STIRRING TALE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 302, 28 September 1940, Page 5

STIRRING TALE

THE EVACUEE SHIP SURVIVORS.

EIGHT DAYS! IN AN OPEN BOAT.

HEROISM OF THE ONLY WOMAN

(United Press Association. —Copyright.) LONDON, September 2G.

Forty-six more survivors from the City of Benares have- been brought to a British port, after being adrift in an open boat since the vessel was torpedoed on Tuesday of last week, when on its way to Canada with child evacuees.

Seven children had already been saved, and six more can be added to that total, so 70 must be counted as lost.

The survivors spent eight days in an open lifeboat before they were discovered by a flying-boat of the Royal Australian Air Force, which sent a warship to the scene, 600 miles from land.

The survivors told stirring tales of the heroism of the children and of how they were nearly swept to death by a raging storm. There was an acute shortage of food and water. Two Sunderland flying-boats, of which one was Australian, found the drifting boat from the City of Benares. The Australian Sunderland was just relieved from convoy duty when it found the lifeboat. The Australian captain communicated with the captain of a Royal'Ail* Force Sunderland which had taken over from him to ensure that the survivors were rescued. Stories of Survivors. Survivors said that the lifeboat's rations and water were exhausted and they were preparing to face death when they heard the roar of the Sunderland flying-boat’s engines. The survivors included a number of members of the crew, all of whom were admitted to hospital, a millionaire Polish shipping magnate, M. Bolidan Nagorski,' a Roman Catholic priest, Father O’Sullivan, and Miiss Cornish. The last two named were children’s escorts.

M. Nagorski said that a ship was sighted on the sixth day. “We signalled frantically, but it passed on without seeing the lifeboat. The children behaved magnificently. After two days we discovered a sail in the locker, with which, and with the aid of oars, wo made good headway. An officer decided to steer oast in the hope of reaching the coast. The next two days were like a nightmare. Heavy seas broke over time after time, and it took all our efforts to prevent the children from being washed overboard.” Howard Clayton, aged 11, said : “We had a terrible time ths-first night. W o saw other floating- rafts' at- daybreak and picked up a .number, of persons until the boat was;.,.-rather crowded. Miss Cornish took charge right awpy and dealt out food and water. We did not have breakfast on any day. The' first meal was lunch when we were given half a biscuit, sometimes a piece of sardine . and a little meat. Once daily each received one-eighth of a piece and a little water. This had to do us all afternoon. For tea we received another biscuit and water. There was also condensed milk, hut wo did hot take it because we discovered it thickened the saliva and made us terribly thirsty. One of the boys first sighted the Sunderland when it was a speck miles away. Miss Cornish was a wonder. She massaged our feet to prevent them being affected by the water and cold. The crew of the warship gave us clothes. Wc had a great time coming home.” Kenneth Sparks, aged 11, said: “Rowing all night was the worst. All the boys took turns and also turns at resting under the canvas in the bow where there was room for three, I was the first to see the Sunderland. Father O’Sullivan began praying that it would see us and all the boys joined in. .A seaman signalled and the ’plane answered. Some of us began to cry. Everyone was lifted aboard the warship. They could not walk because they had not stood up since getting into the lifeboat.” Heroism of Woman. The fourth officer, Mr R. M. Cooper, commanded the lifeboat and navigated by means of a compass and the sun. He discovered when picked up that the boat had travelled 200 miles.

The survivors agreed that the hoys owe their lives to the Londoner, Miss Mary Cornish, aged 21, who, crouched in a pitifully confined space, improvised exercises to keep the children warm. She was the only woman aboard the lifeboat. \

Miss Cornish paid a high tribute to the children, who never complained even when they could not eat dry biscuits because they were too thirsty. Miss Cornish said: “The main problem was to keep the boys’ circulation goingin the hitter cold. Our most interesting pastime was planning meals.” All the children were Government evacuees.