Tuesday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
June 20, 1939.
Survivors Tell of Thetis Last Plunge
"WATER ROSE OVER MY HEAD. MY MIND
WAS GOING
By
7
Staw
IN A COPYRIGHT. INTERVIEW WITH THE
LONDON "DAILY EXPRESS", MR. FRANK SHAW GAVE A DRAMATIC STORY OF HIS RESCUE FROM THE THETIS. IN THE COURSE OF THE INTERVIEW, HE SAID:
It was a fine morning when we left Cammell Laird's at Birkenhead in the Thotis for the sub- marine to do hor acceptanco trials in Liverpool`· Bay. The sea was very smooth.
I was in the control room when the order was given to dive. I didn't think much about it: the ship had been down before.
But I did have an idea she began to dip a bit steeply, and soon the angle was very steep. Then we hit the bottom. There was a heavy jolt-not a crash or any- thing but it sent every one flying off his feet. We fell against the forward bulkhead and had to catch hold of something to try to stand up.
The deck was cocked at about 45 degs. Tools and binoculars and all sorts of loose gear came crashing down. Orders were given by shouts and by phone through the ship to shut all the watertight doors. We had to clamber about like monkeys because of the angle of the ship,
There was suddenly silence. All the machinery stopped-not because of the bump, but no orders from the control room. It was so quiet that you could hear men moving about. I looked at the men near me, and they looked at me. I suppose they realised, too, that 'something had gone wrong.
I helped to close our watertight doors. Though we were locked up in compartments the officers, using the phone, were able to speak at once to almost all parts of the ship.
We soon realised the forward compartments were flooded, but we discovered the men had managed to escape and close the watertight doors behind them.
So far as I can remember the lights were still on. Reports came to the control room from other parts of the Thetis that nothing had apparently been broken when we hit the bottom. We opened our watertight door leading to the next compartment, which was then almost underneath us because of the ship's angle.
11
This was the wardroom, where] They got into the escape a couple of fellows had been chamber and disappeared. You caught when the orders were can-imagine what it was like. given to shut the doors. We then. We could only wait, and shouted down to ask if they were the air was bad. There did not all right.
seem much we could do. Some Ropes were lowered, and Lieu-of them were still joking about tenant Chapman and Commander the farewell party. Engineer Glenn climbed down to It was not very cold, because make an inspection. When they it kept your blood going having found everybody in the ship was to climb about the submarine. O.K. they held a conference. But it was getting colder. I be
So far as I know, no one had gan to feel bad. then thought about using the I can't remember much after Davis apparatus. The idea was that till we heard tapping. It to set about getting the ship back to the surface.
Ordered To Pump
was very clear. I don't know what the messago Was. We tapped back. It was a great re lief.
Out All The Fuel We were told the message was No one thought about leaving from Captain Oram, saying to her. We were all joking. There begin sending the rest of us up was to be a farewell party when with the Davis outfit.
we got back to Birkenhead after
Even then not many of us the acceptance trial. They know how many destroyers and made a lot of jokes about that. tugs were overhead.
The first move to try to sur-
The outer hatch that lets you face the submarine was an order get into the sea was closed soon after they had gone from the to get out fuel pipes, and pump out all fuel to make her lighter. submarine, so the chamber was all ready for the next couple.
who it was to be.
That was how people came to seeThere was no picking or choosing "patches of oil on the sea.
There was no panic. All the machinery was under control. Having To Climb
There was another escape jchamber, but it was in the flood-
ed forward compartment.
$180
ATER
65FT MUD
'Alive, Kicking Wired Survivor
LEADING stoker W. C. Arnold sent two telegrams to his wife as soon as He escaped from the Thetis and was picked up by the destroyer Brazen.
One read: "Am alive and kicking." The other, addressed to "Malelo and Mackle" (his nickname for his year- old baby), said: "Am Oke. Will see you soon-Mac."
Mrs. Arnold said: "This is his second submarine accident-but, al- though he is due to reitre, he said he'd sign on for another twelve years, and I don't suppose this will make him change his mind."
Leading Telegraphist W. E. Allen,! one of the men in the Thetis, is the tallest man in the submarine service. He is aft. 3ins. Ifis father is boxing editor of the South Wales Echo.
*
Get Rid
HOWEVER slight that dny pimple of rach may
seem, be sure to smear on Zam-Buk. If you neglect these early stages of skin trouble, eczema or - some other serious complaint may soon develop. But by smearing on Zam-Buk herbal ointment you soon make your skin healthy again. Zam-Buk soothes pain, nourishes the underlying tissues and. expels poison and disease. It hoals without a scar,
· L.Z. 1887
of Itchy
RASHES & SORES
Keep Your Skin Healthy With Zam-Buk
7AM-BUK
Agents:
Herbal OINTMENT
Gilman & Co., Ltd., Des Voeux Road,
Hongkong.
LATEST PARLOPHONE & REX RECORDS.
R2650.
Mildred Balley & Her Orch,
Blame It On My Last Affair. What Shall I Say?
R2050.
Acceleration. (Strauss.) Waltz. Budapest Waltz., (Lanner.) Mare Than You Know,,
R2657.
Sugar (That Sugar Baby O' Mine) Rainin'
Le Jazz Hot.
R2001.
All Alone.
„Orchestra Mascotte,
....Teddy Wilson & His Orch.
Jimmy Lunceford & His Orch
Ari Shaw & His Now Musle.
Leading Seaman A. II. Smith has R266D, been seventeen years in submarines. His wife said: "I have always been afraid something like this would hap- pen. For years I've begged him to give up submarines-and six weeks ago he said he would consider it."
*
Someday Sweetheart OT173.. Olvidame. Tango
9533.
Tearful young sweethearts, waiting for news at Cammell Laird's Birken- head yard, said that shortly the crew 9530. of the submarine were to have held their farewell dance before leaving 9531. for Falmouth,
Still Rushing To Join The R.A.F.
LONDON, June 19.-There is still no sign of the high rate of Intake into the RA.F., which has been a feature of recent months, diminish- ing.. Last week 1,034 recruits joined, compared with 407 in the correspond. ing week last year,
bringing the total entry of pills, observers, airmen and boys since April 1 to 10,677 com- pared with 3,851 for the correspond- Ing period last year.-British Wireless,
decided to send a naval man and
a civilian for a last try.
Stoker Arnold was picked. They all call him "Mac." Some one.pushed me to the hatch-and- said, "You go."
I just happened to be near by, that's all. I had to go or I could not have lasted out.
1
Mac helped me flx my Davis and we got in. He opened the cocks and the water started com- ing in. It's a dreadful feeling -a, feeling that you're trapped.
You can please yourself how fast it comes, because you can regulate it. He let it come in pretty fast. You can't imagine what I thought. It did not help seeing the others die. Water Over My Eyes
I Could Hardly See But some one had to go. When the water got to my neck I whipped on the mouthpiece and waited.
Stern of the Thetis was at one time above water; This diagram completes the picture; shows how the submarine was stuck in the
mud. Here is the key to the diagram: A-Oil fuel storage tanks. H-Batteries.
The water got higher and B-Engines.
J-Forward escape chamber higher till it was over my eyes in mad. Men using Davis and I could not see properly. escape apparatus emerged My mind was going fast. I from after chamber (not wondered if the hatch was Jain- visible in diagram), med.
C-Water release valves. D-Air bottles. E-Control room.
F. Conning tower. G---Periscopes.
creep up from their ankles to
K-Torpedoes.
You don't know what it felt like. But you have got to keep
They were both civilians. cool till the pressure inside is The first pair to follow Cap. their waists, their chests, their Others waited their turn, al- the same as outside. tain Oram and Lieut. Woods in- necks.
though it was not known for
to the escape chamber were Ile saw them slip on the certain whether or not the outer Mac caught my arm and made
oddly pumps. drowned:
Kept Us Warmer But everything "was quiet, except for the
mouthpieces of the Davis arti-hatch had jammed. Two naval some signals. He pointed to the That would be what was heard
Poor chaps, they lost their ficial lungs. When the water men who know the gear volun- outside hatch and made as if to by some of tho destroyers. nerve, and tried to open
the reached their cheeks I'm told he teered to be locked in to see if push it. I knew what he meant, Every one was working to get outer hatch, before the pressure saw them banging their hands they could make it work. and nodded. her up.
There was still a little food inside was equal to the weight against the outer hatch through
Commander Glen went to the both strained against the hatch. He moved the catch and we of the water outside. They which they were to escape. loft biscuits. and cheese and
were not strong enough to push them to shoot out and up to the flooded again. But he soon had opened it very easily.
But the regulation time for window, and the chamber was some chicken.
that open. We could not use the radio
Commander Glen was peering
surface came to an end still to give the order to pump it dry. It seemed quite a while when under the water, and it seems through a small, thick glass win. they were there, and the outer When they opened the inner I was in the chamber, but it did the machinery for making dow, about the size of a post- hatch was still closed,
hatch, they found another dead not take long to reach tho sur underwater signals had been put card, through which he could seo empty the ing on his chest.
The only thing to do was to man with the mouthpieco hang face. I flew up like a rocket but unt of action as soon as wo hit into the escape chamber, which start the pumps to open the in second man was still alive, God, was I glad to see the
nover saw Mac, bottom
is big enough only for two men.nor hatch and lift them out. his mouthpiece in position, but light up at the surface? When Water Crept Up
They were dead.
ho was only semi-conscious. He I Broke through, the first thing whispered that the hatch would I saw was a small bont from one He watched those two when To Be Locked In
not open
of the destroyers, the Brazen. I they were locked in and the cooke were turned to flood the plece. They must have panick-don't think I would have lasted
Both had taken off the mouthThe air was very thick came up right under it..... chamber. He saw the water cd at the last moment o
much longer down there. They
Captain Orama and Lieutenant Woods, we heard, were going to take the risk of finding some- body on the surface. Some are mangement wua nhạc thật Cap tain Gram was to signal us in "some way if he was saved,
To Their Necks Two Volunteered,
Now I keep remembering the men I was the last to sed alive.
0532.
Coliccita De Mi Novia. Tango, Orquesta Tipica Francisco Canaro, Sweetheart. (Film.) Waltz
Romany. Tango,
..Maxwell Stewart's Ballroom Orch.
I Can't Get You Out of My Mind. F.T. Hurry Home, F.T.
Cuckoo In The Clock. F.T. Same Old Story. S.F.T. Hold Tight-Hold Tight They Say.
Billy Cotton & His Band.
........Jay Wilbur & His Band.
Freddy Gardner & His Swing Orch.
ETC., ETC., ETC.
TSANG FOOK PIANO COMPANY, Marina House, 19 Queen's Road C., Tel. 24648.
UNE
SALE
A SPECIAL EVENT
FOR A LIMITED PERIOD
THE WHOLE
OF OUR STOCK
OF
QUALITY MERCHANDISE
AT
Sensational VALUES
THE FINEST AND NEWEST SILK AND COTTON MATERIALS AT PRICES WHICH CANNOT BE REPEATED
NOTE: Owing to the very low prices, only limited purchases can be allowed oach customer.
TAJMAHAL SILK STORE
KING'S THEATRE BUILDING