THE FIRST SWEEPERS 



describing fishing-gear ; who towed their trawls 

 over rough ground and smooth ground, and who 

 knew by instinct when they were on the Silver Pits, 

 or Brucey's Garden or that fatal edge of the Dogger 

 which is notorious as the Cemetery — this skill and 

 experience was the country's for less than the ask- 

 ing. When it was in full operation in connection 

 with the Navy it was put to the delicate and difficult 

 work of sweeping for mines. 



This deadly task was carried out by trawlers 

 working in pairs, towing a sweeping-wire which was 

 kept at the required depth by a contrivance called a 

 ' kite." The sweeping-wire would catch and hold 

 the steel mooring-wire of a mine, and the infernal 

 machine having been drawn to the surface would be 

 exploded with rifle-fire or by other means. In the 

 beginning this rifle-fire was largely practised by 

 crews of sweepers, and gave them something of re- 

 laxation from the sterner work of actual sweeping 

 and forging into grey sinister waters in which an 

 unseen mine might be struck and destroy the 

 sweeper. Being in company afforded much greater 

 protection to the sweepers than would have been the 

 case if working individually. 



What the mine-sweepers did in the very early 

 days of the war was shown by an Admiralty Memo- 

 randum which was issued on February 19, 1915. 

 This publication was a fine tribute to the skill and 

 courage of naval officers and fishermen who had been 

 employed in the dangerous work, and it was of 

 special interest because it put on permanent record 



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