MODEST HERO "I Nearly Died of Fright"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23861, 11 January 1941, Page 2 (Supplement)

MODEST HERO "I Nearly Died of Fright"

|>LTT Y-OLLK'LR .JAMES .DOTOLAS THAIN. R.X., ' lately Coxswain Thain, of the Grimsby : trawler Kafreen, was publicly re- ; warded the other day for his de--1 fiance of two Nazi 'planes which atI tacked his ship. Some of his shipmates fold the Daily ; Mail about, his ad\ enture. j "The Katreen is a small trawler used | only for the peaceful purpose of fish - | ing." they said. "It had not even a : rifle on board. Hail of Bullets "One day after the nets had been | cast and the ship anchored, two Nazi | 'planes dived, dropping six bombs round | her. All the crew hut one dashed below | deck. Coxswain Thain remained above i exposed to the fury of the attack. I "After they had exhausted their | bombs the Germans each took one side of the ship and. diving and rodiving. raked the decks with thousands of rounds of machine-gun fire. Coxswain Tb ain si ill refused to seek shelter. "With a hastily unclasped knife lie slashed the moorings and the nets ropes, and slipped anchor.

1 "Mi' rushed to the bridge. still under I fire, and shouted down to the endued i to eet lit.- engines. Oik nder ! way, the ship made such a diflieiilt | target with Thain at. the wheel that j the Nazis up." i When Coxswain Thain paraded with his mates at an hast Scotland base, lie received a substantial cheque. ■'| don't know vet where the cheque came from," he said. "As tor what I did I nearly died of fright at: the time, and I seemed to do things on the spur of the moment. Hut. honestly, it, was nothing to make a fuss about. Petty-()fficer Thain. who is 10, *and has a wife and live children, was born j in Findochty, Banffshire.