A TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144815, 20 October 1915, Page 7

A TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

FURTHER DETAILS. PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION. DANNEVIRKE, Oct. 20. Regarding the torpedoing of tho transport a Dannovirke resident has received a letter it was the troopship Southland, which left Alexandria on August 30 and was torpedoed 30 miles from Mudros at 0.30 at night. Two torpedoes were fired. Tho first missed, but the second struck below the water line, Brigadier-General Lyton died- of exposure and shock. About 30 men were drowned or killed. The hospital ship Neuralia picked up many. The troopship was carrying the 2nd Australian Division, also General I/Cggo and headquarters, staff. It was eventually beached at Mudros. A GUNNER’S EXPERIENCE. DUNEDIN. Oct. 20. Gunner Webb, of Dunedin (No. 2 Howitzer Battery), was on the torpedoed transport. In a letter to Ins father ho says that he ivas in _tiie boat which capsized. There were 57 men in the boat, eight above the full complement. Tho ship was torpedoed at 9.45 p.m. He says; “W© were picked up by a French torpedo boat at 2.15 p.m. Two torpedoes -were fired and one hit the ship. The deck on which we were’ sleeping was blown to matchwood. Several men were killed. The troops were orderly, but one of the crew in a beat was unnerved and cut one of the falls and so capsized the lot of us into the water. Oidy three of our crowd are missing and' the whole of tho ship s death roll will not reach thirty.