FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



Some consolation and comfort were given to com- 

 manders and crews of armed trawlers in the oppor- 

 tunities they had of earning salvage money, as a 

 set-off against the large sums which crews of vessels 

 fishing in the ordinary way were known to be 

 making. 



It became usual, in notices issued by the Depart- 

 ment of the Accountant-General of the Navy of in- 

 tended distribution of salvage awards to find the 

 inclusion of H.M. trawlers. Sometimes one vessel 

 would be named, but often several were mentioned, 

 and in one list no fewer than six were named in con- 

 nection with the salvage of the steamship Formosa. 

 These were H.M. trawlers Nodzu, Spider, Evangel, 

 King Erik, Thunderstone and Esher. An interest- 

 ing circumstance was that the announcement of the 

 intended distribution of the award was made ex- 

 actly two years from the date of the salvage itself, 

 the Formosa being salved on November 14, 1915, 

 and the announcement made public on November 

 14, 1917. 



Long delays in settlements and awards were in- 

 evitable owing to the war and the exceptional diffi- 

 culties arising out of hostilities, and it necessarily 

 happened that men who had done such splendid ser- 

 vice did not live to enjoy their merited reward. 

 Substantial sums went to owners and skippers in 

 some cases of salvage, but these extras were far 

 below the amounts of the exceptional earnings of 

 men who were following the ordinary fishing in- 

 dustry. 



132 



