SAVED FROM SEA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24346, 7 August 1942, Page 2

SAVED FROM SEA

CREW OF LOST TANKER hospital ship at hand (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday A hospital ship staffed by New Zealanders provided much-needed medical attention for several members of the crew of a torpedoed tanker who were picked up in the Indian Ocean early in June, after having been in their lifeboats for about 12 hours. One of the survivors had suffered a fractured pelvis and would have died had skilled medical attention been long delayed. An SOS from the tanker was Picked up by the hospital ship about 4.30 one morning, and a course was set for the locality given. Some 12 hours later two small craft were sighted on the horizon ! and, as the ship approached one ot them, it was seen to be a lifeboat witn 23 persons aboard. The afternoon was beautifully calm, and when help was requested the hospital ship drew alongside the first boat to take the occupants aboard. , .. . Injured Taken Aboard There were four cases of injury, the most serious a fractured pelvis, and a Neill Robertson stretcher was used to bring the injured persons up the side by a rope, one of the ship's officers and a medical officer having descended by a rope ladder. Other survivors in the boat, who included the captain and his wife, were able to climb, and the ship headed for the other boat. This contained 16 more survivors in charge ol the chief officer. One of the men had a fractured limb. All the injuries had been caused by an explosion throwing the men about on the tanker, and ther were several cases of shock. According to the survivors, the conning tower of the submarine was sighted about four o'clock that morning,_ and they had fired at it first with a single gun, but missed. The submarine launched three torpedoes, one of which scored a hit, and the ship sank m a matter of minutes. After the first torpedo was fired, there was a pause betore the others, and the crew was given a reasonable chance to take to the boats. Once in the boats, they were not attacked again. Gratitude ol Survivors Three of the crew could not be accounted for. They were in the vicinity of the gun position near which tne torpedo hit. Some time later those on the hospital ship heard a rumour that these three men had been picked up from a raft. The hospital ship landed the survivors at an Allied port, the injured going to hospital. Tile survivors, the majority of whom had taken to the boats in their night attire, had been given clothes, and were profuse in their gratitude, the captain s wife especially, since she had found herself among womenfolk in the_ nurses. Before leaving the hospital ship, they had made an inquiry for the address of the patriotic fund in New Zealand, the object, it is understood, being to send a gift of money in appreciation of the help and kindly treatment they received. SERVICE OVERSEAS AUCKLAND YACHTSMAN ONCE REPORTED MISSING (Special Correspondent) LONDON, Aug. 5 Reported missing last April, SubLieutenant William Scott Wilson, of Auckland, is now on leave in London. "I had no idea I was reported missing until I reached London," he said. Sub-Lieutenant' Wilson went to Singapore in April, 1940, from New Zealand and stayed there nearly two years. In the first six months he was engaged in patrolling in a destroyer, after which he was gunnery officer in a merchantman. Then he transferred to a riverboat and was patrolling Singapore's defences until Isovember, 1941, when he joined a six-inch gun cruiser which was escorting convoys from the Indian Ocean. Sub-Lieutenant Wilson saw the Empress of Asia bombed and sunk in Keppel Harbour, Singapore. After the fall of Singapore he sailed on a six-inch gun cruiser which visited Batavia and Sumatra and then went to Colombo. It patrolled the Persian Gulf, later staying two months at Mombasa, where Sub-Lieutenant Wilson met Lieutenant-Commander C. G. Palmer, D.S.C., Lieutenant A. W. Ferguson, of Auckland, and Surgeon-Commander Harty, of Dunedin. After a visit to Di&go Suarez, in Madagascar, SubLieutenant Wilson went to England. Sub-Lieutenant Wilson, only son of Mrs. F. W. Wilson, of Mountain Road". Epsom, was one of 10 New Zealand yachtsmen or former mercantile marine officers chosen under a special scheme for service in minesweepers and patrol craft overseas. He was educated at King's College, was formerly on the staff of the Jskw Zealand Herald, and is aged 35. He was rear-commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. CLOTHES FOR SOLDIERS COUPON ISSUE DIFFICULTY Although clothing coupons for use of the armed forces in New Zealand were made available as long as six weeks ago, the fact that distribution has not been made to some Army units has beep the cause of serious inconvenience to soldiers and of embarrassment to traders. Hitherto, soldiers on leave have been able to secure goods by endorsing the docket with their name, rank and camp, but this practice was discontinued by I traders last Monday, as they have been ; forbidden to supply any rationed cloth- | ing excepting on the surrender of I coupons. Shopkeepers have had no i option but to refuse to supply soldiers ; during the past week, although in many • cases their need was obviously urgent. EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE MENTAL HOSPITAL UNSAFE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday It has been found necessary to evacuate the main building of the Porirua Mental Hospital owing to earthquake damage. Altogether 776 patients are affected. The Minister of Health, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, states that they will be sent to other institutions throughout the Dominion, in addition to which provision will be made on Roto Roa Island, at Wairakei, near Rotorua, also Chateau Tongariro. Mr. Nordmeyer said that for Wairakei and tbe Chateau the most suitable patients would be selected from all the institutions and the accommodation made available by this transfer would then be utilised for other patients from Porirua. OBJECTION TO WORK ATTITUDE OF TWO GIRLS (0.C.) HAMILTON, Thursday Two young domestics, Edna Hickton and Alice Max, appealed against the action of the Hamilton manpower officer in directing them to undertake essential work before the Auckland Industrial Manpower Committee yesterday. Miss Hickton wrote stating that she had offered to join the Army. "I will go nowhere else," she said. "You can do what you like with me." She said she was at present unemployed. The appeal was dismissed, and the chairman, Mr. ,T. Liddell, strongly adviser! appellant to go where she was directed. "I refuse to go," said Miss Max when her appeal had been dismissed. She said she also had applied for a position in the Army and would sooner go on the land than take up the domestic work to which she had been directed. The chairman said other authorities would take the matter up if the appellant persisted in her attitude^