"IT WAS HELL ON THE ALTMARCK."

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 43, 20 February 1940, Page 7

"IT WAS HELL ON THE ALTMARCK."

TRIMMER'S STORY. flew Zealander Thanks God For British Navy. -CAPTAIN WAS A FIEND."' United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, February 19. One of the prisoners from the Altmarck, R. Pittam, aged 39, a trimmer, of Okaihau, New Zealand, who was a fireman on the Tairoa, arrived in Ixindon. «I am going to take the first ship to ]few Zealand to join up with the boys," he M)d. "It was hell on the Altmarck. There were 47 of us in a small hold. The atmosphere was terrible. Once we did not eee daylight for three weeks. "Thr food was very poor. The captain was a fiend and would have scuttled the «hip if the Navy had seen the Altmarck at sea. Then we would have teen drowned like rata in a trap. The Norwegians must have heard the noise we made at Bergen," he declared. Mr. Pittam had a night's sleep at the hospital at Leith and received clothes money. "I say God bless the British Navy," was his final remark.

Evidence piles up that the Altmarck ww by no means a peaceful merchantman.

A member of the crew of the Tairoa Mid a friendly German sailor had nnlaehed a hatch when the British wargbips appeared, but an officer- on the bridge shot him. There was no doubt that the Altmarck had been built specially as a naval supply ship. She ]ltd collapsible munition racks, and eonld easily have carried two years' •tores. Another New Zealander's Views. A New Zealander, Seaman William J. Wheeler, R.N.V.R., of Dunedin, who was one of the gun crew of the Doric Star, said: "There were small guns on the bridge of the Altmarck, and plenty of rifles and machine guns about. On one occasion a wooden screen accidentally fell, revealing the muzzle of an aneuspected gun. We realised it would ta hopeless to attempt to rush the Iridge. We would have been shot down without trouble."

Another ex-captive said there were no lower decks in the Altmarck, the whole carrying space being devoted to ammu■ition stores and tanks,

Another member of the crew of the Ttiroa said it was absolutely untrue ;-:;tkat the Altmarck had been searched ;■ at Bergen. Other of the rescued sailors \ Mud they had put out a Red Ensign from a porthole during their stay at fa*?. and had created such a terrific &:S* that it was incredible that they Vwn not heard by the Norwegians.

HliMtrating the naval character of the ißaarck is the fact that she appears ia ; a naval supply ship in the official firtto! the German Navy published last jcar.!,

Mr. JL Pittam, who was one of the men Teamed from the Altmarck, having been tak« on board the Graf Spee after it had rank the liner Tairoa, is well the Okaihau district. For many jmn he was working in and •ram the district as a farm labourer.

"We found him a splendid boy," said Mr». -P. Nixon, of Okaihau, whose hustend had employed Pittam for three jtrn. Mr. Pittam, she said, was unmarried, and it was understood he came , from Auckland.

: ; His father and stepmother were living h Auckland at the time he wm employed on the Nixon farm.