70 Days Adrift

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 3

70 Days Adrift

ORDEAL IN OPEN BOAT TWO OF SEVEN SURVIVE NASSAU, Dec. 2. "With God's -will aud British determination avo are trusting to meet a ship or make laud in the LeeAvard Islands." Thus began the log for the epic 70-day voyage in an open boat which two of seven men survived under baking skies, short rations, seaweed and raAV fish, after their ship had been sunk withoutwarning by a German raider. The lone survivors of the heroic battle against the elements are Robert George Tapscott, aged 19, of Cardiff, and Roy Widdicom.be, aged 24, of Newport. Both of them have been in hospital here since October 31 and their condition remains uncertain. Widdicombe Avas at the wheel of the British merchantman Anglo-Saxon, 500 miles from the Azores, on, the night of August 21, during the watch of the freighter ’s third officer. The whole ship was in pitch darkness. "An enemy ship fioni a mile off without warning fired four-inch shells into the pooj> and gun platform aft," the sun-blackened, suffering helsman related. "Out of a crew of 40, only seven of us got away." TIIO chief officer started keeping tho log of the journey; until he jumped overside when he realised he Avas dying. Then Widdicombe took over "until September 9, when I become too Aveak." The stores for seven men consisted of: One tank filled with dry biscuits; 11 tins of condesed milk; 181 b. of boiled mutton; a half-beaker of water. "We bathed our wounds with salt water," Widdicombe recounted. "They gradually swelled up and festered, producing delirium. Our days Avere divided between blinding sun in cloudless skies; becalmed and frothing storms. We relied on a compass iu the daytime and stars at night. "Usually the daily ration was half a dipper of water, half a biscuit and a little condensed milk. 1 once made each man a cigarette Avith a. piece of newspaper and half a tin of tobacco. We had just eight, matches. Occasionally we dipped our bodies overside to re fresh them from tho scorching sun. Nobody was hungry, but our throats were parched. No one complained." Quoting from the log book, he said: "September I—So1 —So little water couldn't digest mutton ration. We yearned for fruit juice, limejuiee. I’m sure these fruit juices should bo a part of lifeboat rations. "September 12 —Cloudburst yielded

six days’ water. Getting very weak. September 24—Water and biscuits ex kausted. Still hoping to make land. “From that time on,” he said, “we drifted aimlessly, unaware of time and partly delirious. After that there were occasional showers of rain. One sailfish and one gar were washed into the boat. We ate them raw and also ate seaweed. ”