The Harbourmaster. Captain H.T. Prichard, urgently requested the Selsey Lifeboat but this was apparently out of action. He then asked Mr. Spencer, the manager of the Britannias, if one of them could go out to render assistance. Mr Wareham, their proprietor, agreed and Mr Spencer decided to take Britannia 111. Captain Pritchard called for volunteers from the assembled men gathered there, a large number of whom stepped forward. Spencer selected six of these to go with him: Messrs. B. Hodges, C. Cunningham, W. Goldsmith, B. Burtenshaw, E. Blackman and W. Hitchens.

Despite the heavy breaking seas over the harbour bar the launch, skilfully handled, negotiated these and reached the barge, now having drifted more than a mile eastward. The launch got alongside within twelve minutes after departure and Hodges, Cunningham and Goldsmith took flying leaps "like cats" aboard.

The launch stood by for a while until the barge could be seen to be underway, then set off for the harbour to arrange more assistance, and watched with concern from the onlookers. At one time she was seen to be almost out of the water on the crest of a wave and the crew had to take her about half a mile to the west of the harbour before risking the turn to come in. It looked as if she would need help herself and Capt. Pritchard asked for another boat to stand by in readiness. A gigantic wave caught the stern of Britannia and swung her "right round like a cork" but, by great seamanship, she was eventually steered into safety to a terrific cheer from the spectators. The Harbourmaster congratulated the men and a hat was passed around for a collection for them. It transpired that the launch had shipped so much water during the rescue that it took two of the crew to keep working the pumps to expel it.

Meanwhile, aboard the Lady Maud, Hodges had taken charge and with the help of the barge’s crew some sail was hoisted such that the anchor could be slipped. The craft could not make headway against the gale as the foresail was ripped, so set off downwind for Shoreham. However, with so much sea running they decided that would be impossible, so Newhaven was the next option. Some time during this wild downwind ride the skipper of the barge was almost swept overboard, and only saved by being grabbed by Goldsmith and Hodges. The sprit boom which controls the mainsail then "went" but fortunately a tug put out from Newhaven and took her on tow back into the harbour there, arriving about 9.30. It only remained for the three Littlehampton men to travel back to base, firstly by train and then by car, from Worthing, arriving well after midnight.

The Lady Maud lived on until she was hulked in 1958 and broken up on 1959.

A newspaper account from the Observer and West Sussex Recorder of July 4th 1928 reveals how Britannia 111 and a brave group of local volunteers saved the Spritsail barge Lady Maud (similar to Success, pictured here) and her crew in a very high westerly gale and heavy seas.

The barge, carrying 100 tons of middlings (not specified but could be from wheat milling or fines from coal), a cargo said to be worth over £1000, was crewed by a skipper and boy as mate. Exhausted by the storm and without food for twenty four hours, they tried but failed to enter the harbour. They had lowered the anchor but it started to drag some six hundred yards east of the entrance, whereupon they hoisted a distress signal at 3.30 in the afternoon.