FOUR JOLLY SKIPPERS.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3440, 20 March 1920, Page 7

FOUR JOLLY SKIPPERS.

\\'H() IN\'l<L\"l.‘lu"l) 'l‘l-I1?) U—BOAT NET

Foul’ j()l1y .~'kippel'.~' brought. :1 breezy 7‘.tmu.\'pil(.‘l‘(‘ into the ]il'o('oCdillg'S of the Royal Commission on Awards for Inventions which sat at Queen Anne’s Buildiiigs, Westniinsl:€~l'. Mr Albert Close, publisher of the Fislierlnen’is chart: claimed an award as inventor of an electric submarine net, which if was stated wrought havoc amoiig German submarines. The four skippers came loyaily to support him. There was “Wee” Skipper Green, so named for his great bulk; and “Long” Thompson, ‘.l diminutive figure compared wiih Gnemi; :1 Sco’rt.ish skipper -named McGee. and .\‘ki_pper Henry Janies from the East Coast. All four hnxi done excellent war service. “Long” Thoinpgon, of Lewestoft, sank three snbma.rines when. skipper of '3. niyst‘el'y ship, and when he appeared before the Commission he wore on his best suit, the D.b'.C., with a bar. ““~’ee” Green, of Yarmonth, was one of fhelasf men ‘to leave the Dardanelles, having; ‘assisted in the protection of -the fleet‘ by laving anti-.~'ublnal'in9 net; It W 35 ’fll(‘il‘ first visit to London.

The ease proceeded quieH_V until Mr Close asked if he might call 11 witne.~:~: and announced .‘3'kippor Green. "' .«\.,_\'e. ai_ve,"'('ianle :1 deep.l'Olling; voice gum} “\V(_»o“' Green. belyinp; his I‘it‘le, I'll‘-C."-O(i(‘d to the witness chair. The iirsf quesfion started him ofi‘. >i~l:*- got going ‘in. real East Anglian d.i;lie<,-'3’. {ind is was nearly fi\'eminu’re.< }>:=l'or(> the ehail'm:'ul could explain {hat \\'h:i’r other people liadsflid to him \=;us i2’l'(‘le\'2lnT to the ease. His jovial Et7.‘.d ]le:n'iy malmer put the whole <.":;‘.2z't“ in good h.um.oul'. E‘»kip}wl' McGee n-ext‘ gave evidence in broad Ccofs, buf to their evident‘ disappoixitiiieiff neither ‘l.ong”.l‘homp.93!) nor .T=am.es was called. The Commission decided to write in Mr (‘lose in’r.'orm‘ing him of tihe resulf of his claim. The four skippers left the Court. Three of them crowd-

ed in to -3. very .~<m:1lI lift which was about to descend, when it was discovered that “Wee” Green was missing-_ 11¢ soon appeared, however, and the four: skippers descended with great good omnp'.lnionship ‘:0 SOO a bit of London.