THE MERCHANT NAVY
A tribute to the men of the British Merchant Navy is paid by Vice-admiral J. E. T. Harper in the Quarterly Review, "These men," fce writes, "risk their lives daily as surely as do those serving at sea in his Majesty's as those men of the Air Force who actually fly ; or as those soldiers who are stationed in the front line. They are talking risks infinitely greater than the majority of those who have the privilege of wearing the King's uniform. They are always in the fighting line. Yet their names figure not in the roll of honour. During the first six months of the present war more than 500 merchant seamen had lost their lives by enemy action, and no one can say to what tragic total this figure will rise. Yet the traditions of the sea are so strong, the sea sense and sea courage with which our sailors are endowed so marked, that these men never fail vis. They lose their all, except life, and just carry on—carry on their duty. How different is the attitude of the German sailors, who. when a warship is sighted, instead of making every effort to save their ship and pet their cargo to Geis many, just scuttle her or set fire to her, knowing full well they will be picked up and cared for by their enemies."
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 24492, 28 December 1940, Page 12
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231THE MERCHANT NAVY Otago Daily Times, Issue 24492, 28 December 1940, Page 12
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