THRILLS OF SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 282, 27 November 1940, Page 7

THRILLS OF SERVICE.

Adventures In Minesweeping On British Coast. A GIFT FOR THE CAPTAIN. (Reed. 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 26. A senior naval officer told a Press representative in London to-day something of the dogged and unremitting devotion to duty of the officers and crews of trawlers, fleet sweepers and paddle minesweepers in fighting the peril of German mines round Britain's coasts. The work,* he said, continued day and night. The task is also complicated by air attack. The officer recounted how he went with a sweeper flotilla to clear a channel for a convoy. A swooj>ed down, dropping bombs. "The whole flotilla opened fire and we turned her away at 2000 feet, but not before she had dropped two bombs so close that we saw them coming down." Another danger is that of hitting mines in the sea-bed while pitching in shallow water. The officer told a dramatic story of three trawlers, the Cord, Berberis and Fleming, which set out on a sweeping mission. The captain at the base makes a practise of personally bidding God-speed to sweepers, ami .-aid "Good-bye. Bring me back a Heinkel for breakfast." The Fleming was attacked by two Dorniers. receiving a direct hit and she sank. The skipper went to the bottom in the wlieelhouse, which was smashed, but came up. Within 24 hours after his rescue he was back on dntv. The Berberis held fire until one Dornier was very close and then blew it to smithereens. The crew was able to salvage only the collapsible boat. They tied it up and put it on the captain's doorstep next morning with a note. "For the captain's breakfast, with the compliments of the officers and crew of the Berberis." The speaker made the interesting point that the man who shot down the Dornier was a wild fowler in civilian life, and he stated that such men | should be encouraged for A.A. squad - I rens.