1941-01-30 — Page 6

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THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 30, 1941.

SURVIVORS OF "EMPRESS" TELL OF BOMBING

THEATRE IS

on CATHEDRAL

HOW THE EMPRESS OF BRITAIN was attack- ed by a German bomber in the Atlantic was told by survivors who landed at a British port recently to the "Manchester Guardian." The ship was set on fire by the raider's bombs, and while in tow she blew up and sank. Some 598 survivors out of a total on They can't black-out board of 643 have been landed by British warships Exeter Cathedral, so the The ship's commander, Captain Charles Ho-authorities have taken for ward Sapsworth, was among the survivors. He the Theatre Royal stood on the bridge until it was burning away be-Sunday evening services. neath him, encouraging his anti-aircraft gunners as they battled with the German 'plane until all were killed or wounded and the guns were out of action.

The Nazi raider then continued did not experience much difficulty to machine-gun the bridge and the helpless passengers on deck Captain Sapsworth brought the King and Queen back in the Em- press of Britain from their Cana disn tour

here.

Rafts Made

No collections and "religion without frills" are features of these services for young people, to be conducted from the stage.

The Dean, Dr. S. C. Carpen. ter, told a reporter: "There wilt be no frills. The speakers will not aim at being eloquent or emotional, but will try to give plain answers to the difficult re- ligious questions of to-day. "A great many of the Exeter churches are closing on

Sunday evenings because they cannot pro- perly darken their windows. all the wood we could-cabin Hymns On Screen

These boats were full up and we still had about 140 people on Far beneath the gunners, in the the forecastle. We hoped there bowels o1 the Imer, other Insta would be boats for us sometime of brot the eneities g£ though ¦ other, but in case there were not

they had to wear gas masks be-we began to inake raits We get

cause of the smoke and fumes.

After dropping his arst bombs the Nazi plane returned and dropped four more, including in- cendiaries. The Huer caught fire. and passengers took to the boats. but some could not be lowered as they were set ablaze by the bombs, Sailors made rafts for passengers. There was little danger of thị ship sinking immediately,

act there was ample time for women and children to get into the boats While awaiting instructions they had stayed below without panic. Many of those on board could not get away immediately, and about 300 of them made their way to the forecastle. The last were not taken off until six hours later. In the stern about 100 people gather- ed, but they were all taken off within an hour of the nilack.

Several members of the crew Dait a tribute to a naval officer aboard the Empress of Britain,

"He

took a party of men through the flames and smoke

"The Cathedral is similarly af-

doors, doors between deeks, and awning spars--and made sea rafts, We pushed these to the railsfected.

ady to tip into the water and tied lines to them so that they would not flout away.

"One man who

was in the water came up the rope to the deck and helped a sailor to low er a bogt, This boat was the means of many lives boing

saved.

"Owing to the fire spreading quickly a number of the boats had to be got away with only four men in them, the idea being to get them safely afloat and then get the

people into them. The trouble was that four men could not row these heavy boats, and then the motor-boat" which could have towed them to where they were needed most got a knock as it was being lowered and the engine would not start."

No doubt parents will stay at home, but the younger folk will probably want to go out. These theatre services are intended for them.

"It is hoped that these servicca will attract also those people who walk about the streets on Sunday nights.

"The whole thing will be easy. Words of the hymns will be flash- ed on to a screen. There will be no charge for admission and no collections."

BUY THEIR OWN BOMB

The Minister of Supply ha acknowledged a cheque for £46 by the resi. "The coxswain, named MeKin-15s. 6d, subscribed non, and an R.A.F. officer did ex-

dents of Simeloengoen, a district rellent work between them. Me on the east coast of Sumatra, for be to try to launch some of the Kinnon had about a dozen pen- the purchase of "a bornb to starboard boats," said one

ple in the metor-boat with him, dropped fairly and squarely on sailor. "They managed to get

objective in Ger- but none of them could get the some definite one of the boats lowered, but

engine to start. We managed to many on their behalf." then had to best a retreat. That row the boat to the lifeboat near- The residents of Simeloengoen one boat saved a lot of lives."

by in the hope that someone there have been assured that they need Once again the R.A.F. played its

could help. There we came have no doubts that the bomb will the manner they bart. The occupants of one boat across the R.A.F. officer, and he be dropped in sighted a British flying-boat, and managed to get the engine going, desire. cheered when the R.A.F. men It was easy after that. The motor- signalled that rescue ships were boat towed the empty lifeboats up on the way. The occupants of the to the ship, where the flames had boat were picked up three-quar-been spreading, and it was not ters of an hour later by a war. long after until we were all away. ship.

1 was one of the last men to leave the ship.

Baby Among the Rescued

The youngest passenger on board-eleven-month-old Neville Hart-was saved. He was tied in a blanket on the back of a sailor who slid down sixty feet of rope to a lifeboat. The child's mother, father, sister, and brother were also saved. Their home is at Ald- ridge, Staffs.

His sister Beryl, aged nineteen, said: "I was in my cabin, near my mother's, when the first bomb struck the liner. There was a terrific noise and my cabin was wrecked before I was able to leave it. My mother called and I scrambled through the wreckage and reached her. We stayed be- low. Soon fire broke out, and it was raging all around us.

"All these hours the flames har been spreading forward and the heat and smoke were most try- Ing. One man who had been in the sea was dried in a short time fust by standing near a bulwark. "Then a British flying-boat came along. It signalled to us that rescue ships were on the way. We cheered. A British warship came up about three-quarters of at hour later, The Navy was grand and soon had us all on board

Fire's Rapid Spread

Another member of the crew said he thought a number of people were killed and Injured hy the explosion of the bombs and by the aircraft's machine- guns.

them, a Mrs. Stratter, found her- self on a raft, Not far away was a lifeboat, but as it had only four men in it it appeared that it could not reach the raft, so Mrs. Stratter and a steward swam to the boat." Describing how he received in- juries to his hands a steward said, "I went down the rope to get into the boat, but when I got to the water the boat had disappeared. I time and it was hung on for a then that my hands were hurt. I then found an empty lifebeli box floating about I was wearing my lifebelt, but I can swim only a few strokes. I managed to get to the box, and then it overturned and I was trapped inside it below the water. How I managed to free my- I have self I do not know... a vague memory of a pal of mine appearing from somewhere with a boat-hook, but I don't remem- ber being pulled into the lifeboat."

A man who was among the tast party to leave the forognatie taid. "By the time we loft the foremast was red hot and the paint was falling off like atribs of canvas." An

said,

"It was typical of the Nazi airman," he said, "to machine- "My little brother did not seem gun the helpless passengers after to trouble at all. We remained in he had put our guns out of action

engine-room officer the ship for about two hours be- with his bombs. He machine-"We kept the engines running for fore we were safely lowered to gunned the bridge heavily, but about three-quarters of an hour the lifeboats. We were in the the machine-gunner there fought after the attack, but the smoke boats for six and a half hours be-back bravely. I heard our skipper and fumes were so bad below The that we had to wear our gas fore we were picked up by Bri- commending him highly. tish_warships.”

skipper himself was very cool. He masks as we went about our jobs. Mr.J_P_Donovan, of Southamp stayed on the bridge until it was The Jights were on, but we need- ton, said: "As soon as the bomb-literally burning beneath his feet, fed electric torches as well to see ing began about forty or fifty of and he was on the forepart until what we were doing. When the us lay down on the deck of the the very end.”

time came to abanden ship we forecastle. The lights went out in "I cannot describe how quickly had a bit of a struggle to get on this part of the ship. With the the fire spread. The ship caught deck." assistance of torches we made our fire within a few minutes as the George Larkin, a fireman, of way forward, und when we reach-result of hits by incendiary bombs. Liverpool, said: "The first I heard ed the bows conditions were not It it had not been for the fires we too bad. The captain had man- would never have had to leave oeuvred the vessel so that the for- the ship. ward

of part would be clear smoke and flames,

"We managed to collect some of the injured and carry them wit "Finally about 300 people, in- where some other men and cluding women and children, stayed with the ship's doctor help were gathered, Half an hour aftering to attend them until we were the attack some of the boats low taken off.” ered from the starboard side came up forward, and we got all the women and children and as many others as possible info them, The sea was pretty calm and we

Women's Bravery:

One of the stewards said: "The women were very brave. One of

was machine-gun fire. A moment after a bomb struck the ship. Wẹ were trapped and we had to go right forward again through black choking smoke and fumes. Two men collapsed from, suffocation before we reached safety by climbing to the upper deck."

Several members of the ship's crew were killed and wounded as they strove to keep the raiders off. Those manning a Lewis gun were shot down by the raiders' ma- chine-guns as they fired at it.

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