FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



seamen from the merchant vessels, this work of 

 humanity being gallantly done under the heavy fire 

 of the German ships. Four of the survivors died on 

 the passage to port. All the neutral survivors con- 

 demned the cowardly conduct of the Germans and 

 spoke glowingly of the heroic fight of the British 

 destroyers and of the conduct of the British patrol 

 vessel which rescued seamen under fire. No names 

 were given of the gallant souls on board the Elise 

 when she performed the act which made the charm- 

 ing name she bore for ever honoured in the list of 

 charming names which had been bestowed upon 

 practical and very work-a-day trawlers. 



This affair, regrettable in so many ways, yet out- 

 standing as a glorious tribute to the valour of the 

 officers and men of the British Navy, took place in 

 a region where so many North Sea fishermen had 

 worked and hardened, in time of peace, for the in- 

 sistent, stern calls which a prolonged and ruthless 

 war was to impose on them. It was an episode' of 

 the vast area in which the real brunt of the sea 

 fighting and the sea guarding fell — for, as Sir Eric 

 Geddes reminded the House of Commons, the area 

 of the North Sea is 140,000 square nautical miles ; 

 we had a coast there, subject to attack by raiders of 

 566 nautical miles in length, from Cape Wrath to 

 Dover ; and the area of vision for a light cruiser 

 squadron, with its attendant destroyers at night 

 was well under five square miles — five square miles 

 in 140,000. 



The admiration shown for the work of the sweep- 



178 



