SAW MEN GO MAD IN PRISON SHIP

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 96, 31 October 1941, Page 6

SAW MEN GO MAD IN PRISON SHIP

Seaman Escapes To England (Receiver October 28. 7 p.m.) RUGBY- October 27. A British seaman. Gerard Riley, who was a prisoner aboard, the German pocket battleship Admiral Scheer when she attacked and sr.nk the armed mer chant cruiser Jervis. Bay, told/ his experiences in Liverpool today. His ship when carrying bananas to England was shelled , by the Admiral Scheer at onl\ half a milt' range. late last year. For innately all the crew, numbering 68. escaped injury and were taken on board the German -battleship and confined in a space which normally housed 20 Ger man sailors " \ "Later,” said Riley. ”we heard ‘action stations' rung and felt the crash of the Scheer’s 11-inch guns when she opened up on the Jervis Bay. which my ship had parsed a few hours before she was sunk. That battle went on for five and a half hours, and the Jerries thought they were up against a battleship. Riley then described how for 15 days the British seamen had to stand •in their small prison. Then they were transferred to a sister ship of the Altmark and were, confined to a hold in a temperature' of 130 degrees in the shade* It was just hell down there,” he said "1 had one cup of water a day. I saw num'go mad down there. I shall never forget those horrible days. “I.atei we were transferred to an other prison ship ami fed on black bread and black coffee.. After 120 days we were landed at Bordeaux and put

in a prison camp.”

Eventually Riley managed to escape and find his way to Paris. “The people of France are right behind you.” he said. “In Paris T walked down a street with an old French woman who knew she would be shot if my identity was discovered. That old woman pretended I was her brother, and it. was arranged that' I should be dumb if we were stopped.” At length Riley reached Gibraltar and then got to Eng land.