TRAWLER TAKES U-BOAT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23260, 23 July 1945, Page 5

TRAWLER TAKES U-BOAT

V-E Day Capture _ LONDON, July 20. George Elliott, skipper of the steam trawler Toronto, has brought home some fine catches, but the bcit of his life was when he “captured ’ a If;-boat on its way from ■>apan to Germany with a valuable cargo of quinine, molybdenum, and Un. It was on V-E Day. The Toronto was 2b miles off the Butt of Lewis Scotland, when Elliott, through his glasses, sighted an aircraft well ahead circling over what appeared to be a

small boat. It took the Toronto an hour and 20 minutes to reach the spot and not till then did Elliott realise that the small boat was a Gorman submarine. Hailing the German officer on the U-boat, Elliott tried to make him understand that lie was going to take the enemy vessel to the nearest British port. The German apparently knowing little English, kepi on saying: "I beg your pardon, captain?" So Elliott, after explaining what he wanted in pantomime, turned and headed in the direction he wanted the submarine to take. Without further ado the German officer gave an order to the crew, and within a few minutes the U-boat was following in the wake of the Toronto. At midnight they arrived at Stornoway. in the Outer Hebrides. Here the submarine was handed over to the commanding officer of a motor launch and the Toronto, having done her big war deed, proceeded on her way to Iceland.