Amongst the crew of our mine-sweeper during the war "Sparks," the
wireless operator, was a hefty, fat chap, weighing about 18 stone. One
day while clearing up a mine-field, laid overnight by a submarine, we
had the misfortune to have four or five of the mines explode in the
"sweep."
The explosion shattered every piece of glass in the ship, put the
engines out of action, and nearly blew the ship out of the water.
"Bill," one of our stokers--a Cockney who, being off watch, was asleep
in his bunk--sat up, yawned, and exclaimed in a sleepy voice: "'Ullo,
poor ole 'Sparks' fallen out of 'is bunk again! 'E'll 'urt 'isself one
of these days!"--_R.N.V.R., Old Windsor, Berks._