NOT WITHOUT LOSS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 October 1943, Page 4

NOT WITHOUT LOSS

WORK OF THE BRITISH MINE-SWEEPERS. RECORD OF GALLANT SERVICE. “Despite all our care and ingenuity, this work of mine-sweeping is not done without loss. We have lost over a hundred mine-sweeping vessels since the war began; many of our fishermen from the East Coast, and from the Western Isles have given their lives; but there is no lack of men to take their places. And men of all sorts are mine-sweeping who never thought to join the King’s Navy—men from underwriters to cotton operatives, from chemist’s assistants to barristers at law. A number are in the Fleet sweepers built especially by the Admiralty and sometimes accompanying our mighty men-of-war, and others are in the converted fishing fleets, paddle steamers and the rest. These latter often have pets aboard —in one case a duck which waddles about the deck quacking defiance at the seagulls; and they paint their score of exploded mines on the ship's funnel—a white chevron for one mine, a red one for five, a blue star for twenty-five and so on. If she brings down an enemy aircraft—and several have done this, and some more than once—she paints a swastika instead. The record for mines exploded is held by the trawler Rolls Royce with a hundred and fifty to her creditThere are some skippers who are as good at finding mines as they were at finding fish.”—J. L. Hodson talking on “Mine-sweepers” in the B.B.C’s. overseas service. J