IN THE SUBMARINE ZONE

ArNELSONIAN'S EXPERIENCES -

LIEUTENANT NALDER'S CAREER

One 01 the many Nelson boys to havea series of thrilling experiences in con-; nection with the war is Lt. AX M. Nalder, son of Captain -Nalder, of Port Nelson (says the Kelson Mail). Prior to leaving "New Zealand two and a-balf years ago, Lt. Nalder, who holds a captain's certificate, was master of the steamer Storm. He worked liis passage Homo as fourth officer on a liner, since torpedoed, for the purpose of entering the Flying Corps. His papers showed a. good- record, and the authorities decided that he could be of more service in connection with the sea, and he was given charge 1 of a mine-sweeper. He spent many months in this daring work, during which he went through several trying and thrilling experiences. The naval authorities then removed him from the mine-sweopers ; . sent him to a navigation school to gain his deep-water ticket, and to Chatham for gun drill. On qualifying ho was given a lieutenant's commission on a 9000-ton auxiliary cruiser, the Champagne, which was" torpedoed some time back. Lt. Nalder was saved after being lli hours on a raft in a gale. The following extracts from a letter received by Mrs. Nalder the other day give au account of his experiences :—"Bert (Lt. Nalder) sailed on the boat on Monday, Bth October, at 5 p.m. He turned in at 12 p.m. on the Bth, and about 6.15 a.m. on the '9th they were torpedoed. Those on watch had sighted the submarine, but never had a chance to fire, as the torpedo struck almost simultaneously. Well, Bert, clad only in pyjamas, ran ■up on deck to ascertain the cause of the explosion ,and just-ran back and snatched up his bridge coat. By this time -.some of the boats were getting away. 'Some of Bert's men got away on the rafts, which he and another launched ; but when he got to his boat (after helping to launch another by knocking the clutch out, the steam which worked the winch being off, as the torpedo hit the engine-room on the port side), there was a full boat's crew around her; still they were unable to launch her. Just then the second torpedo struck | her, and Bert jumped for it (in noth-1 ing but bridgecoat, pyjamas, and lifebelt). The vessel sank like-a brick—the centre first, bow and stem sticking up in the air, and closing together like a book, the masts interlocking. It must have been awful! Well, Bert swam to a raft-which had one man on it— (it was waterlogged), and when he got on it he saw another poor fellow in the water, and- went and gave him a hand to get to the raft (he was hanging on to broken timber). They got back to the raft and Bert gave this fellow his lifebelt; wasn't he lovely ? and made him and the other fellow paddle with pieces of wreckage to keep their blood in circulation, and Bert sculled with an oar, making for land. Of course, the progress was very slow. They did about six miles in 9^ hours— and then the poor fellow whom Bert picked up seemed to lose hope, because a warship passed and did not sight them-, and about 20 minutes after that fell off t-ho raft exhausted, and it was impossible to get to him. There was a gale blowing and a fairly heavy sea. running; anyway, the poor fellow was drowned. This upset Bert more than the whole business, ijs they were picked up an hour later, and he thought it was awful to have gone so far and then lost a life. The other man Bert had to keep on kicking to make him paddle. When picked up this fellow had to be hauled aboard, he was so frozen; but Bert managed himself. He says he never gave up hope right from the boat going. He says he knew he wonkl get out. It was only his spirit that kept him up. When I saw the other boys, they said Bert was marvellous, as they had given himup, and even gone so far as to arrange who was to break the news to his wife; and, in fact, almost started a collection of money for her. All the boat loads had landed on the Isle of Man; but Bert managed to get through to Liverpool at 6.30 on the 10th, the other lads getting here on the afternoon of the 11th, and Bert was on the pier to meet the boat. The lads told his wife on Thursday night that one said, "Look! There's 'Steamboat Joe' " —Bert's nickname, because he said, "Go ahead, steamboat." Then another said, "No; it is impossible." Someone else" said, " It is Nalder"; and another said, "Don't shout! You'll look such a fool—poor Nalder's gone," and so on; hut as they drew nearer and saw it was him, they shouted and yelled like madmen. When they landed the captain came to Bert and was telling him something about his being gia-cl at his safety, but Bert couldn't hear ;i word ho was saying, for the boys had his hands (a group on each side), and they were shaking and congratulating him and expressing their delight. They told me Bert had had the roughest time of the lot; but, of course, he says nothing. Bert and the captain were the last to leave the ship (of those who did get away)—he jumped first and the captain immediately after. They both swam for it. Since Wednesday he's been treated very considerately. He is going to barracks at Chatham to report in a day or two, and then he will have ten days' leave, which, he sadly needs after all this. Mrs. Nalder, Lt. -Na-lder's wife, writing to Mrs. Nalder, of Nelson, says: — "The first I knew was on the 10th; 1 was walking along the seafront with baby, and I saw such a funny looking man coming towards me, but took no notice. And then I thought there was something familiar, a.nd when I looked it was Bert; in awful old boots, trousers six inches too small, his bridgecoat all oil and salt, and a filthy old cap, and I said 'Whateyer's the matter with you?' never dreaming his ship had been sunk, and he said, 'We've been ditched.' "