S.O.S. FROM A DEMENTED RADIO MAN ON U.S. SHIP

Grey River Argus, 21 February 1949, Page 4

S.O.S. FROM A DEMENTED RADIO MAN ON U.S. SHIP

Creates Stir at Gibraltar (Rec 9.30) GIBRALTAR, Feb 19. A series of frantic garbled messages, one of which said, ‘‘They are trying to kill me!" flashed across the Atlantic to-day from the American 10,000-ton liberty ship, William Phips, and it was sent on to a United States' destroyer, which was hurrying out from Gibraltar in search of the ship. The “Wiiliam Phips" had passed through the straits of Gibraltar early this (Saturday) morning for Galveston, in Texas, from Naples, and the signals received from her suggested that there might be a mutiny on board.

They said.—“ Got Pierce, radio operatorlocked in radio

Trying to kill meHelp Smoking me out Please get a bearing.” Later in the day, however, the William Phips put into Gibraltar, and she landed the radio operator, who was taken to hospital. He was suffering from the nervous breakdown.