ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 251, 22 October 1915, Page 2

ON ACTIVE SERVICE.

THE TOJ^PEDOED TRANSPORT.

:V :v[AR.LI?OROUCJ-ir SOLDIER'S

X/RRATIVF

Wt itiiifj; oh September oth j.t :i i j>!;ico which ho does not name, JJomInrdiei Bprtiani R. WakcJin, of Blenheim.who is :i momlcr of tl>e section of X.Z. F-'old Arti'lery ivitli tlio Fifth ifeinforteiiH^its, says: "Nothing in particular lias happoncd since last v.-riting, c\'cej)t that the other day we | v-M-o. stoaminp peafofully along, ' and 1 ■•II of a sudden there 'was a" crarh ! ) i ;-i;.-! crash! We all know -.yhat it)

■■■ ;- The oaoiy h;ul .^ot us wuli :i ! idij.iccli) j-ijiht ir; flic phicc u-lu»r«-. w\> j jkiuvs fiuartcred, but luckily for us wo j

were on deck at the time except for a fen, who i,ade their escape up chains, etc., tho stairs having been blown away. One of our chaps was killed and a few belonging to other units. We all pot into the bouts, and then they let the ropes go—yes, let them go altogether, and away went our boat, bow rst, at a -terrific rate down into the vaiei\ I -vent down with the boat and came up with it too. A few cue the boat id« jft and we floated astern. We soon got 'ifled out, and went round picking up what men .we could We expected '.he steamer to go down any minute, but she kept afloat ;;nd is now in the harbor beached. Nearly all were saved: we lest a rout three men. We are all I ping well locked .liter, and hope soon to be ready to get to the front. I lost nearly all my gear; but that does not matter, as it is quite wi-rm. My health is pretty good, although it was five hours oefore most of us .\ere picked up. One officer was saved after being over an houT swimming in the water,"