1939-06-23 — Page 2

2

THETIS TELLS

June 23, 1939.

Friday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

SOBS

AS

SURVIVOR

HE

HOW FOUR MEN ESCAPED

SOBBING, and speaking at "I was immediately below the

chamber. I could have touched the escape chamber from where I stood,

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

ex-

"I went up to investigate a small leak, for my own benefit, and for the future running of the boat. I

Arnold, sented in his shirt got up top. sleeves in a room of his home

"There was a rush of air from the

was shouting.

at Parkside-rond, Tranmere, forehead-ihe torpedo tube, There

said:

"There were lights in the PEOPLE SHOUTED "SURFACE" Thetis until the time I left her. surface. The lads who were in the "People shouted from control, We had been down some time, forehead 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 compartiment into the accommodation

space. Then we shut the door. was pretty definite.

"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

the happened. At

Ulme was loor, but eventually we succeeded. closing the forward hatch to make By this time the Thetis was in the

water at an angle the most extra the bulkhead watertight,

ordinary angle i have ever known in a submarine.

WHY HE WAS SILENT

"I have said nothing before because

I did not know where I stood.

"My diving station was in Bie 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 Thells, and suggested that it was an opportunity for that naval Powers to agree to abolish submarines.

The

disaster moved the heart of this nation and Indeed the whole world," he said. " .every

misfortune there is al- ways an opportunity, and there was a great opportunity in this catastrophic for anybody with courage and imagination to take

10

It. The opportunity was for 3 leader or leaders of the great submarine Powers in the world when sending n message of sympathy

accompany it with a statement to this effect: We sympathise with you in tragedy, and we are impressed by the futility and the sheer In- 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,'”

USE.

Michel

AND COUNT

Daird

Short- Circuit Was The Cause

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

Women Mourn at Scene

Of Thetis Disaster

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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.

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 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 troller of the Navy, said.

comrade, Stoker A. E. Yates, who was with those who Saw smoke died in the submarine.

CALVAGE experts in Liverpool were surprised by a suggestion that fire had hastened the end of the D0 men on board.

"Stoker Arnold, one of vivors, were

has told us he They coming up.

the

ALL WERE CONFIDENT "No

water came into the chomber. I knew then we down. There was no panic. were all colm.

"Everybody was confident, and all felt sure we should get up ourselves in a few hours.

sur-

the

body. Although there were all those might happen with an ordinary bell- but she courage and fortitude (the 22nd Psalm after the singing of

brains down there, even able-seamen push.

to

not

present.

"That would come from what we Many of the mourners made alongside. To, the starboard .of the would call a fire, but would really be anxious inquiries for the wife of the liebe were the destroyers Codrington just a short circuit, caused by a little [ commander of the Thetis, Mrs. and Basilisk. water getting over one of the Bolus, who had comforted them at

From auxiliary machinery parts.

Commell Lairds when they waited

an Improvised stand Uhe "I would like to say a special

"Smoke would come up but there for news before hope was nuandoned. Rev. G. H. Crouch, chaplain of 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 aimlar to what example of

was

"Eternal Father, strong to save." It would not go on.

Those in the Hebe include Rear- Father Denis Kelly read prayers Adml. C. B. Watson, Rear-Adml. of for the Roman Catholics who died in Jutter escape hatch,

Submarines, representatives of the the submarine. term."

"The word 'fire' is an unfortunate Admiralty, and Mr. R. F. Johnson,

managing director of Messrs. Cam- The masses of wreaths were NO

mell Laird,

carried aft where Iwo sailors CONJECTURES

The service started at two o'clock dropped them over the stern, The which brought the on board

varied from the minesweeper Hebe, tribules

Jorge and mourners from Jelaborate wreaths, such as the giant Liverpool.

Janchor sent by the Admiralty, to On the pontoons being used in nosegays. salvage work, grimy salvage workers suspended their task and stood Several women Individually dropp-|

toed postes into the sen the service begun In attention as brilliant sunshine.

or seamen who had suggestions re- "That short circuit was near the garding coming up were allowed voice their opinion.

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

READY TO ESCAPE "Ali suggestions were studied. It all just started us blk, and every- body Joined in.”

Leading Stoke Arnold, dropping

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

to a whisper, then described the at-not want to make

to make conjectures, tempt to escape.

caid, "iopl

"First Lieut. Chapman went into the forward escape chamber," he to get into the flooded compartment, open the suction and

out. But he could not do it. The pressure was too much for his

Mr. Wood strength. Then Petty-Ofleer Mitchell went in. Then there

third attempt made by Petty-OMeer Wells, and then they decided to abandon it. Things went on. Different jobs of work on and were done.

was a

and

came to the stem. Captain Oram and Mr. Wood decided to do their best to get out. They got in the chamber and away they went.

"We knew they were gone because

coud

see daylight shining through the water in the escape chamber,

"I don't know how to put it, will just say Shaw and myself decided to make a bid for it, and came up and, as you see, we made

we

our escape.

THREE VOLLEYS

"Well, now you are pressing ine for something I do not know, I do

There is

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

The Hebe lay facing south, with is not absolutely known."

With Arnold's wife was the grief-the minesweeper Seagull behind, stricken Mrs. Yotes, the baby's On her port side lay the pontoons grandfather, and two grandmothers. the salvage vessels Vigilant and

among the Salvor, and five tuga.. who were overcome by grief. women present, ready to attend any The submarine Cachalot with her

crew manning the deck

close

Three nurses moved

Wos

Memorial Services For Thetis Heroes

Birkenhead.

The Lord Major of Liverpool, Sir An inscription, "To our heroes, from Sydney Jones, and representatives their pals," scrawled on a smoli al sides of life in the city, attended u wreath, epitomised the spirit in which crowded service in St. Nicholas Parish Church, the traditional sailors' church Merseyside mourned recently.

at Liverpool.

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 civilions, officers and

men

lowered their colours. In front of Birkenhead Town Hall more than 25,000 people assembled for

the town's memorial service.

Widow Carried From Church

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

"I instructed Show and duty, the same as anyone else would who marched in their overalls from homage to the dead of the Thetis have done

In

to

their escape,

did

'NO ONE WILL KNOW!

my

They included 10,000 workers front Cammell Laird's builders of the Thetis, į

the shipyard which closed down for the service.

With their workmates' wreaths in

their hunds, stood James Whelligan

Cammell Laird's.

Other services and expressions of

were:

After the final prayers the church pennant was hauled down on the

ebe, and a firing squad of ratings, lined up on the forecastle of the Seagull, frightened gulls flew off the water

fired three volleys with shrill eries of alarm.

LIFE-BOAT'S TRIBUTE

After the Last Post Was sounded the ratings in the Seagull presented arms, and Bugler H. F. Cook sounded the Reveille.

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

As the vessels turned away the motorlife-bont . from

Llandudno, which aided rescue attempts, came with fog at half-mast. Its crew, threw two wreaths overboard, in civilian clothes with lifebelts on,

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.

Marriage Is A Luxury

DEVONTORT

Members of the Married Women's Amid the sobs of relatives a mem- Association had to watch their step

donc. reply the air in the submarine when he question, Arnold sald left it was "indescribable."

He said, he had seen Shaw since plumber's labourer, Charles Guy and orial service was held at St. Nicholas's when they met at the Queen Mary YOUR COMPLIMENTS discuss what they talked about.

but he would not Ted Hart, sheet iron workers, of Church, Royal Naval Barracks, De-Hall, Great Russell-street, W.C.1,

vonport. A simple wreath from From among senior officers of the ofleers and

• Compliments galore-and

men of the submarine recently. Army, Navy and Air Force, consular service was inscribed, "In profound romance-come to the wo-

A contingent from the Plymouth Asked whether it was the condition officials and civic and religious heads sympathy and in memory of our Bachelora Club, including sailors, man whosemouthis kissable,

of the air which might have prevent-of the district, the three men marched comrades in H. M. S. Thetis." The soldiers and dockyard workers, went ed the others following him and into the vast sunbathed square before Commander-in-Chief, whose lips are kept young

Plymouth, to London to reason with them, Shaw, he said, "No one will ever the Town Hall and placed the flowers Adml. Sir Martin Dunbar Nasmith. and lovely with Michel Lip-

know."

on the rapidly growing bed of V.C., was among those present. stick, Michel Lipstick is a

Arnold said he would like to pay wreaths massed about the war Mrs. Caroline Hole, the 22-year-old well-balanced lipstick. It

widow of Stoker W. T. Hale, over spreads evenly, gives a feel-

spread the Union Jack issued by the to be carried from the church. ing of dewy frealiness. Keeps

Admiralty to be flown from the Thetis,

TWENTY RELATIVES lips soft and appealing. It is

Tribute to the courage of the

The service at Chathom was held at] truly permanent. Its colors are flattering and its per- fume inviting.

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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.

a tribute to the staff in the sick bay memorial,

of H.MS. Brazen, the stuff in the On the base of the memorial was come by emotion, collapsed and had

sick bay of Devonport Barracks, and the Naval Hospital, Stonehurst.

"No one will know how 1 appreciate what has been done for me," concluded.

The subject of discussion was "This j House considers that married women do not get a square deal.”

he victims was paid by the Bishop of the Royal Naval Barracks Church put forward by Mr. G. Roberts, O

river.

Tests For Pilots Of Air Liners: IR line pilots are to be subject AIR

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.

WOMEN COLLAPSE

·

Chief,

Dr. Winifred Cullis presided, and Dr. Edith Summerskill, M.F., cham- plon of wages for wives, supported the motion. The bachelors' case was Chester, Dr. G. F. Fisher, who

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-Adml. Sir Ine woman should "get the last word" of other denominations and accom-J. Studholme Brownrigg, reprezenta in the debate. He was backed up by panied by the Mayors of all the lives of the three Services and the Mr. C. Wood, club secretary, and a boroughs on the Cheshire side of the Mayors and Corporations of Chatham, staunch woman-hater.

Rochester and Gillingham. "We grieve for the town of Birken-] More than 20 relatives sat imme- "We say marriage is not intended hend, for Cammell Laird's, for the diately behind the Commander-in-for the working-classes they can't Novy-that great Service which to us

afford it," said Mr. Wood. "With in this island is our pride and our: Capt. H. P. K. Orum, one of the four wages of £2 or £3 a week it means survivors, was present at the service family would be til-nourished. In St. Anne's Church, Portsmouth They will lead to a C.3 nation." Dockyard.

He maintains that men who murry With "But we grieve more for those who

the Commander-in-Chief, lose their moral courage, they get For this purpose the Air Registra- for children not yet born who will Earl of Cork and Orrery, was the to obey boss No. 1-their wife,

jost father, son, brother or friend, and Portsmouth, Admiral of the Fleet se afraid of their employers, and bave tlon Board, which held, Its second annual meeting recently,

Second Sea Lord. Admiral Sir Charles Is to never know their fathers. appoint a highly-qualified pilot with risked it honourably in the service of mouth and Gosport were represented. "These men loved life, and they Little The Corporations of Ports- experience of commercial flying as a

One unonymous donor sent a din- chief testing officer in addition to their fellows and of their

country. A service arranged by the Ad-mond and sapphire pendant, mounted technical examinations.

They lost their lives honourably atmiralty, was held at St. Martin's-in-in silver. their posts Recently at a lunch attended, by gallant and faithful to the end."

with open eyes, courageous,

the-Fields, Trafalgar-square..

Recent contributions included: At the church of St. Francis. Measro. Scotts, builders of Navy enclosure Simon's Sir Maurice Denny, chairman of the was a tragic group of relatives and Naval Squadron, a service was at £1.000; Imperal Chemical Industries

Listening in a reserved

Town, the base of the Africa submarines, £5,000; Lord Dulverton, Air Registration Board, said that they friends of men who died in the Thotla, tended by officers and men of the Ltd., £500; Pearl Assurance Co. Ltd., were confident the operation of the new system would be of

As the Last Post was sounded after station and leading elvle and public £202 10s.; Geo.. Spencer, Ltd., £250. benefit great ns the procedure to be adopted would two minutes allence in which the personalities.

The Mayor of Wellington, New whole of crisure" that every pliot of a public

Birkenhead was

The High Commissioner for Canada, Zealand, has opened a hushed, transport · nircraft "was

a relief fund for thoroughly several women collapsed under the Mr. Vincent Marsey, has requested the

emotion:"

Earl Stanhope, First Lord of the Ad-

The pendents,

secretary of the Royal was licensed to fly a particular type cluded, the crowd filet slowly past sympathy of his Government and the Tune, has intimated to Messrs. Cam

convey the deepest Merchant Naval School, Mr. G. E. MERGER PLANS SOON the wreaths lald round the Cenotaph. people of Canada to these bereaved mell Laird Ltd. that should any of Sir Kingsley Wood sold that he Among

ong the

the wreaths was one from by the tragedy, ple hoped to bring before Parliament the French Navy to their "Cama

one inscribed shortly the legislation to complete the rides Britanniques,"

"From Italian merger of Imperial Airways and

Friends," and

and another believe it. Is essential we should the Brazilian Naval Commission. British Airways, i

from the Brazilian Ambassador, and do this," he continued, "If we are to Cant: 11. D. K, Oram, one of the sur- secure

an adequate share in the vivors, sent a wreath Inscribed: "In development of the vital communica-deepest sympathy and #plendid tions upon which the Empire largely memory of my brave companions to depends

H. M. S. Thetis," :

the-Air Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood,

conversant with his duties before he/tress offer the servica was con-miralty, to

For hours

(the firm's men who lost their lives in the Theils have loft children, the board will consider applications for 111001 The offer applies to chliden

BRed

ther Diamond Pendant:ndinision to

For Fund

the

12, who may as a result of the seven to ditaster be in reduced circumstances. Gifts continue to pour into the Lord

Children to admitted would be Mayor's Mansion House Fund for the clothed, educated and maintained to relief of the dependents of victims of the age of 10 without any expense to the Thetis disaster, mestrelatives.

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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”)

TWO SILVER TROPHIES, VALUED $250

(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. 1st. $30, 2nd. $15. 3rd. $10. SECTION TWO:

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

Ist. $30, 2nd. $16. 3rd. $10.

SECTION THREE: Portraits, Informal Close-ups, Human Studles,

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

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

RULES

The following Rules will govern the Competition:

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munt

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have been taken in -ile Colony of Hongkong.Photographs which have been already entered in other. Competitions are ineligible. 6-No responsiblilty will be accepted for non-delivery of, loss of or damage to entries. 7--All entries to be either black, sepla, or,tened picturea, and must

USE THIS FORM

`AND PASTE IT. :.

ON THE

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be

photo-

mounted. Coloured graphs are ineligible, 8-Pictures submitted in sepia tones should be accompanied by a smaller print in black and whila.. -No picture to entered in more

than one Section.

10.-Mounts to be only white or

creain and,

in the except Children's Section, must be of one

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

12--Entries in the Children's Bection must bear the entrant's name, age and address on the entry form, counter-nigned by a parent, 13-Members of the Staff of the Jongkong Telegraph and the South China Morning Post, aro, not. permitted to compete..

14-The decisions of the Judges shall

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petition, entries will be returned to competitors on application at the Telegraph offices within seven day.

SECTION

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Ploase use block letters and paste this on back of each Entry, if entered. I Children's Section, parent pluato noun tereign. herO,