She was one of seven merchant vessels which became stranded and then wrecked on Haisbro Sands[2] off the Norfolk coast on 6 August 1941 during the Second World War as part of Convoy FS 559.

The Gallois was a steam merchant ship built in 1917 by Wood, Skinner & Company Ltd., Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

[4] After the Fall of France in June 1940 Gallois escaped to Britain, was formally seized by the British government on 17 July on the Thames, and registered in London.

By the early hours and daylight of 6 August the convoy was enveloped in a thick sea mist making visibility very poor.

The standing instruction for ships in convoy under these circumstances was to scatter in groups, each with their own Royal Navy escort.

HMT Agate led her group away and had either lost all notion of her position or the channel buoys had moved.

[8] Above the lifeboat, the crew of H F Bailey could hear the slow drone of RAF aircraft sent to patrol above the stricken convoy.

[8] As the lifeboat approached the sands, Blogg and his crew saw the seven big cargo vessels stranded with their backs broken.

Blogg held the lifeboat alongside the ship, head to the wind, while some of the crew jumped aboard and others slid down ropes.

[8] Coxswain Henry Blogg and his crew were recognised for their bravery on the service to Convoy FS559 at an award ceremony held at the Regal Cinema in Hans Place, Cromer.

[9] Jack Davis was awarded the RNLI silver medal, as did coxswain Charles Johnson of the Great Yarmouth and Gorleston lifeboat.