THE NELSON BREED.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 185, 4 August 1923, Page 19

THE NELSON BREED.

BLIND EYE TO ••BKDB." How a Grirasby trawler skipper emulated i Nelson end, by turning a blind eye to signals, BftvM hlg ship from capture by a 1 Bolshevik gunboat waa dleclosed recently, j when Skipper J. Walte, of the trawler : Jerla. reported the Incident. ] The Jerla was steaming from Sem Island. j off the Norwegian coaat, when about four In the afternoon a Bolshevik gunboat steamed up. The Jerla was 15 miles from the nearest lnnd. It wae snowing, and there was a heavy swell. The Russian commander flrst signalled with his syren, then manned his guns, but i the fishing skipper took no notice until the Russian compelled attention by cutting acrose the trawler's bows. : Tbe Itolflheviks then ran almost alongside, and by words and gestures, which the fishermen pretended not to understand. An<l must follow iihtern. Kach time the gunboat steamed ahead the "kipper tried to edpe eastward, where, 20 I miles distant. he believed the British : fishery protection cruiser Godetla to be. I The Russian then hoisted the International "follow mc port" signal, but again the skipper turned a blind eye and edged eastward. After nearly three hours of this game of bluff darkness began to creep on. and at a fate In his hands. Putting hie helm hard over, he called for full steam and raced ! boldly In the direction of succour. ; The gunboat went after him at full speed. Seeing that he was likely either to bo stink by gunfire or rammed, the skipper fired a battery of five red distress rockets. ; The Oodetla saw the signal and lmme- . dintely rushed to the scene. The Bolshevik I gunboat turned tall, and dodging for sheljlfr nmone.it a group of islets, evaded the I British naval vessel. I Skipper Walte'e plucky blufT saved his I crew from sharing the fate of the Hull j fishermen previously captured by the, j Russians. t Despite his narrow escape. Skipper Walte] I soon went to eea again, sailing for the I Faroe ashing grounds the following mom- [ ing.