GERMAN JUNE IN TRAWL NET
A thrilling *tory of a trawler skipper's b'roism was told at Grimsby on January 51. upon the arrival in port, of tho trawler IVican.
On the previous Thursday, during- m-ii-ing operations in the North' Sea. tho pear w'a". being hauled up. and upon reat-hiim-tho side of the vr f sc-l it was ceen that ft. Gorman, mine was embedded in the net. Before, the hauling could he stonped the tf.iuo became jammed to the niter part of the gallows. As there wok danger of its exploding at any moment, owing to the hearing of the'vessel, the skipper, Frederick Firth, ordered, ihe crew to launch tho small boat and get away to safety. This- they did, takin- wit],, them a e-Mnpae.?, rockets, provisions, and water. A further ordr-r was givc-:> (o the crew to cruise about after reaching ,i. «ire distar.ee, and if anything happened to the ship to search for the skipper's body, dead or alive. s ; ? it* wa.? his intention 'to free tho mine- if- possible. Left, alone on the vessel, the rk'ppor donnfd a. life-jacket, and then, \:\:h the aid of »■ small light, ret about liis self-imposed and dangerous task. Ho manured to dislodge the'mine from its fastening, after which he sank it in 14 fatholns of wnt.w, and then worked the winch to pay out 120 fathoms of wire warp, to which the gear was affixed, in order that tho trawler might drift clear of th* danger zone. This done, he signalled to the .crow to come on hoard again. As they were doing this the mine exploded with stich force that a, huge column of water was thrown up into the air and the vessel was lifted bodily forward for several yards. Members of the ere*- arc loud iri.praise of their skipperi jcondnct.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19160413.2.66
Bibliographic details
Evening Star, Issue 16088, 13 April 1916, Page 7
Word Count
302GERMAN JUNE IN TRAWL NET Evening Star, Issue 16088, 13 April 1916, Page 7
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