FEARED DENTIST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23773, 28 September 1940, Page 14

FEARED DENTIST

WINNER OF THE V.C. y ANOTHER SEA HEROFOUGHT GUN TO THE DEATH [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Sept. 9 Twentv-three-year-old Jack Mantle, hero of the sea and latest winner of the Y.C., was very afraid of one thing when ashore —the dentist's chair. This, and other intimate details'of his life were revealed by his mother.

At her cottage homo at Shirley, Southampton, she told how "very, very gentle" was this acting leading seaman who fought his gun to the death in the 5500-ton merchant cruiser Foylebank. ".Lack didn't seem to be of the heroic type," said Mrs. Mantle. "Jn fact, lie was so gentle that we all used to say lie ought to have changed places with his eldest sister, who is tin; toughest of the family. At school lie was never outstanding, either in sport, or study. What lie liked most as a youngster were days in the country with the Boy Scouts. "When lie was 16 he went into the Navy. He took to the sea at once. lli« became a regular swot, and studied to get on. We did not hear of his-V.C. until we found the house besieged by neighbours and friends scrambling to bring the news. "Then, at last, we really believed the stories of his bravery told to us by his shipmate* after his death. Knowing Jack as we did it seemed impossible thai he could have borne so much."