Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - The Bristol Channel District Guide - selected articles - [1934 Edition] . . . .

Here the Bristol boats were instrumental in saving some of the crews of sunken and sinking boats. After relieving some of the Dover sweepers on the Belgium Coast Patrol, the Tyne was visited, as the mine trouble had started there.

Till December 1918 the Bristol paddlers were engaged in keeping the Channel clear of mines.

Chasing a Submarine.

On one occasion an enemy submarine was sighted, and at once the flotilla gave chase. But luck was out, and, though the Hun U-boat got a scare, it escaped, and the Bristol contingent bemoaned the hard lines experienced in not actually capturing the pirate.

One boat, however, cornered a mine-laying submarine, drove it to the sands, where it was captured and afterwards was on exhibition to the public in one of our ports.

Other valuable services rendered include the salving of our own aircraft and the rescue of aviators. While on the Belgium Coast the flotilla, in spite of the bombs from aircraft and shells from the shore-batteries, " carried on " with their work, hauling up the deadly mines under heavy fire, never once dreaming of " turning tail, " and scorning the dangers while there was still work to be done.

A quiet night in port was often disturbed by a Zeppelin raid, and the guns of the paddlers obtained some gun practice " strafing " the giant airships.

Two Bristol boats, the " Westward Ho ! " and the " Glen Avon, " helped in the salvage of Zepp. L11, brought down in the Thames, the main portions of which were dragged on the sands after a few weeks of towing between mine-sweeping operations.

While going to the assistance of transports on fire or vessels badly holed by mine or torpedoes, the Bristol steamers were attacked by torpedo fire, which, again employing the phrase of an officer of the " Devonia" : " Always went nicely under our bottom, thank you. "

The section finished their long and useful work by sweeping once again the Estuary of the Thames.