THE FIRST SWEEPERS 



he did oil his own responsibility, and his deed was 

 all the more deserving of admiration because the 

 Gallicr was showing no lights and so had to be 

 searched for in the minefield. It was almost as 

 dangerous an undertaking as looking for an escape 

 of gas with a naked light ; yet that was the sort of 

 enterprise on which repeatedly, regardless of per- 

 sonal danger, sweepers and patrollers ventured on 

 man}' seas throughout the war. 



So far the records have dealt with the officers of 

 naval vessels and the trawlers ; there remain the de- 

 tails which were published concerning drifters and 

 their crews. It was shown that in the operations 

 there was employed a flotilla of Lowestoft drifters, 

 under Chief Gunner Franklin, R.N. The com- 

 modore of this flotilla was Skipper Ernest V. Snow- 

 line, in the drifter Hilda and Ernest. It was re- 

 ported of him that he carried out his duties as com- 

 modore in a most satisfactory manner, and that he 



kept to his station in heavy weather, standing by 

 the s.s. Gallier after she had been damaged by a 

 mine." For the same display of devotion to duty 

 in standing by the Gallier Skipper William Aller- 

 ton, of the drifter Eager, was specially noticed, and 

 similar recognition was made of Skipper Thomas 

 B. Belton, of the drifter Retriever, who kept to his 

 station, marking the safe channel for shipping 

 ' when all other drifters were driven in by the 

 weather." 



The list of officers mentioned was completed with 



b-Lieutenant W. L. Scott, of the drifter Princi- 



53 



