"I AM SORRY"

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23489, 28 October 1939, Page 2 (Supplement)

"I AM SORRY"

APOLOGIY FOE SINKING U-BOAT OFFICER'S COURTESY; A DRINK IN CONNING TOWER gIXTY-SEVEN British seamen, the crews of two ships sunk in the Atlantic by German submarines, arrived home at a British port, having been taken across the Atlantic by their rescue ships. The skippers of the sunk ships: Captain. Thomas Georgeson, of _tl\e 5000 tons cargo steamer Winkleigh; and Captain D. B. McAlpine, skipper of ui® 4000 tons cargo steamer Blairlogiei both told stories of good treatment by the submarine commanders who sank their ships. Captain Georgeson, an Edinburgh man, had a drink in the Atlantic on the submarine. He said: "My ship was sunk about 400 miles off the Irish coast, We were homeward bound. "When wo were in our boats the sub-, marine commander told me to could alongside. He took mo on. board too U-boat, and I went with him into the conning tower. He • poured me out n drink, gave me some cigarettes an" four rolls of bread. Bottles of Gin ' "That will last you tor about sis hours," ho said, "and by that time 1 expect you will find that there will be a ship along to rescuo you. "He asked me if we had sufficient drinking water, and then having taken my ship's papers ho shook hands an" said, 'Well, captain, I am sorry 1 shall now lmvo to sink your ship.' - . "Ho then sunk the Winkleigh. \> e were in our boats for about seven hours 011 a calm sea when the Dutch hiier Statendam came alongside and rescued us. Wo Were treated splendidly 011 board." . Captain McAlpine, of the "Blairlogiei said: "The submarine commander gavo us every chance to get- away before M put our ship to the bottom. When w were in our boats JlO came alongside m and handed over two stone bottles 0 gin and some cigarettes. The.* he disappeared and Ave wero rescued by "ia American Shipper." _ -■