A SKIPPER'S V.C. 



had already won the Distinguished Service Cross ; 

 Skipper W. H. Chaney, Skipper F. Hutchings, 

 Skipper G. Thain and Skipper E. E. Snowling ; 

 Second Hand A. Gordon, and Trimmer G. Craig, 

 both of whom were killed in action. In addition to 

 these skippers and men there were mentioned Second 

 Hands J. Stephen, A. Smith, A. Findlay, Deck- 

 hands J. C. J. Taylor, E. G. Hitter, W. H. Adams, 

 J. Boulton, Enginemen J. Sim, J. E. Cooper, T. 

 Anderson, Trimmer T. Leggat. 



No adequate understanding of the complete 

 achievement is possible without bearing in mind the 

 sort of vessel that a drifter was. The Go7tan Lea 

 was built in 1914 at Fraserburgh, and had a net 

 tonnage of 35 and horse-power of 27. The Flocunii 

 was built at Yarmouth in 1914, and was of 42 tons 

 and 33 horse-power. The Quarry Knave, 41 tons, 

 42 horse-power, was built at Aberdeen in 1914 ; the 

 Tails was built at Sandhaven in 1907, and was of 

 36 tons and 28 horse-power; the Admirable, built at 

 Montrose in 1914, was of 37 tons and 41 horse- 

 power, and the Coral Haven, built at Sandhaven in 

 1913, was of 34 tons and 35 horse-power. 



Some of these drifters were of wood and some of 

 steel ; but all had made their own way out to the 

 Mediterranean to the mouth of that Adriatic Sea 

 which is called the Straits of Otranto, on one side 

 of which is Italy and on the other side Turkey. 



It is worthy of remembrance that these fishing 

 vessels from the grey North Sea went out to another 

 fishing centre in a Famous and romantic region 



m 



