THE NELSON BREED.

Thames Star, Volume LVII, Issue 15907, 20 August 1923, Page 4

THE NELSON BREED.

BLIND EYE TO “REDS”

A GALLANT CAPTAIN. How a Grimsby trawler skipper emulated Nelson and, by turning a blind eye to signals, saved his ship from capture by a Bolshevik gunboat, was disclosed recently when Skipper J. Waite, of the trawler Jeria, reported the incident.

The Jeria was steaming from Sem Island, off the Norwegian coast, when about four in the aftersoon a Bolshevik gunboat steamed up. J

The Jeria was 15 miles from the nearest land. It was snowing, and there was a heavy swell. The Russian commander first signalled with his syren, then manned his guns, but the fishing skipper took no notice until the Russian compelled attention by cutting across the trawler’s bows.

The Bolsheviks then ran almost alongside, and by words and gestures, which the fishermen pretended not to understand, indicated that the trawler was under arrest, and must follow astern.

Each time the gunboat steamed ahead the skipper tried to edge eastward, where, 20 miles distant, he believed the British fishery protection cruiser Godetia to be.

The Russian then hoisted the international “follow me port” signal but again the skipper turned a

blind eye, and edged eastward. After nearly three hours of this l game of bluff darkness began to creep on, and at a favourable opportunity the skipper took his fate in his hands. Putting his 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 be sunk by gunfire or rammed, the skipper fired a battery of five red distress rockets. The Godetia saw the signal, and immediately rushed to the scene. The Bolshevik gunboat turned tail and dodging for shelter among a group of islets, evaded the British war vessel.

Skipper Waite’s plucky Hull saved his crew from sharing the fate of the Hull fishermen previously captured by the Russians. Despite his narrow escape, Skipper Waite soon went to sea again, a sailing for the Faroe fish wig grounds the following mom ng.