SCAPA FLOW AFFAIR

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1928, Page 7

SCAPA FLOW AFFAIR

HOW A U-BOAT WAS RAMMED. Earl Jellieoe, who made his first appearance in Scotland recently as the new president of the British Legion, in succession to the late Karl Haig, received the freedom of Aberdeen (reports a, correspondent of the “ Daily Telegraph.’’) Returning thanks, Earl Jellicoe paid a tribute to Aberdeen’s splendid war record The trawler reserve of the R.N.R., he said, was inaugurated at Aberdeen in 100.1, and the .first 30 skippers and the first 90 ratings were enrolled at Aberdeen. These men were the nucleus of the great auxiliary navy of 1014-18, and performed absolutely invaluable service.

During the war the Admiralty took over from Aberdeen 241 steam trawlers and 20 steam liners and drifters for patrol and mine-sweeping work, and GG2 skippers and fully 7000 ratings were enrolled at Aberdeen. The supply of fish for this country was maintained by 70 Aberdeen vessels. Fishing under the protection of the Peterhead patrol, the risks run by these gallant fishermen were not too well known. Lord Jellicoe told how an Aberdeen mine-sweeping trawler. Dorothy Cray was the first vessel of that class to sink a, German submarine, on November 23rd 1914. near the entrance t<> Scapa Flow. Rut for that, said the Admiral, it was more than probable that more frequent attempts would have been made hv German submarines to enter the base at fV-apa. Flow, and the results might have been indeed most serious.

He described how the armed Aberdeen trawler .John Gilman sank a German submarine off Whitby on August 3rd, 1918. When the vessel failed to ram the submarine’s poriseo|ve. he said, it dropped three depth charges, and the wreck of the submarine was afterwards located by divers. “ There are many classes otf men to whom T take off mv hat in admiration,” said Lord Jelliieoe. “but there are few whom 1 admire more than the fishermen who earn their livelihood in the North Sea. These men are real sailors in every sense of the word.” In the morning the Earl and Countess of Jellicoe visited the. hospitals and war memorial, and in the Hall of Remembrance Fail Jellicoe laid a wreath of poppies on the shrine. At Trinity Cemetery he unveiled a new tombstone erected on a British Legion grave. The British Legion pipers nla.yed a lament, and the buglers sounded the “ Last Post.”