1939-06-23 — Page 14

2

June 23, 1939.

Friday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

AS

THETIS SURVIVOR

SOBS

HE

TELLS HOW FOUR MEN ESCAPED

SOBBING, and speaking at "I was immediately below the

thamber. I could have

escape touched the escape chamber from where I stood.

times in a whisper, Leading Stoker W. C. Arnold, one of the four survivors of the Thetis disaster, described his periences recently.

Arnold, seated in bis shirt rot up top Hleeves in a room of his home

r

said:

Parkside-road,

"I went up to investigate a small ex leak, for my own beneft, und for The future running of the boat. I

"There was a rush of air from the Tranmere, forehead-the torpedo tube. There

was shouting.

"There were lights in the PEOPLE SHOUTED "SURFACE”' Thetis until the time I left her.surface. The Inds who were in the "People shouted from control, We had been down some time, företend torpedo tube place tried to when, about three o'clock, her scramble out, nose suddenly shot down. I

""Eventually They got out of that won't say-it is definite that the compartment and out of the second torpedo tube was open, but it compartment into the accommodation

Then we shut the door. was pretty definite.

space.

"I was working at the time and "We could not do it for a few never realised that anything had seconds because of the angle of the happened. At the time I was door, but eventually we succeeded. closing the forward hatch to make By this time the Theils was in the the bulkhead watertight.

water at an angle the most extrn-

WHY HE WAS SILENT

"I have said nothing before because

1/10

I did not know where I stood.

"My diving station was. In pumping room. That was forward.

ABOLISH SUBMARINES

When he distributed prizes at the annual speech day of Rydal School recently, Mr. Graham White, M.P. for East Birken- head. referred to the tragedy of the Thetis, and suggested that it was an opportunity for the naval Powers to agree to abolish submarines,

"The disaster moved the heart of this nation and indeed the whole world," he said. "1. every misfortune there is al- ways on opportunity, and there was a great opportunity in this catastrophe for anybody with courage and imagination to take 1. The opportunity was for a leader or leaders of the great submarine Powers in the world when

sending a message of sympathy to accompany It with a statement to this effect: 'We sympathise with you in

this tragedy, and we are impressed by the futility and the sheer inf- quity of warfare and with war- fare on these lines. We shall on our part, if other countries will do the same, destroy and dis- mantle our submarines and put un end to this iniquity."""

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THE "TELEGRAPH” will send a Staff Photographer to all events of public Interest. Requests

should be addressed to the Pictorial Editor.

ordinary angle I have ever known in

submarine.

ALL WERE CONFIDENT "No water came Into the third chamber. I knew then we were

Short- Circuit Was The Cause

REAR ADMIRAL BRUCE FRASER. - TINKD SEA LORD, CLANIFIED RECENTLY A STATEMENT HE MADE THAT THERE HAD BEEN A FIRE ON BOARD THE SUBMARINE THETIS.

Women Mourn at Scene Of Thetis Disaster

LIVERPOOL.

VICTOR SILVESTER & HIS BALLROOM ORCH, The Original & Still The Bost

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F1428-Make Belleve.

F1403-Deep Purple.

Moon Love,

Mexical Rose. F1400-Palais Stroll.

Blackbird op. F1418-Speakeasy.

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St. Bernard Waltz.

F1387-Jolly Brothers,

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Where Is Our Blue Bird of Melody Lane,

Park Parade,

A LONG LINE of more than 120 wreaths floated on the waves above the stricken sub- F1372-Tears On My Pillow marine Thetis recently in tribute to the 99 men who lost their lives in her,

CALVAGE experts in Liverpool • were surprised by a suggestion

99 men on board.

troller of the Navy, said.

"Stoker Arnold, one of the sur-

up.

While memorial services were being held at ports and commands throughout England, warships gathered by the scene of the disaster for a service at which mourned-150 relatives of the men in the Thetis. The youngest to attend was a baby clasped in the that fire had hastened the end of the arms of Leading Stoker Arnold, one of the four survivors. Admiral Fraser, who is Comp-The baby was one-month-old Alan Yates, son of Arnold's comrade, Stoker A. E. Yates, who was with those who vivors, has told us he saw. smoke died in the submarine. down. There was no panic. Tlicy That would come from what we

Muny of the mourners made alongside. To the starboard of the "Everybody was confident, and all would call a fre, but would really be anxious inquiries for the wife of the Hebe were the destroyers Codrington

Mrs, and Basilisk. feit sure we should get up ourselves Just a short circuit, caused by a little commander of the Thelis, in a few hours.

water getting over one of the Bolus, who had comforted them at auxiliary

From an improvised stand the machinery parts.

Cammell Lairds when they waited "Smoke would come up but there for news before hope was abandoned. Rev. G. H. Crouch, chaplain of the word for the poor devils down there would be no flame, simply an ordin- They wanted to thank her for her Submarine School at Gosport, read now. There was talk between every-lary short circuit similar to what example of courage and fortitude, "Eternal Father, strong to save."

the 22nd Psalm after the singing_of body. Although there were all those might happen with an ordinary bell- but she was not present. brains down there, even able-seamen push. It would not 'go un. Jur seamen who had suggestions re- "That short circuit was near the

garding coming up were allowed to after escape hatch. voice their opinion,

"There was no argument between experts and the lower-deck people and workers.

were all cairn,

"I would like to say a special

READY TO ESCAPE "All suggestions were studied. It all just started as talk, and every- body joined in."

Leading Stoker Arnold, dropping to a whisper, then described the at- tempt to

"First L.

Chapman went into the forward escape chamber," he suid, "hoping to get into the flooded compartment, open the suction and pump out. But he could not do it.

"The pressure was too much for his strength. Then. Mr. Petty-Olleer Mitchell went in. Then there was third attempt made by Pelty-Officer Wells, and then they decided to abandon it. Things went on and on. Different jobs of work ¡were done.

Wood

and

We came

Captain to the stern. Oram and Mr. Wood decided to do

their best to get out. They got in the chamber and away they went.

"We know they were gone because we coud see daylight shining through the water in the escape chamber. "I don't know how to put it. will just

say Show and myself decided to make a bid for it, and came up and, as you see, we mude

our escape.

"The word 'fire' is an unfortunate term."

NO CONJECTURES

Asked whether the fire could have been dealt with by the men on board the Thells, he replied:

me

"Well, now you are pressing for something I do not know. I do not want to make conjectures,

"There is no question of secrecy, of course, but we do not want the relatives to conjecture anything that

not absolutely known."

Those in the Hebe include Reur Father Denia Kelly read prayers Admi. C. B. Watson, Rear-Admi, of for the Roman Catholics who died in Submarines, representatives of the the submarine. Admiralty, and Mr. R. F. Johnson, managing director of Messrs. Cam- mell Laird,

The masses of wreaths

oft jcarried

where two

were

Ballers The service started at two o'clock dropped them over the stern. The varied from large and board the minesweeper Hebe, tributes which brought the mourners from elaborate wreaths, such as the giant Liverpool.

anchor sent by

the Admiralty, to

On the pontoons being used in nosegays, salvage work, grimy salvage workers

Several women individually dropp- suspended their task and stood

to jed posics Into the sea. attention as the service began in brilliant sunshine.

THREE VOLLEYS · The Hebe lay facing south, with With Arnold's wife was the grief-the minesweeper Sengull behind. stricken Mrs. Yates, the baby's On her port side lay the pontoon grandfather, and two grandmothers, the salvage vessels Vigilant

Three nurses moved among the Salvor, and five tugs. who were overcome by grief. women present, ready to altend any The submarine Cachalot with her crew manning the dock Was close

Memorial Services For Thetis Heroes

Birkenhead.

An Inscription, "To our heroes, from their pals," scrawled on a small wreath, epitomised the spirit in which Merseyside mourned recently.

On both sides of the river flags were

"We felt sure everyone would get out at frequent intervals. Everyone at half-mast and ships in the port was the same-civilians, officers and

men.

lowered their colours. In front of

and

After the final prayers the church pennant was hauled down on the Hebe, and a fring squad of ratings, lined up on the forecastle of the Seagull, fired

volleys 05 frightened gulls flew off the water with shrill cries of alarm.

three

LIFE-BOAT'S TRIBUTE

After the Last Post was 60unded the ratings in the Seagull presented urms, and Bugler H. F. Cook sounded the Reveille.

·

An acroplane droned low over- head as the service ended with the playing of "God Save the King."

As the vessels turned away the motorlife-boat from Llandudno, which aided rescue attempts, came

The Lord Major of Liverpool, Sirup with flag at half-mast. Its crew, Sydney Jones, and representatives all sides of life in the city, attended a crowded service in St. Nicholas Parish Church, the traditional callors church at Liverpool.'

in civilian clothes with lifebells on, threw two wreaths overboard,

Birkenhead Town Hall more than Widow Carried

25,000 people assembled for the town's memorial service.

They included 10,000 worlters from Caminell Laird's builders of the Thetis, my

who marched in their overalls from

Often-crying is used to vent your feelings on such occasions. I never saw anyone shed a tear. There could never have been a finer crowd.

"I instructed Shaw and did duty, The same as anyone else would have cone.'

the shipyard which closed down for Arnold said the service.

With their workmates' wreaths In

In reply to aquarine when he their hands, stood James Whelligan

the air in the

it was "indescribable." He said he had sten Shaw, since

plumber's labourer, Charles Guy and Ted Hart, sheet iron workers, of Cammell Laird's.

their escape,

but he would not discuss what they talked about.

From among senior officers of the NO ONE WILL KNOW

Army, Navy and Air Force, consular Asked whether it was the condition officials and civie and religious heads of the air which might have prevent- of the district, the three men marched ed the others following him and into the vast sunbathed square before Shaw, he said, "No one will ever the Town Hall and placed the flowers know."

on the rapidly growing bed of Arnold safd be would like pay wreaths massed about the wor a tribute to the staff in the sick bay memorial.

"No one will know how I appreciate what has been done for me," concluded.

he

the

From Church

Other services and expressions of homage to the dead of the Thells

were:

DEVONPORT

Many thousands of people had lined the landing stage and also the long promenade at Wallasey, on the Che- shire side of the Mersey, as the ships proceeded to sea in the morning.

F1357-Dld You Go Down Lambeth Way.

I Shall Always Remember You Smiling.

etc.,

etc..

etc..

Q.8.

Q.8.

B.F.T.

Waltz.

Sequence Dance.

Walix,

Waliz.

Q.9.

S.F.T..

Sequence Dance.

Q.8.

Waliz.

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Investment Bankers and Brokers

Members of New York Cotton Exchange

Chicago Board of Trado

Winnipeg Grain Exchange

Commodity Exchange, Inc., New York

Canadian Commodity Exchange, Inc., Montreal. New York Coffee and Sugar Exchange

Manila Stock Exchange

Hongkong Sharebrokers Association Shanghai Stock Exchange.

SHANGHAI, HONGKONG, MANILA AND SINGAPORE

Cable Address: Swanstock

The

Hongkong Telegraph

NINTH ANNUAL

AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

June-September, 1939 CASH

$250 $250

PRIZES

(Donated by "Hongkong Telegraph")

Marriage Is TWO SILVER TROPHIES, VALUED $250

A Luxury

Amid the sobs of relatives a mem-Association had to watch their step Members of the Married Women's orial service was held at St. Nichoing's when they met at the Queen Mary Church, Royal Naval Barracks, De-Hall, Great Russell-street, W.C.I. vonport. A simple wreath from officers and men, of the submarine recently. service was inscribed, "In profound sympathy and in memory of our Bachelors' Club, including anilors, A contingent from the Plymouth comrades in H.M. S. Thetis." The soldiers and dockyard workers, went Commander-in-

-Chief,

Plymouth, to London to reason with them. Adml. Sir Martin Dunbar Nasmith, V.C., was among those present."

The subject of discussion was "This Mrs. Caroline Hole, the 22-year-old House considers that married women widow of Stoker W. T. Hole, over-do not get a squarè deal,"

TWENTY RELATIVES

of H.M.S. Bruzen, the staff in the: On the base of the memorial was come by emotion, collapsed and had sick bay of Devonport Barracks, and spread the Union Jack issued by the to be carried from the church.

Dr. Winifred Cullis presided, apri Dr. Edith Summerskill, M.P., cham- the Naval Hospital, Stonehurst. Admiralty to be flown from the Thetis,

Tribute to the courage of

pion of wages for wives, supported the motion. The bachelors' case was: victims was

The service at Chatham was held at put forward by Mr. G. Roberts, a by the Bishop of paid Chester, Dr. G. F. Fisher, who con- the Royal Naval Barracks Church boller-maker from Devonport Dock- ducted the service from the balcony and was attended by the Commander-yard. He decried marriage, and said of the Town Hall, assisted by clergy In-Chief, The Nore, Vice-Admi. Sir II. no woman should "get the last word" of other denominations and at me lives of the three Services and the Mr. C. Wood, club secretary, and a J. Studholme Brownrigg, representa in the debate. He was backed up by panied by the Mayors of all the boroughs on the Cheshire side of the Mayors and Corporations of Chatham, staunch woman-hater. river.

Rochester and Gillingham.

Tests For Pilots Of Air Liners

More than 20 relatives sat imme- "We say marriage is not intended diately behind the Commander-in-for the working-classes--they can't afford it," said Mr. Wood. "With

We grieve for the town of Birken- head, for Cammell Laird's, for the Navy-that great Service which to us Chiet. in this island is our pride and our

AIR line pilots are to be subject to stricter regulations to ensure that they are competent to fly new types of aircraft or chief protection. those for which their flying ticket is not endorsed.

technte 1 examinations,

to

the Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood,

WOMEN COLLAPSE

and

Cupt. H. P. K. Oram, one of the four wages of £2 or £3 a week it means survivors, was present at the service family would be ill-nourished. In St. Anne's Church, Portsmouth They will lead to a C.3 nation." Dockyard.

He maintains that men who marry

Second Sea Lord. Admiral Sir Charles Lille. The Corporations of Ports-

Sir Maurice Denny, chairman of the was a tragic group of relatives-and i Naval. Squad 4o hase of the Africa (submarines, £5,000; Lord Dulverton,

"But we grieve more for those who With the Commander-In-Chief, lose their moral courage, they get For this purpose the Air Registra lost father, son, brother or friend, and Portsmouth, Admiral of the Fleet ce afraid of their employers, and have tion Board, which held its second for children not yet born who will Eart of Cork and Orrery, was the to obey boss No. 1-their wife, annual meeting recently, Is

never know their fathers. appoint a highly-qualified pilot with{ "These men loved life, and they experience of commercial flying as a risked it honourably in the service of mouth and Gosport were represented. One anonymous donor sent a dia- chief testing officer in addition to their fellows. and of their country. A cervico-arranged by the Admond and sapphire pendant, mounted

They lost their lives honourably at miralty was held. at St. Martin's-in-in silver. Recently at a lunch attended by gallant and faithful to the enclosure Simon's Town,

their posts with open eyes, courageous the-Fields, Trafalgar-tquare.

Recent contributions included: the church of

St.

Froncla Messrs. Scotts, builders of Navy Listening in a reserved

Д rervice, was ut- £1.000; Imperal Chemical Industries Air Registration Board, sald that they friends of men who died in the Thetis, tended by officers and men of the Ltd £500; Pearl Assurance Co. Ltd., were confident the operation of the As the Last Post was sounded after station and leading elvic and public £202 108; Geo, Spencer, Ltd., £250, new system would be of great benefit. as the procedure to be adopted would a two minutes silence in which the personalities.

The Mayor of Wellington, New ensure that every pilot of a public whole of Birkenhead was hushed, The High Commissioner for Canada, Zealand, has opened a relief fund for transport aircraft was thoroughly severnt women collapsed under the Mr. Vincent Massey, has requested the dependents; conversant with his duties before he ztress of emotion.

Earl Stanhope, First Lord of the Ad-

The secretary of the Royal was licensed to fly a particular type. cluded, the crowd fled slowly past sympathy of his Government and the Tune, has intimated to Messrs. Cam- For hours after the service was con- miralty, to convey the deepest Merchant Navál School, Mr. G. E. the wreaths laid round the Cenotaph. people of Canada to those bereaved mell Laird Ltd. that should any of Sir Kingsley Wood, said that he the French Navy to their. "Cama-

Among the wreaths was one from by the tragedy. hoped to bring before Parliament shortly the legislation to complete the rades Britanniques," one inscribed meter of Imperial Airways and "From Italian Friends," and another British Airways.

from Brazilian Ambassador and "I believe it is essential we should the Brazilian Naval Commission. do this," he continued, "I we are to Copt, H. D. K. Oram, one of the sur- secure an adequate share in the vivors, rent a wreath: inscribed. "IN development of the vital communica- deepest sympathy, and splendid tions upon which the Empire largely memory of my brave companions in dependa"

| H. M. S. Thetis.".

MERGER PLANS SOON

the

Diamond Pendant

For Fund

:

the firm's men who lost their lives in the Thetis have left children, the board, will consider applications for

admission to the school.

The offer applies to childen aged Reven

to who may as a result of the

32, be in reduced circumstances.

dieren, to admitted would be

'Gifts continue to pour Into the Lord Mayor's Mansion House Fund for the clothed, educated and maintained to relief of the dependents of victims of the age of 16. without any expense to the Thetis disaster. Sanam and Ad relatives,

(Donated by ILFORD, Ltd., London)

SEND YOUR ENTRIES IN NOW. CLOSING DATE & TIME: 29th SEPT. AT 5 P.M.

THE ILFORD TROPHIES WILL BE AWARDED TO THE BEST. AND SECOND BEST ENTRIES IN THE COMPETITION, IRRESPECTIVE OF CLASS.

Prizes will be allotted as follows: SECTION ONE:

For Story-Telling Pictures,

Ist. $30. 2nd. $15. 3rd. $10.

SECTION TWO: General Pictorial Section; Landscapes, Seascapes, Architectural, Street Scenes, etc.

1st. $30. 2nd. $15. 3rd. $10.

SECTION THREE: Portraits, Informal Close-ups, Human Studies.

1st. $30. 2nd. $15. 3rd. $10. SECTION FOUR:

Still Life and Table-Top Studies, 1st. $30. 2nd. $15, 3rd. $10. SECTION FIVE: Snapshots taken by children under fourteen years. 1st. $15. 2nd. $10, 3rd. $5.

RULES

The following Rules will govern the Competition:

1-The Competition is confined ex-

clusively

amateur photo- grapher

2-No employes or member of any firm in the photographic trade fa permitted to compete,

3.---The prizes will be awarded to the competitors sending in what are adjudged to be the best photo- graph In each Section." Each entry must be accompanied by a fonn which will be published during the period of the Com- petition, and which must. pasted on back of entry, 4-Tho"right" to publkh bny ́or" ait of the entries is reserved to the Hongkong Telegraph.

bo

FALLI 6. All photographs entered

have been taken in the Colony of Hongkooz. Photographs which have been already entered in other Competitions, are ineligible, -No responsibility will be accepted for non-delivery of, low of, or damage to entries.

7-All entries to be either, black, sepia, or toned pletures, and must.

USE THIS FORM

AND PASTE IT

ON THE

BACK OF EACH ENTRY:

photo-

bo mounted, Coloured graphs are ineligible. B-Pictures submitted in sepia tonea should be accompanied by smaller print in black and white, B-No picture to entered in more

than one Section.

10-Mounts to be only. white or

the

cream and, except Children's Section, must be of one of the following sizes:-10x12, 16X20..

11. No correspondence will be entered Into in connection with the Com- petition.

12-Entries in the Children's Section must bear the entrant's namo age and address on the entry: form, counter-algned by a parerit. 13-Member of the Staffs of the Hongkong Telegraph and the South China Morning Post are not -permitted to compafa.

14-The decisions of the Judges shall:-

be final.

10-At the conclusion of the Com- petition, entries will be returned to competitors on application at the Telegraph offices within seven days.

SECTION

NAME

ADDRESS

DATE

ENTRY FORM

Please use block-tellers and phate this on back of each Entry, it entered it. Cildren's Section, parent please coun teraign, here,