TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21157, 5 July 1940, Page 2

TERRIFIC EXPLOSION

STAMPEDE OF GERMAN'S BRITISH GUARDS’ ORDEAL (tinned Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, July 4 The terrific explosion as the tor- | pedo struck the Arandora Star started j a stampede as the Germans and Italians sprang from their beds and j dashed for the lifeboats. "Several of our lads were stunned | by the explosion,” a soldier stated, i "and some of the aliens grabbed their rifles and attempted to rush us. i We ordered them to drop the guns,! and a soldier fired, killing an Italian, i That stopped them. Other soldiers i in other parts of the ship were also j forced to shoot frantic Italians.” j Another soldier said: "We could ! not halt the internees in their mad rush. We had to shoot some of them, j and made the rest line up ’at the ! point of our rifles.” “The internees attempted to rush | the boats,” said a third soldier. “1 took my stand at the top of the stairs as they came rushing up, some of them armed. “I told them to halt and lay down their arms. They refused, so I let them have it. They stopped and immediately handed over the rifles. "The same thing happened in other j parts of the ship. Had we not taken a Arm stand they would have swamped us.” % WL Fixed His Bayonet * • !*On» lifeboat threatened to become , overcrowded / before' It could tbe j launched, and a young British ser- \ geant fixed his bayonet and forced j the crowd to form a queue. With the butt of his rifle he stunned those refusing, and had them carried to the lifeboat. He was still marshalling aliens when the ship went down. The troops throughout the ship | acted similarly, but the frenzied crowd outnumbered them, fighting to ! reach the boats, and fighting in the water to clamber on to overladen j rafts. Others jumped from the decks! into boats already launched and were . killed. In the scramble for the boats Italians attempted to take with them suitcases, the handles of which were cut off by the British guards to prevent them from doing so. A German communique states: ‘‘A German submarine sank 24,000 tons of enemy merchant shipping. Another U-boat torpedoed the Arandora Star.” Eight Hours on Raft A sailor who was rescued from the Arandora Star said his party of survivors were eight hours on a raft before the arrival of a warship. Their legs were frozen and they could not climb a rope ladder. One of the stewards said a reconnaissance aeroplane brought the first hope of rescue. It dropped a note saying: “Keep chins up, help coming soon,” and also dropped a tin with bread and biscuits. "The third officer and I were the only British in our lifeboat and we did not see any of that food,” the steward added. A soldier with a black eye said: “I climbed on to a raft, and an Italian who joined me seemed to resent my presence. He smacked me in the eye, so I hit him on the face as hard as I could. Then we kept off Italians who would have capsized the raft by pushing them off with a paddle.” Ordeal of the Survivors When they were landed, many of the survivors were wearing only pyjamas or singlets, and walked barefoot through the streets to canteens and hostels. An appeal went round the town and within a few minutes shopkeepers and housewives rushed to the docks with clothing and food. Lorries laden with suits, dressinggowns, shirts, socks and shoes sped i to the hostel. The aliens have been again in- I temed. Sixty of the survivors were : sent to hospital, most of them being only slightly injured. The owners of the Arandora Star say a considerable proportion of the crew of 300 were saved. It is hoped more survivors will be landed from other ships. IN ARANDORA STAR ENGINEER FROM DUNEDIN (By Telegraph.—Press Association) DUNEDIN. Thursday Serving on board the Arandora Star as an engineer was Mr A. R. Mowat, son of Mr and Mrs A. N. Mowat, of Clydevale, South Otago. No advice has yet been received whether he was among those rescued. Mr Mowat was bora at Dunedin. After gaining engineering experience in Dunedin he joined the Union Steam Ship Company. He was an engineer on the Rangitiki for 18 months before transferring to the Blue Star Line. In a recent letter he indicated that he was sailing on the Arandora St:.r on a special voy. ge. A younger brother, acting--1 iigiu-Lieutenant N. J. Mowat, is

serving with the Royal Air Force in Britain.