FISHERMEN IN WAR TIME 



power of man to answer. Here was some of the raw 

 material, not even in uniform, yet taking such a 

 heavy part in the nation's fighting. 



These men were everywhere, inside and outside 

 the dock, while crowding nose on to the pontoon 

 were the high-bowed, low-countered steamboats in 

 which they went and caught the fish, and helped to 

 fight the enemy, especially that devil of the deep, 

 the German submarine. 



In the old days of the sailing fleets the deadly 

 coper was called the " pirate of the North Sea," 

 and the floating grog-shop, with its horrible mad- 

 ness-producing drink, had well earned its title ; but 

 that pirate was above-board and could be avoided. 

 There was, however, no escape for the ordinary fish- 

 ing vessel from the German underwater vessel. 

 Helpless and inoffensive fishing craft, both sail and 

 steam, were repeatedly attacked and destroyed by 

 German torpedoes or guns and the crews killed or 

 drowned, or, what was at times even worse, made 

 prisoners, to be taken to Germany to endure intense 

 suffering. 



Many of these little steamboats were still fishing, 

 in certain well defined areas ; many of the same sort 

 were sweeping for mines and doing other urgent 

 and important work to enable the British Navy to 

 maintain its strangle-hold on Germany and in con- 

 junction with the Allied navies dominate the seas 

 of the world. 



It was inspiring to talk with skippers and men 



228 



