THE TORPEDOED TROOPSHIP.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 250, 21 October 1915, Page 5

THE TORPEDOED TROOPSHIP.

STARTLING OOOXJRKteNCE^.

aN INTEaitfSTING LETTER*.

V Thfcttgh necessarily srmewhat vag<w owing to the strictures imposed by the cer&orship, the following letter by a" New Zealander at the front to jus parents makes decidedly interesting reading, being the first intimation r<*eeived here of <ary such occurrence «'>s that related by +he writer (says the Wellington Eyeiing Post). The letter is from Specialist "Walter Coleman. with the Second Howitzer Battery, Ath .Reinforcen-'cnts; who, states: ''While on our v.ay to the front our troopship was torpedoed by a Gersn.-n subiHaiine. There were only 44,>f us New Zei. landers on board; the'; re?t were all Australians. I do not.-know the casualties, but we lost only three of our men, which was fortunate 0011 sidering we were all capsized into t\n .water. I was very lucky all through.' I wan down tho hold by my bunk vheii tlie torpedo struck us, and C'ly 6ft. away horn where one%bf our pooi boys was blown up. The lifoboat I got into capsized as soon -is it touched the waioi.. I tan cup right ui'd-v----neath it with four Australians. 'iNvo got out, but the other two and 1 coul-i ntt manage it. We were undf--neath for three-quarters of an uonr, and were very nearly suffocated whtui the boat rignted itself all of a sudden. As the boat titrned over I must 1 .'i'O been scooped in. Tliere were a tor rible lot of fellows on top of the boat when. I was underneath,, but I did r*ox knoiv at the tinre, and as soon as the boat righted :tself we had- a, ?>;ood ho.n lead. We we're soon picked up by n mati-o'^-war, and I am now quite s.ivo and poimd bar a few bruises."

The "above letter" (adds the Post-1 was referred to the Prime Minister, vhostfted 'that the Government h.ij received no, advice whatever ot a transport convoy my; .New Zealand troops being toiiedoed, although sr.ius weeks ?go a cable appeared in th<-. newspapers an.i»ov.ncing the bare fact that« troopship had been sunk by. m, enemy submarine in the Mediterranean., i