Meanwhile I was more than anxious for active service which would give me a chance of getting at short grips with the dastardly submarines which I had hunted in the frozen north so long but never fairly and squarely behind a gun. Further reflections caused the following letter to be written: "_To_ "THE ADMIRALTY, "WHITEHALL, "LONDON. "_August 17th, 1915._ "SIR, "Since I wrote you with completed report on my gun-screen-dummy boat, submarines have continued to favour these waters in particular. Three large steamers have quite recently been torpedoed. "They have sunk in this neighbourhood alone over fifty sailing trawlers, _every one_ bombed or sunk by gunfire, and _from the surface_, but not a mine-sweeper nor a patrol-boat seems to have been attacked! "There are plenty of sailing trawlers lying idle in ports. "I therefore humbly venture to suggest to the Admiralty that if half a dozen of these were mounted with guns, covered by the dummy-boat-screen and manned by a small, smart crew, dressed in _ordinary fishermen's_ clothes (not the naval uniforms with gold braid and _white-topped_ ornamental caps, so much in vogue at present), those submarine pests would be caught napping without much difficulty; whilst the fishermen, who are mostly ruined, would at least feel that we had got a little of our own back with every pirate so sunk. "It would also be easy to place a motor and propeller in the vessel so employed which would help manoeuvring in no small measure; whilst as to manning them, there is plenty of material of the very best to select from for such a job--men who have been patrolling in gunboats and trawlers for a year without a smell of powder which their nostrils hunger for. I personally know plenty who would willingly abandon good positions and hail such an opportunity with eagerness; whilst, if the chance was given, I myself would willingly and gladly volunteer my services with them in the first boat sent out, or under them in any capacity, from the lowly cook or cabin-boy upwards. "If this seeming presumption on my part should be acted upon you may rely upon my wholehearted service for any assistance that I may be able to give in the fitting-out, etc., or otherwise, and it will be my pleasure to execute your smallest commands. "I remain, your obedient servant, "NICHOLAS EVERITT. "('JIM' of the B.F.S.S.)" * * * * * This letter only produced further "secret" thanks. The suggestion for active service was not responded to! Cold comfort to one burning with such unquenchable desires. Poor gratitude for services rendered. Depressing recognition for future effort.