SINKING OF MEKNES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 250, 30 July 1940, Page 5

SINKING OF MEKNES.

STATEMENT BY SURVIVORS.

THE SHIP FULLY LIGHTED LONDON, July 28. General de Gaulle to-day visited survivors from the Meknes, which was torpedoed last week when taking back to France Frenchman who had decided ,to withdraw from the war. They confirmed the earlier reports that the ship was fully lighted, and that the attacking Gorman yej-lsel machinegunned the decks, damaging the lifeboats.

Many of the Frenchmen who were on the vessel, are now waiting to be passed as fit before joining General de Gaulle’s force of free Frenchman. They aro being eared for in’a British-.naval camp. ' • . . : Oho'of the Frenchmen said that when he came on deck it was too dark to see the attacker, but all the lights were blazing, and searchlights were shilling on the French colours painted on each side of the ship. -Machine-gun bullets swept the dock, and all the boats' on the portable except one were damaged. Shells from a small calibre cannon gun also struck the boats, followed by the torpedo which sank the ship. None of the starboard lifeboats was damaged. The men were in the boats from 11 p.m., wlien the ship was torpedoed, until they were picked up by British naval units at 7.30 p.m. On liohalf of the survivors, another Frenchman expressed deep gratitude for the hospitality ofn the British seamen in the ships that picked them up. They were given hot meals and dry clothes, and were most kindly treated, ho said.