TRAWLERS To THE RESCUE 



going to the spot the skipper and his people counted 

 no fewer than twenty-two Germans. These men 

 implored the skipper to rescue them, but as the King 

 Stephen was entirely unarmed and carried only nine 

 hands, and as there had been such overwhelming 

 proof of German treachery and inhumanity in rela- 

 tion to fishermen, especially on the North Sea, the 

 skipper rightly enough declined to put himself and 

 his crew in the power of an enemy whose word was 

 worthless and who undoubtedly, if he had had the 

 chance to do so, would have seized the vessel and 

 done his best to escape with her as a prize and the 

 crew as prisoners. 



Unwillingly enough the skipper had to refuse to 

 take the Germans on board his little vessel ; but he 

 steamed away, and without delay informed naval 

 vessels which he came across of the discovery that 

 he had made. Not a moment was lost by these ships 

 in going to the scene of the disaster, but no vessel 

 was in time to save the Germans, who, with their 

 shattered airship, had perished in the waters which 

 they had so recently crossed on their murderous 

 visit to unprotected English towns and villages. 



When the circumstances of this case became 

 known in Germany there was the inevitable allega- 

 tion of cowardice and inhumanity against British 

 fishermen. The charge was baseless and unsup- 

 ported by the facts, the truth being that on repeated 

 occasions British fishermen had shown the utmost 

 courage and had run very grave risks in rescuing 

 German sailors who had been shipwrecked, and in 

 not a few instances their gallantry had been so 



95 



