His Trawler Namesake
His Trawler Namesake is an article published in the Sunderland Daily Echo And Shipping Gazette on 10 february 1920.
The article is about Skipper William Addy of the Hull steam trawler Conan Doyle H240 named after Arthur Conan Doyle, and the naval battle against a German U-boat.
See detailed report of the battle here: Sir Conan Doyle's Gift (The Daily Mail (Hull), 9 february 1920).
His Trawler Namesake
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Gift to a Skipper.
Skipper William Addy, of the steam trawler Conan Doyle, has received from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle a silver cigarette Card as a memento of a stirring incident in the war, when the skipper, with his vessel at the head of a convoy of Hull trawlers, sank a German submarine after a lively fight of four hours.
It was while the Conan Doyle was escorting five fishing trawlers in the North Sea that a German submarine attacked. A general engagement followed and direct hits on the submarine were made by the Conan Doyle. After the submarine had fired over 4,000 direct rounds it was sent to the bottom by a direct hit just below the conning tower.
Accompanying the gift was the following letter:— "Dear Mr. Addy,— I have only learned recently of the splendid action in which my namesake under your command, did such glorious work. I should like to congratulate you and the crew, and say how proud I am to be in any way associated with you. — Yours sincerely, Arthur Conan Doyle."
Skipper Addy has two distinctions — he got the D.S.C. for the above exploit, and, incidentally, he holds the world's record for a fish catch, namely, 10,790 lbs, made by the Conan Doyle on one trip.
