older sailors

[hannah]

In remembering the Fallen of the Great War, let's remember too the fishermen who fought everybit as much as infantry did as they were on active service as well. Imagine for a moment, a German warship bent on 'total war' coming across a dozen or so unprotected fishing boats with no where to run or hide. Who remembers now the Stirling or Horatio or Cineraria - or three dozen other tiny boats from Grimsby or a score of other ports, all blown to bits with their crew with no measurable benefit to the Germans - all killed in cold blood without any chance of luck or chance intervening to save them. They were formally executed and died in a way more savage and cruel than most infantry victims. Their grave was the sea - no headstone there for their loved ones to respect. There's lots of discussion about Army units suffering high casualty rates in one action - but usually with fishermen, it was 100%. And there's discussion about soldiers' age - there was at least one Grimsby fishermen killed in action aged 65 and several aged 64: there was at least one aged 14 and several aged 15.

These men and boys - of both wars - have never had the respect they deserve. So when we grieve the soldiers, please let us not forget the sailors!

Gripe over.