1940-09-23 — Page 16

80 CHILDREN

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 23, 1940.

DROWNED

Evacuee Ship Torpedoed 600 Miles Out

Only 7 Survivors Of U-Boat Outrage

HARROWING EVACUEE SHIP DISASTER

A SHIP CONVEYING 90 English children. and nine adult escorts to Canada under the Overseas Reception Board evacuation scheme: has been torpedoed and sunk. · It is feared 83 children and seven adult escorts have been lost; a warship has brought seven children to o northern English port.

Altogether 294 lives are feared to have been lost.

17.

The children embarked at 31 Little Chance west coast port during the second (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") week in September and were well! Mr. Geoffrey Shakespeare, Un- on their way to their new war-der-Secretary for the Dominions The story of the torpe-time home when the ship was who met the warship bringing] the following doing of the British chil-struck at 10 p.m. en September survivors, issued

statement:---- dren's evacuee ship by an

As with the evacuee ship which! enemy submarine was was torpedoed late in August on nation that any German submarine told in a broadcast from a similar voyage, when the whole captain could be found to torpede was a ship over 600 miles from land company of 320 children

in a tempestuous sea. Th New York yesterday saved unharmed, the precautions Conditions were which reveals the tragedy taken by the Board were on the

"I am full of horror and indig-

British

THREE ITALIAN SUBMARINES DESTROYED destroyers recently sent three Italian submarines to the bottom of the Mediterranean, but when they returned to port they. brought with them all the members of the crews it was pos- sible to rescue. Picture shows some of the Italian submarine survivors waiting to be taken ashore in a motor-barge. (Copy- right; Fox).

FEARS FOR

being picked up by a boat from another vessel. Sonia Reoch, 11, of Bogner her nine-year-old such that Regis, and

the

scale which has made it possible there was little chance for passen-brother Derek were among CATHOLIC

without hitherto ૧.

to survive.

as one of the most har- transport overseas nearly 3,000 gers, whether adults or children rescued children. They showed

little trace of their terrible rowing disasters in mari-children time history.

of

single casualty.

Killed By Explosion

The vessel carried over 400 re-j fugees, including 98 children, whom at least 294, including 93 For every 15 children there; children, were lost.

experienced was a skilled and Many of the survivors

were escort in addition to a doctor and taken to hospital on arrival in an nurse.

or-

PRIESTS

"This deed will shock the deal when interviewed in a hotel] they were, world. It is another example of in the port where the barbarous methods of war-landed.

among Sonia said: "We were fare associated with Nazi Ger-!

and the many and it is only comparable the last to get away

Wheri we with their present, brutal, Indis first to be rescued.

•criminate bombing of women got on deck after the torpedo had struck the ship we were told to and children in London.” The children, who practically go to the bow and get into English port suffering from shock The complement of the ship all came from State-aided schools, Lifeboat. and injuries.

was so calculated that for every were drawn, almost entirely from Mountainous acas hampered, child there was one adult passen-'vulnerable areas in and around

ger on board.

de. Tragic circmstances over.

feated all precautions. A. number of children are bo. lleved to have been killed by the explosion.-

"Told It Was Going Down"

Reports received by the "China Mail" from Pakhoi- reveal grave fears for the safety of two Roman Ca- tholic priests of the Paris. Foreign Missions Society. "My sister Barbara got down

fol- Rumours in Pakhol state the the ladder and Derek was W. B. Forsyth, a London pas-lowing down a rope slung

from two priests, one of whom is French senger on board the liner, said in the ship's side. By the time he and the other Belgian, have been an interview: "We had no warn- reached the water the lifeboat murdered by Japanese soldiers in There was a terribly heavy sealing before the attack.

had pulled away and Derek had Walchow Island, opposite Pakhoi.. of the

*No confirmation can be obtain- sudden, mountainous wave, It which swamped many

"The ship was so badly holed to climb up again.

the work of rescue, and endan- gered the frall lifeboats, One, Ilfeboat Just launched turned; most of those in it were drowned but some managed toj cling to the overturned boat. Another lifeboat dropped from the davits when swamped by a

those clinging to it except one. at rescue.

London,

No Warning

fell on the first lifeboat killing all boats and defeated gallant efforts that she listed heavily and almost "We were then told to go toled in Hong Kong, though Roman immediately, began to sink. We the stern but, as we were run- Catholic circles say nothing has had only 20 minutes to get the ning along the deck we were been heard of the two Fathers for:

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lifeboats. lowered-and- away.'

down. three months. told the ship was going "Casualties occurred practic-We rushed back to the bows and ally at the start, Darkness climbed down a rope, where we added to the difficulties, but the found a raft and all scrambled passengers behaved magnifi- onto it. .*

cently, particularly the women "We tried to sit up and werej and children. The little mites--thrown down--again by the obeyed every instruction,

"We had an awful tossing and heavy waves nearly, swamped ́us. Hail and rain followed and how our boat remained afloat I don't know,

terrific wind. We were pick- ed up by another boat and then a warship appeared and we all stood up and cheered for the good old British Navy.. "Thank God we found Barbaraj "The children died on the res-safe on board the warship. The cuing warship."

Behaved Wonderfully

sailors gave us rum to drink. It was horrible stuff but I suppose

it did us good."-Reuter. Mrs. Margaret Hudson, of JAPANESE MOVING Bradford, said: "I was sitting with] [my husband and another woman-

TROOPS INTA when there was a terrific crash. INDO-CHINA... and the whole ship shuddered.

(Continued from Page 1). The passengers were told to mustion to granting passage for troops ter in the lounge until the evacuee children had been put aboard life-to the Chinese border; and per- mits the Japanese to use three -boats.

airfields at Phut, Loakay and

by

"The children had been so happy

on board and were looking for- Phulang thương. ward to their new homes in The proclamation issued

Admiral Decoux, says that Gen-İ Canada, and when the alarm cameeral: Martin, Commander-in-chief they behaved wonderfully.

My husband helped me overlof the French Indo-China Army, Is supporting the agreement. - the side and I got down a rope thinking was going Into a

Special. ilta- boat, but the boat was some distance away, and another girl and 1 swam towards it.

Husband Missing

“Peaceful Advance”

STOP PRESS

were

Thirty-six cases of cholera have been reported in the last 48 hours. Twenty-four in Kowloon,... 'hine," in Victoria, two in the New Ter ritories and one in Shauki- wan.The total since the outbreak of the epidemic is 754.

The prefix "Special" to telegrama in An official joint communique used by the Sunday Herald" and issued by the Japanese Army and China Mali to indicate hews which Navy in Tokyo, at 11 o'clock this strictly copyright under the provi slons of the Telecommunications Or, morning says that units of the dinance, 1936, and may not be reprint.. Army and Navy to-day started a ad under any circumstances," aithai "I did not see my husband again "peaceful advance" through Indo-wholly or in part, without but I still hope he may have been China Reuter.

→ Frangement, picked up by a warship:(

"I don't know how many died in our boats but I was -sur- prised how quickly young man pasced out.

"I was just about through, wher I saw a warship · circling rounc looking for boats. For in time. thought it had not seen us and then someone put up a piece o cloth on an oar and naval came and took us on board.

Lving On Raft

Miss Doris Walter said, "she Was on board because the missed an eatlier ship. She got away from the Hirer with ans other woman the latter's two children and a young scaman.........

PhThey had to ile on muraft] gripping the planks with their

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