In December, 1944, the life-boat at Torbay put out one night in torrential rain with a gale blowing to the help of a tug and a small vessel which she had in tow. The life-boat crew was two men short. So dark was the night that they could see nothing, and the water was so shallow that the life-boat was continually bumping on the bottom. Yet she rescued all nineteen men from the two vessels. Coxswain F. C, Sanders was awarded the silver medal for gallantry..