FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



Such were the official details of the tragic but 

 glorious episode which gave the Cross to the cour- 

 ageous father aud the Distinguished Service Medal 

 to his sou. The story showed that Crisp just as 

 surely fought against overwhelming odds as did the 

 Strongbow and the Mary Rose and other British 

 ships throughout the war. There were differences 

 in detail between the official version and the 

 Premier's story ; but the variance was not material 

 — it was the essentials that mattered, and the broad 

 facts showed that fishermen in war-time had given 

 proof of indomitable endurance. A smack was in- 

 finitely more helpless than a steam trawler, and 

 afforded even less protection to her little crew ; and 

 as for her means of defence, they were clearly in- 

 dicated by the Premier's statement that she carried 

 only a 3 -pounder gun. The skipper realised the 

 hopelessness of his case.; but one thing only stood 

 out clearly and firmly in his mind, and that was to 

 fight his vessel to the very death. He was almost 

 Grenville come to life again — Grenville who, off the 

 Azores, fought his immortal fight, " the one and 

 the fifty-three." 



And Sir Richard said again, " We be all good 



Englishmen. 

 Let us bang these dogs of Seville, these children of 



the devil ; 

 For I never turned my back upon don or devil yet." 



Grenville, mortally wounded, refused to yield, and 

 just as the little Revenge went down, so the little 



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