy drifted out to sea with four people on board. A light off-shore wind was blowing and the sea was smooth. A boatman, the owner of a motor pleasure boat, was asked by the coastguard to help and, with two other men, went after the dinghy. He picked it up a mile and a half south of Mablethorpe.

The Humber life-boat was called out, but her services were not needed. - Rewards, £1 10s., 2s. for fuel used, and 15s. for loss of business.

(See Humber, “Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” p. 51.)

MABLETHORPE, LINCOLNSHIRE. At 4.50 in the afternoon of the 4th of August, 1946, a boatman, who had just brought in a dinghy, was asked by the coastguard to go out again to the help of another dinghy in which a man was drifting out to sea. The sea was smooth and a light off-shore breezewas blowing. The boatman, with his assistant and a coastguard, put out in his motor pleasure boat and picked up the man, very distressed, six miles north of Mablethorpe.

The Humber life-boat was called out but her services were not needed. - Rewards, £1 10s., 5s. for fuel used, and £5 for loss of business.

(See Humber, “Accounts of Services by Lifeboats,” p. 51.)

THE MUMBLES, GLAMORGANSHIRE. At five in the afternoon of the 12th of August, 1946, it was reported to the life-boat coxswain that two girls, aged about fifteen, had been cut off by the tide at Mumbles Head. If not rescued they would have to remain there until the following morning. A fresh south-west wind was blowing, causing a rough sea. The coxswain, with the motor-mechanic and two other men, went out in his rowing boat. To get ashore to the girls he had to wade in up to his armpits, while the other men kept the boat from being dashed on the rocks.- Rewards, £2.

NEW BRIGHTON, CHESHIRE. At 6.20 in the morning of the 13th of August, 1946, the honorary secretary of the life-boat station heard that anxiety was felt for the crew of the yacht Arabis, anchored off New Brighton Stage. A north-east gale was blowing, with a rough sea, and they were unable to get ashore. The coxswain waited for low water, and at 7.30 put out with the motor-mechanic in the life-boat’s boarding boat. No one was on the yacht, but he found her crew of two on a near-by fishing boat, to which they had been carried in their small dinghy. He brought them ashore. - Rewards, £1.