1939-06-23 — Page 26

2

THETIS

Friday.

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

SURVIVOR

June 23, 1939.

SOBS AS

HE

TELLS HOW FOUR MEN ESCAPED

SOBBING, and speaking at "I was immediately below, the;

chamber. 1

could have

times in a whisper, Leading escape Stoker W. C. Arnold, one of the touched the escape chamber. from

where I stood.. four survivors of the Thetis disaster, described periences recently,

his

"I went up to invesligate a small

the future running of the boat. I

ex leak, for my own benefit; and for

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

"There was a rush of air from the; at Parkside-road, Tranmere, forehead the torpedo tube. There Bald:

was shouting.

"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 compariment into the accommodation

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

"3. 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 Thetis was in the the bulkhead watertight.

water at an angle-the most extra- 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 tho pumping room. That was forward.

ABOL IS. H

SUBMARINES

When he distributed prizes at the annual speech duy of Rydal School recently, Mr. Graham White, M.P. for East Birken- hend, referred to the tragedy of the Thatis, 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

he whole world,"

maid. "In every misfortune there is al- ways an opportunity, and there was a great

anybody with catastrophe opportunity in this courage and imagination take

to The opportunity wes for a leader or leaders of the great submarine Powers in the world when sending a message sympathy to

a

statement to

to this effect: sympathise with you in this tragedy, and we are impressed

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.

CALVAGE experts in Liverpool were surprised by a suggestion

Women Mourn at Scene

Of Thetis Disaster

LIVERPOOL.

A LONG LINE of more than 120 wreaths floated on the waves above the stricken sub- 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 that fire had hastened the end of the arms of Leading Stoker Arnold, one of the four survivors. 00 men on board.

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 "Stoker Arnold, one of the sur- vivors, has told us he anw smoke died in the submarine. ́ coming up.

"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 Hebe were the destroyers Codrington just a short circuit, caused by a little commander the Thetis, Mrs. and Basilisk. water getting over

the Of the Bolus, who had comforted them at

From un improvised stand the auxiliary machinery parts.

Cammell Lairds when they waited "I would like to any u, speciul

"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." body. Although there were all those might happen with an ordinary bell- but she was not present brains down there, even able-scamen push. It would not go on. or scamen who had suggestions re- That short circuit was near the Harding coming up were allowed to after escape hatch. volee their opinion,

ALL WERE CONFIDENT "No water came into the third chamber. I knew then we were down. There was no panic. They were all calmi.

"Everybody was confident, and all felt sure we should get up ourselves

in a few hours.

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

READY TO ESCAPE

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

NO CONJECTURES

Asked whether the fire could have

"All suggestions were studied. It been dealt with by the men on board "Well, now you are pressing me for something I do not know. I do not want to make conjectures.

all just started as talk, and every-the Thetts, he repiled: body joined in."

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

of

the 22nd Psalm after the singing of

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

on

bo brought the mourners

of The masses

wreaths were nit carried

two where

sailors

The

The service started at two o'clock dropped them over the stern.

from varied

large and which

the minesweeper Hebe, tributes

from claborate wreaths, such as the glant 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 tod posles into the sen. attention as the service began In brilliant sunshine.

THREE VOLLEYS

дэ

There is

is no question of secrecy,

After the final prayers the church "First Licut Chapman went into of course, but we do not want the

pennant, was hauled down on the the forward escape chamber," he relatives to conjecture anything that of

The Hebe lay facing south, with lined up on the forecastle of the Hebe, and a firing squad of ratings, snld, accompany it with

"hoping to get into the flooded is not absolutely known."

With Arnold's wife was the grief-the minesweeper Seagull behind. compartment, open the suction and We

Seagult; fred. three volleys pump out. But ho could not do it. stricken Mrs. Yates, the baby's On her port side lay the pontoons, frightened gulls flew off the water

"The pressure was too much for his grandfather, and two grandmothers. the salvage vessels Vigilant and with shrill cries of alarm. strength. Then Mr.

moved among the Salvor, and five tugs. Pelly-Omeer Mitchell went in. Then women present, ready to attend any there was a third attempt made by who were overcome by grief. Petty-Officer Wells, and then they decided to abandon it. Things went on and on. Different jobs of work were done.

by the futility and the sheer ini- 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 an end to this iniquity.""

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Wood

and

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

Three nurses

The submarine Cachalot with her crew manning the deck was close

Memorial Services For Thetis Heroes

Birkenhead.

"We knew they were gone because we coud see daylight shining through the water in the escape chamber,

"I don't know how to put it. F

Just Bay Shaw and myself An inscription, "To our heroes, from decided to make a bid for it, and

their pols," scrawled on a small come up and, as you see, we made wreath, epitomised the spirit in which our escape,

-Merseyside mourned recently.

wil

"We felt sure everyone would get out at frequent intervals. Everyone was the saine-clvilions, officers and

men,

"Often crying is used to vent your feelings on such occasions. I never I saw anyone'sfied a fear, There could

never have been a finer crowd,

"I instructed Shaw and did my duty, the same as anyone else would I have done.'

In reply to a question, Arnold said the air in the submarine when he left it was "Indescribable."

On both sides of the river fings were at half-mast and ships in the port lowered their colours. in front of Birkenhead Town Hall more than 25,000 people assembled for the town's memorial service.

He said he had seen Shaw since i plumbands, stood James Whelligan

on

The Lord Major of Liverpool, Sir Sydney Jones, and representatives f all sides of life in the city, attended u crowded service in St. Nicholas Parish Church, the traditional sailors' church at Liverpool.

Widow Carried From Church

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

were:

DEVONPORT

pur

LIFE-BOAT'S TRIBUTE After the Last Post was sounded the ratings in the Seagull presented jarms, and Bugler H. F. Cook sounded

the Reveille..

They included 10,000 workers from Cammell Laird's builders of the Thetis, who marched in their overalls from the shipyard which closed down for the service.

With their workmutes' wreaths in their

Amid the scbs of relatives a mem- labourer, Charles Guy and orial service was held at St. Nicholas's their escape, but he would not Ted Hart, sheet Iron workers, of Church, Royal Naval Barracks, De- discuss what they talked about. Commell Laird's,

vonport. A

simple wreath from 'NO ONE WILL KNOW

From among senior officers of the officers and men of the submarine Army, Navy and Air Force, consular service was inscribed, "In profound Asked whether it was the condition officials and civic, and religious heads sympathy and In memory of of the air which might have prevent- of the district, the three men marched comrades in H. M. S. Thetis." The ed the others following him and into the vast sunbathed square before Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, Shaw, he said, "No Оле will ever the Town Hall and placed the flowers Adrul. Sir Martin Dunbar Nosmith, know,"

the rapidly growing bed of V.C., was among those present. Arnold said I would like to pay wreaths massed about the war Mrs. Caroline Hole, the 22-year-old tribute to the staff in the sick bay memoriul.

widow of Stoker W. T. Hole, over- of H.M.S. Brazen, 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. the Naval Hospital, Stonehurst. Admiralty to be flown from the Thetis

victims was paid by the Bishop of the Royal Naval Barracks Church

Tributo to the courage of the

The service at Chatham was held at! Chester, Dr. G. F. Fisher, who con- ducted the service from the balcony and was attended by the Commander- of the Town Hall, assisted by clergy in-Chief, The Nore, Vice-Admi. Sir H. of other denominations and accom-J. Studholme Brownrigg, representa panted by the Mayors of all the tives of the three Services and the boroughs on the Cheshire side of the Mayors and Corporations of Chatham, river.

Rochester and Gillingham. "We grieve for the town of Birken-| More than 20 relatives sat imme- AIR line pilots are to be subject heat, for Cammell Laird's, for the diately behind the Commander-in-

to stricter regulations to Navy-that great Service which to us Chief ensure that they are competent in this islund is our pride and our to fly new types of aircraft or

chief protection. those for which their flying ticket is not endorsed.

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

concluded,

Tests For Pilots Of Air Liners

la

to

never know their fathers.

η είναι

the

TWENTY RELATIVES

Capt. H. P. K. Oram, one of the four survivors, was present at the service In St. Anne's Church, Portsmouth Dockyard.

Londeous the-Fields, Trafalgar-square.

Ad-

was licensed to fly a particular, type: cluded,aths Inld round the Cenotaph. people of Canada to those, berenved i

WOMEN COLLAPSE "But we grieve more for those who With the Commander-in-Chief, lost father, son, brother or friend, and Portsmouth, Admiral of Ute Fleet the For this purpose the Air Registra-for children not yet born who will Earl of Cork and Orrery, was the tion Board, which held its second annual meeting recently,

Second Sea Lord. Admiral Sir Charles appolat a lifghly-qualified pilot with These men loved life, and they Little. The Corporations of Ports- experience of commercial dying as u risked it honourably in the service of mouth and Gesport were represented. chief testing officer in addition to their fellows and of their country. A cervice arranged by tho technical examinations.

They lost their lives honourably at miralty was hold at St. Martin's-in- their Recently at a lunch attended by gallant and

posts with open eyes,

faithful to

Af the church of St. Francis, the Air. Minister, Sir Kingsley Wood,

Listening a.reserved enclosure Simon's Town, the base of the Africa

in Sir Maurice Denny, chairman of Uie. Air Registration Board, said that they friends of men who died in the Thetis tended by officers and men of the

was a tragle group

and Naval Squadron, of relatives and

a service was at- were confident the operation of the new system would be of great benefi

As the Lost Post was sou

was sounded after

leading clv station and

elvic and public ns the procedure to be adopted would

minutes allence in which the personalities. ensure that every pliot of a public

whole of

of Birkenhead was hushed, The High Commissioner for Canada, transport aircraft was thoroughly saveral women collapsed under the Mr. Vincent Massey, has requested conversant with his duties before he stress of emotion.

Earl Stanhope, First Lord of the Ad- For hours after the service was con- mirally, to convey the deepest the crowd filed slowly past sympathy of his Government and the - merger PLANS SOON the

wreaths Sir Kingsley Wood said that he Among the wreaths was one from by the tragedy. hoped to bring before Parliament the French Navy to their "Camu- shortly the legislation to complete the radea Britanniques," one inscribed

Mrs. Sweeny, of Kowloon Docks, merger of Imperial Airways and "From Italian Friends," and another British Airways.

from the Brazilian Ambassador, and has reported that an electric motor **"I bollove It Is essential we should the Brazilian-Naval Commission. pump, valued at $200, was stolen do this, he continued, "If we are to Cupt, IL. D. K. Oram; one of the surfrom a pump, house in Gascoigne secure an adequate share in the vivors, rent a wreath inserlbed "In Road. yesterday. Another motor development of the vital communien- deepest sympathy and splendid pump, valued at $70, was reported ons up which the Empire Jurgely memory, of my brave companions in dien from his house. In the; Central Luk Wing-chik as having-boen 11.M. 8. Theth2.

Matriot.

| depends." up

over-

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

Rosemary Lane,

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SHANGHAI, HONGKONG, MANILA AND SINGAPORE Cable Address: Swanstock

The

Hongkong Telegraph

NINTH ANNUAL

AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

June-September, 1939

$250

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Ist, 880. 2nd. $15. 3rd, $10. SECTION FOUR:

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