THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 10, 1940.
HAXBY SKIPPER TELLS STORY
OF RAIDER BROTHERS
Captain Cornelius Arundell, master of the 5,207-ion British car- go steamer Haxby, was a prisoner of the Nazis. on the high seas for 134 days. He and his captured crew were within two days" steam- ing of the European coast--and internment-when the small British submarine Truant surfaced off Cape Finisterre and rescued them and some Norwegians from a neutral ship which had also fallen victim to the Germans. Here is Captain Arundell's story:
They had killed sixteen of my crew, but I thought, as I swam towards the Nazi pirate ship- "Don't give up hope. All Germans can't be as bad as Hitler makes them out to be."
I was right about that. There man oiler Winnetou which had was more than one on board the come out to refuel us.
At this German ship who thought kindly time we were kept in close con- of England and treated us well. finement. We were twelve days It was about 6.30 in the morn-locked in our quarters without ing on April 24 when the Ger- exercise, and mán raider, flying Greek colours, oil fumes. suddenly opened fire on us with four 6in. guns.
We had no chance. The second salvo of shells killed our gunner and smashed the gun platform. They kept on firing after that for about half an hour-with not a shot in
return,
My ship was shattered and on fire, and there were good men dead on the decks. We had to swim for it, and after a long time they picked us up from the planks and wooden barrels which we were clinging.
to
They put us into canvas suits and gave us underwear and flan- nel shirts made out of wood pulp. They sent us to our prison .quarters, three decks down.
They gave us a plate of black bread and sausage. The bread was as hard as nails and had
Then we the Tropic guard.
almost choked by
were transferred to Sea under armed
.They kept on plugging at us with their propaganda, An of- ficer had the special duty of con- verting us into good Nazis, and they seemed to think it was only a question of time before we saw
the folly of our ways and realised that Hitler was a fine fellow and Churchill a low scoundrel,
This propaganda officer said that only 3,000 British soldiers had escaped from Dunkirk, that every British port was closed by mincs, and that a woman had broadcast over the B.B.C. saying that England needed some one like Hitler.
I said: "You're a liar, You and
me Hitler make your- sick." He was angry. "You must not half an inch of wet round the talk like that of our beloved bottom.
Fuehrer." I told him: "If you When we went on deck for talk such-nonsense I'll fling you exercise for one hour in the morning and one in the afternoon over the side into the sea."
we saw that we were 'in "a" fine ship, one of the Hamburg liners which before war was on the New York run.
ྂ nr "-
Dawn Rescue
DIED HEROES
Two brothers
war babies
last born far
away from the land they were one day to fight for went to the same school in the home- land. .
Joined the R.A.F..~.flew to- gether.... both shot down six Nazis and damaged others.... both awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
Now both are named - killer' In action - In Air Ministry Casualty Communique No. 46. The brothers were Pilot-Officer C. A. Woods-Scawen and Flying- Officer P. P. Woods-Scawen whose father lives at South Farnborough.
Both were born at Karachi, In-
dia, and were educated at Salesian College, Farnborough.
C. A., Woods-Scawen was born in 1918. His award was announc-" ed on September 3, when it was stated that in June last he was shot down twenty-five miles in- side French territory, but got back to his squadron.
Up to then he had been shot down six times, and tribute was paid to his "unabated courage and enthusiasm" and his out- standing qualities as a resource- ful and determined leader,
Against Big Odds
P. P. Woods-Scawen was born in 1916. When his D.FC, was awarded in June' it was stated that once, when heavily-outnum- bared, he attacked a large forma- tion of Germans without hesita- tion and shat two down.
•
His 'plane was hit and he was slightly wounded, but baled out and rejoined his unit.
It
was added. that he had shown "great courage, endur-
ance and leadership.
As we got nearer Europe we got a bit depressed. We thought there was no chance of ‘rescue. No Milk, No Tea"
At 5,30 on the morning of September 3 the alarm sounded Furnishings and fittings were throughout the ship again. We de luxe except where alterations were told to get on deck with had been made to give the ship our lifebelts. powerful armament.
All the German officers seemed Our diet "did" not "Improve, in a daze. When
they first The communique, which -con-- There was no milk, no sugar, sighted the submarine they were tains the names of 319 officers and no tea. Thoy gave us imita- i convinced that it was a German airmen, gives a total of forty-nine tion coffee made from burned which had come to escort them officers and airmen killed in corn and .an Imitation jam, into port. They hadn't bargain-action, and forty-eight wounded Our staple diet was soup made ed for it being British.
or injured. Those missing total from peas, beans or lentils.
The Germans in my lifeboat { eighty-eight. We saw little of our captors. refused to take us to the sub- The number killed on active The captain, a grim-faced Prus-marine, so I pushed the officer service is forty-eight. Of ten sian, never spoke until the day away from the tiller and told previously reported missing I left his ship to be transferred my men to row towards it for all
three are now safe and seven to the Tropic Sea, a Norwegian they were worth. I knew that are prisoners, ship which they had captured there were time bombs in the He then asked me if I had ship due to explode in a matter been treated well. I said I had of minutes. We drew alongside no complaints, and added: "But the submarine and a young lieu I shall never forget the murder tenant pulled of my sixteen men, with you fir- ing at us while we were help- less.".
He said: "Forget it, captain, there's a war on." I said "I shall never forget and never forgive it." He shrugged his shoulders.
It was true that we hadn't been badly treated. The officers and men with whom we had dealings
strangely were like
deluded children.
They believed that the war would be over in a matter of
me
aboard and said: "Welcome home."
A sergeant of the Royal New Zealand Air Force is reported missing, and two pilot officers were killed on active service.
The names of nine D.F.C.s, one A.F.C. and one D.F.M. are includ- He had one of those Navyed in the list. voices. It sounded like music 'In my, cars.
COLONY'S BILL OF HEALTH
KOWLOON TRAFFIC OFFENDERS
..
Miss P. Scotcher, of No. 291, During last week, 196 cases of Prince Edward Road, was cau- weeks, and they even had daily tuberculosis with 146 deaths; 38 tioned by Major A. N. Macfadyen band practice on board so that of dysentery with 20 deaths, 11 at Kowloon this morning, for fall- the ship could be represented in of chicken-pox with one death; ing to screen the Ughts of her car "the victory: march through Ber-
·lin" which they
nine of typhoid with three deaths; properly whilst driving in Nathan thought was
tive of diphtheria with one death; Road during the last "Black-out." soon to take place.
"Traffic Inspector A. R. Brittain They believed that the Bri- five of measles; cne of cholera
with one death, one of puerperal said that Miss Scotcher only used- tish Navy had been swept from fever with one death; and one of one cover, instead of two, the seas, that South-East Eng- land was a desert of destruc- meningitis, were notified.
Yesterday there were 42 cases tion, that the Port of London
of tuberculosis, seven of dysen was shattered and useless, and.
tery; four of chicken-pox, two of that all England was starving, diphtheris and, one imported case and continging the fight of smallpox, desperations
One morning alarms sounded, and we were all locked in our quarter. There was a lot of scumpering -going on above our heads. Then the guns. Bred: three times.
Refuelled At Sea
HEROIN PIPES IN A SACK
More than an hour later war Two months hard labour was saw through Uttle peepholen in Imposed by Mr G T Lowry, the wall of our prison room that this morning, on Tse Cheong, 28, some seamen were being brought coal coolle, for possession of two on board. They were from the heroin pipes. - captured Norwegianship Trople Sca.
A fine of $5 was imposed on Mr. L. Soares, of Liberty Avenue, for speeding: in the Nathan, Road controlled-area on November 15 Mr. Soares was alleged to have driven at 26 m.p.h.
For leaving his car unattended on the wrong side of Pakhol Street for over an hour, B. Octon, of the Royal Scots, was caution- cd.
GLynn, a student of Diocesan Boys School, was bound over for Jumping on n moving busin Prince Edward Road on Novem ber 14,
THEFT FROM CAR Mr. D. R. Holmes, of the Sergeant Mackenzle, who was S.CA, was victim of the theft on duty in Lockhart Road, saw of clothing from a car parked ****Soon afterwards another ship defondant carrying a small sack outside the Central Fire Station
day afternoon, come alongside. It was the Ger. The pipes, were found inside.
Page
YOU DRIVE RELAXED AND RESTED WITH A:
STUDEBAKER
CHAMPION
ན ་ - ༄་
FAR OUT IN FRONT IN SURE-FOOTED COMFORT,
HANDLING EASE, SAFETY
HONG KONG HOTEL GARAGE
Stubbs Road.....
Phone: 27778-9.
Sensational
VALUES
SMART FELT HATS.
British Make.. Sale Price $4.50 each
"BATTERSBY"
and “WARD” FUR FELT HATS Sale Price $12.50 each,
British Make Pure Wool Blankets and Travelling Rugs
NOW AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES..
YEE
"JAEGER"
Pure Wool Pull-Overs Sale Price $9.50 each.
Also
Articles
Other Woollen and Morning Gowns for sale at Reduced Prices.
KANG FAT
& CO., LTD.
Soothing
as an Old Time Melody
Spinet
Large size hand-coloured real photographs enclosed in all packings.
VIRGINIA
Ovals
CORK TIPPED
The SUPER Cigarettes.
Obtainable ot
C. INGENOHL'S CIGAR STORES.
LA PERLA DEL ORIENTE
and other tobacconists,