SWEEPING THE SEAS
I often think of the forgotten fishermen.
Mention the Great War and most people’s thoughts will turn to the Somme, to Ypres and Mons and the slaughter of men in their thousands, the muddy trenches, the mustard gas, the senseless waste.
The first soldier, Private John Parr was killed on 21st August 1914, but from the outset, when war was declared on 4th August 1914, many men were lost at sea. On the 6th August, HMS Amphion was sunk with the loss of 132 crew. It was the first ship of the Royal Navy to be sunk. Many more were to follow with a huge loss of life.
At the outbreak of hostilities, all ships were recalled to port until further notice. It was a few weeks before the fishermen were allowed back into the North Sea to do their job – in spite of the dangers. Although some enlisted for the army, many of the younger men joined the Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler Section), their skills and knowledge of the sea invaluable. Trawlers were requisitioned and adapted in their hundreds to be rapidly converted to minesweepers. Others were used as patrol boats.
And so began the dreary, tedious and dangerous job of sweeping the seas, keeping the trade route clear, allowing safe passage for goods in and out, keeping the nation supplied with food and materials. A vital service. The minesweepers swept the channel, and the patrol boats marked the area with buoys. It was an endless task. Those men and ships that were left went back to fish in limited grounds to feed the nation.
ADMIRALTY SERVICE
Many U-boats were on the hunt for those left unprepared. If they came upon a trawler or drifter, the men were told to abandon ship and get into their wooden lifeboats. Explosives were planted aboard, and the vessels destroyed, the men either taken prisoner or left to their own devices.
All told, 1,467 steam trawlers and 1,502 drifters were either requisitioned or hired by the Admiralty for service during the war from ports all around the British Isles. In 1920, the English Fisheries Board claimed that no British occupation contributed a greater portion of its workforce to the war effort.
During the period, 49% of fishermen (over 50,000 men) were on admiralty service at one time or another. That does not include those who volunteered for the
army.
In the years 1914-1918 over 35,000 fishermen and merchant seaman gave their lives, having no known graves but the sea.
Their bravery should not be forgotten.
TROUBLE FOR THE DOCKYARD GIRLS
The fishermen of Great Grimsby and elsewhere answering the call to arms and joining the Royal Naval Reserve is the subject of the second book in the Fishers Wharf series, Trouble for the Dockyard Girls
‘With the outbreak of War, the fishing fleet is confined to port, bringing hardship to the families and businesses of Fishers Wharf.
Ruth Evans awaits the safe return of her father’s last trawler carrying her wayward brother Henry, the future of the family business. But unbeknown to their father, Henry sees war as a chance to break free from the constraints of his privileged background and follow his heart.
Much is expected of Ruth. Her marriage to Arthur Marshall will help realise her father’s dream of uniting two of the largest trawler companies in Grimsby. But will Ruth choose the path of duty or destiny?
Ruth’s friendship with hardworking Letty Hardy sustains her. Separated by class, they are united through their work for the Fishermen’s Mission as Letty battles to keep her business and family afloat while her husband, Alec, serves on the minesweepers.