CREW SAVED BY R.A.F.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23946, 23 October 1939, Page 8

CREW SAVED BY R.A.F.

PICKED UP AT SEA “A TREMENDOUS THRILL ”, ; (From Our Own Correspondent; LONDON, Sept. 221 How his ship was sunk'by a-Ger-man submarine,';; andtfhow- his crew oip 34 were subsequently picked ’u|v by' three R.A.F. flying boats was told by Captain I. Schofield, of South Shields, ■ after their rescue. He was master of the. Kensington Court (4860 tons). “The first thing we knew of the attack was the screaming of shells over the ship,” Captain Schofield said. “The look-out spotted the U-boat about five miles away, coming towards us on the surface at full speed, spray flying from her bows. Immediately 1 gave the order to reverse engines, at full speed. I brought the'ship round bows on in an attempt to defeat the attack of the submarine, but there" came ■ a loud- explosion, and the ship settled, down by the head.”- . .<• The first lifeboat tell upside-down and was lost. The second lifeboat was crowded, and , men sat oh the gunwales with their legs dangling in the water. They had to bale to keep-the" boat from sinking. “We could see our ship sinking oy the bows, and the submarine had come, to the surface and was standing, by some way off. We rowed round the ship for Ford, a steward, who was missing. For an hour we, searched, and by that time the Kensington Court had' settled right down. At last wc found Ford and towed him behind the lifeboat: he was in an exhausted condition. . • “Then someone cried 'Listen!’ We stopped rowing and looked up into the sky. Three small dots high up came nearer and nearer., We looked round for the submarine and saw it submerging and- making off at top speed. Them all eyes were turned again to the incoming planes—were they British. The question was on everyone’s libs. “In a flash it was answered. The seaplane*- swooped down low over the lifeboat. We saw' the red, white and blue rings and every maninthe boat cheered lustily. . Just when we- were thinking that things ..were ,gllm and that tbe-,SQS we had flashed out had not been heard these seaplanes arrived. It was like a miracle. “We waited breathlessly while one nlane circled and came to rest on the water some yards away. It taxied across the sea towards us. The pilot leaned out and shouted ‘Everyone safe?’ We shouted that-we were all; safe and steered’ the lifeboat alongside. (‘ The - first naan to be taken;; ire was Ford, who was still suffering • from immersion. Then one by one the crew entered the flying boat. Twenty were, taken aboard the first craft, which then taxied awav and took off. heading back home. The second plane landed and the 14 men left in the lifeboat were taken aboard. . ~ “It was a wonderful effort by the R.A.F. men. and nothing I could say could ever do ’’ustice. to the way in which thev handled their machines as they took off with their heavy, loads. All the time we were being picked up the third seaplane flew overheadsearching for any signs of the. enemy.' " Inside the plane as We flew home—it was the first flight for most of; the crew, and my second~we were given hot tea from flasks and sandwiches. It was a tremendous thrill. We have to thank the R.A.F. for saving every man of us. I take off my hat to those men. Built at Glasgow in 1927, the • Kens- ' ington Court was owned by the Court Line, Ltd., and registered in- London.