ORDEAL AT SEA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 171, 22 July 1942, Page 4

ORDEAL AT SEA

N.Z. SURVIVORS

ADRIFT IN ICY GALES

The ordeal of 58 survivors, including a number of New Zealanders. who were adrift after their ship had been torpedoed, is described in a letter from an Aucklander who was the 7th engineer on the ill-fated vessel. He also encloses an account of the attack and rescue, which was published in the Halifax Daily Mail on April 7.

The account in the Canadian newspapers told how 19 men were huddled in a lifeboat for five days and five nights amid continuous gales, rain and an electrical storm. When the sea was at its worst, the men clung to the gunwales of their pitching boat. Sometimes they managed to raise sails. Verv seldom they rowed. When at last they were picked up and landed at an East Coast Canadian port, they were all suffering from exposure and badly swollen feet and hands. But thev displayed the undaunted and unbroken spirit of merchant navy men and spoke lightly of the attack. The experience of the men in another lifeboat is described by the 7th engineer, W. H. Pitts, whose home is in Auckland. "The torpedoing took place suddenly amidships, and the vessel started to sink by the stern." he writes.

"We immediately launched the lifeboats, of which one was smashed or blown to pieces, leaving the crew three lifeboats," he states. "Into these we all went, with such person?l effccts p.a could be mustered in so short a time. When the submarine discharged another torpedo within less than 30 minutes, our ship had gone. All that was left on the waves was a large patch of oil, floating meat, hatch covers and loose material. It was a heart-break-ing sight to see our home ship taken from us so suddenly, leaving us floating on the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.

Germans Offer Food

"Three members of the crew lost their lives in the execution of their duty. They were Englishmen, the oth engineer, a greaser and a fireman, who were trapped in the engine room.

"Aft ir the second torpedo h?d been fired and we had seen the ship disappear, the submarine came to the surface and cruised up to the lifeboats. The German commander requested the name of the ship and other particulars, which were given by the captain and officers of the lifeboats. The German commander then gave us our course for land, and offered us food and wine, which were refused tactfully, our officer saying that they had plenty of everything. With that the submarine got away.

"About an hour after the ship was sunk, planes came out to bag the submarine, but they did not get it. I feel sure, as an hour's start was too much.

'Owing to the suddenness of it all, some of the crew were poorly clothed, some had no boots or socks, others no coats or warm clothes. We had 22 in our lifeboat.

aauvi iii WUI iUCUUdI. "During that night, we got blown out of our course to the extent of 200 miles. Extreme icy cold seas broke over the boats, which got separated, and after a time disappeared from sight and were not seen by each other again." Swollen Feet and Hands The writer goes on to tell of the hardships of the five days they were adrift; the suffering caused by swollen feet, ankles and hands, cramp due to lack of space, weakness as a result of sea sickness, and rationing of the iron rations and water. When they were finally rescued, many of the crew were unable to stand, the power having gone from their limbs entirely. They were taken to an East Coast Canadian port and transferred to a military hospital there. The writer himself suffered with swollen feet and hands, and expects to be in hospital five or six weeks, while others would be laid up from two to three months. The worst cases had to have their feet packed with bags of dry ice, while those whose feet were not so bad had them painted and left outside the blankets.

The writer speaks warmly of the care and attention received from doctors and sisters, and from the Red Cross, Anzac Club and other organisations who brought them fruit, tobacco, reading matter and other gifts. "The people of Halifax deserve all the praise I can give them for the way they have looked after us," he says.