FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



that raw material which has been described and 

 there was the call to arms. 



Some time before the war broke out there was in 

 being the nucleus of the mine-sweeping fleet which 

 speedily grew to such gigantic proportions. The 

 naval authorities bought steam trawlers at Grimsby, 

 Fleetwood and North Shields for mine-sweeping 

 purposes, and steps were taken to organise a reserve 

 fleet of ioo modern British steam trawlers for use 

 in time of war. It was believed that the intention 

 was that the reserve should consist of vessels belong- 

 ing' chiefly to the trawling fleets of Grimsby, Aber- 

 deen and North Shields, because the crews of 

 trawlers having those ports as headquarters were 

 thoroughly acquainted with the East coast and the 

 North Sea. There were, of course, other ports of 

 the same description. 



When those preliminary details were published it 

 was understood that power would be obtained to call 

 on a skipper for each vessel, who would doubtless 

 receive a retaining fee, and also on about 1,000 of 

 the members of the trawlers' crews. It was further 

 expected that the trawlers secured by the authori- 

 ties would be reconstructed in accordance with the 

 Admiralty's special requirements ; their speed in 

 particular being increased, and special trawling ap- 

 paratus and gear being fitted ; and that the crews 

 would undergo a period of special training each 

 year, lasting probably from ten to twenty days. 



At that time the Admiralty ordered their recently 

 acquired steam trawlers, Osprey II. and Josephine 



38 



