1939-12-22 — Page 13

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 22, 1939

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CREW FIGHT TO SAVE MINED DESTROYER

Seventy sailors, with their ship sinking below them, lost a Gallant Battle to save the first British destroyer to be sunk since war began.

The destroyer struck a mine. In the explosion one man was killed, fiteen wounded. Although the water surged in until the quarter deck was awash there was no order to abandon ship. Every man worked to save her.

A tug arrived, tow ropes were attached and a great race against the rising water began. The effort failed. The destroyer turned on her side and sank.

Six men are missing.

HERO'S BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR WOUNDED

The twenty-first birthday of a midshipman who escaped from the Courageous was celebrated yesterday by his father handing

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cheque for 250 to the War Rellef Fund.

The midshipman, Jan Mac- lachlan, of Hagley, Worcs, asked his father to send any present he might be thinking of giving him to the Fund, when he left home to join his new ship.

Maclachlan landed his plane оп the flying dack of the Courageous a minute before she

WRI

torpedoed. Ho stripped, dived overboard and awam for several hours before being rescued.

"My son realised that he was tremendously lucky In coming out alive and it was his wish that his birthday gift should go to relieve war suffering,” Mr.

Maclachlan told the press. ́

Glider Record Claim

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Able-Seaman Hoyle, of Craven Park, N.W., one of the rescued men, told this graphic story:—

"I was on deck. A terrific explosion shook the ship. I saw a man blown right past me over the alde of the ship into the water. At the same moment the mast snapped and crashed down.

"As a lifeboat was lowered to rescue the man the ship was already listing badly. Our first thought was for the men trapped below near the explosion.

"We forced our way through the wreckage to rescue them. The cook in the galley was badly Injured, and an officer who was having bleeding badly.

A bath Was

"There was no panic. The injured men were brought up and laid on the deck while we tended to their injuries. The man who was blown overboard had been safely picked up, though he was hurt by the blast of the explosion. GALLANT SEAMEN

Putting out a house hit by an "incendiary bomb" during last Sun- day's mock air raid at Yaumati, Kowloon.

not swim a stroke held one of the in- "We were sinking by the stern, but jured men's head above the water. there was no order to abandon ship. "The captain swam around encour- Every man was eager to save her, aging the men. Gradually the tug They worked hard shoring up the picked up most of us and then a traw. bulkheads and manning the pumps. By er and little pleasure boat came out this time the quarter deck was awash, and picked up the rest.

"Some of the men were so badly in. "While they were in the water some Jured that they had to be tied to the of the men were singing and cracking stretchers. We carried them to the jokes. I saw one man who had stayed other side of the ship away from the on the bow of the sinking ship rolling Ilst.

a cigarette, and jokingly remarking that he had no matches.

"Our radio and engines were out of action. Then a tug arrived on the

"Most of the men had only one com- scene, and actually got a line to us and plaint. That was that they were un-

While began to tow us, The ship had prac- able to save their ship.

we tically righted herself, and everybody were sinking we saw an explosion in thought she would hold.

a merchant ship not far away."

The officers and men, some of whom

"But a few minutes later she turn-

World record for a flight' by miniature glider or aeroplane is ed quickly over to port and lay on her had their clothing torn away by the claimed by Belgium's Miniature Avla- side. Our first thought was for the force of the explosion, were landed tion Club for M, Verbimen, whose injured.

and taken in ambulances, lorries and miniature glider flew recently for 1 "I saw the captain, who had no life- private cars to hospital and hostels. hour 18 minutes 14 seconds, says

Reuter.

The club says the previous record

belt himself, unstrapping one of the injured from the stretchers.

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Presented From Court

Wife at Willesden: "My husband flies into a temper regularly every three weeks."

"I can't pay my income tax as I have spent all my wages.-Man at Willesden.

Defendant at Highgate: This is the first time I've been in trouble since I was last summoned.

Man at Highgate; I am a stranger to the police of this district.

"Motorist ̃al ̈ ̈Highgate:~~ 1 ́ ́did ̄ ̄ ̄ ̄not know these lights were there, I had to rely on instinct,

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Flower Lover

Bans Flowers

was

was held by Italy with 1 hour 6 min- as the ship was sinking slid them into £50 Worth of Happiness Henry Chaplin, buried at St. John's.

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utes 13.2 seconds.

JO

Dictator Takes a Boss

"It is my express wish that there shall be no flowers at my funeral," "We put lifebelts on the Injured, and

a clause in the will of Mr.

the water. I saw one man take off

Woking. He was one

most of the

his own lifebelt and throw it to one

A pound for each year of their famous flower growers in the coun- of the injured men as he floated in the married happiness makes up the £50 try. water.

donation to Spalding (Lines) Hospital We say: A curious ban, this, for Alexander Kerensky, the former

BANG, CRACKED JOKES

by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bates, of Mr. Chaplin never failed to send Russian dictator, was married at East- ~ "There was a lot of oil floating on Matmore Gate, Spalding, as a thank- wreath to the funerals of exhibitor on, Pennsylvania, to an Australian the surface and this made swimming offering in commemoration of their friends, always making it of flowers girl, Miss Lidle Tritton.

difficult. A friend of mine who can- golden wedding.

of his own propagation.

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