ORDEAL ON RAFT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20678, 31 January 1942, Page 6

ORDEAL ON RAFT

SAILORS RESCUED 13 DAYS DRIFTING AT SEA LONDON, Jan. 27. Two British sailors have been rescued from a small- raft after spending 13 days drifting in the open sea. The raft consisted of boards, lashed together. It was mostly under water.

One survivor said their ship was torpedoed by a submarine. Several of the crew jumped into the water and climbed on to the raft. They had no food or water. Day after day they sat, back to back, with their legs drawn up. It was impossible to stand up and every movement started the raft rplling. It was like sitting in water for 12 hours of blazing sun and 12 hours of darkness day after day. After a time the men lost all feeling of hunger but suffered pain. Thirst was the worst thing, and it was a constant struggle to stop themselves drinking sea water, or even wetting their mouths with it.

Sharks appeared and kept cruising about. Some bumped the raft from underneath. But, curiously, the men were not frightened by the sharks. Their main fear was that they might be drifting away from land. They spent the time talking of all the wonderful meals they had eaten and of ships.

Some days later they sighted a German submarine. The commander spoke to them and admitted that he had sunk their ship. The ; submarine had none of the usual markings, but there was a flower symbol; painted on its conning-tower. The commander gave them provisions and then the U-boat moved off. The food was washed off the raft the same night, but some of the water was saved. One by one the men became delirious. On the tenth day the wireless operator died. The survivor who desscribcd' their ordeal said he was conscious of being rescued. In those 13 days he had lost G 1 pounds in. weight.