1947-11-01 — Page 7

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1947.

continues his life story

BISSET OF TKE QUEEN ELIZABETH

Dr Wests

Dr. Wests TOOTH PASTE

The rescue of the Usworth

One of our most daring

M

Y story passes now from sail to stenm, but I must confors it was only bel- ter wages that won me Over from the windjammers in 1905.

Although steamships were coming along fast and clamour- ing for officers, all sailing ship men considered them namby- pamby, and even sneered that if you

steamboat went in a

"you knocked off going to sea." My first steaner was the Rembrandt, of the

Lamport

and Hoft Line, a freight and entile boat tramping down Buenos Aires and other South American ports,

to

Sail to steam: Lucky chance picks

up Titanic SOS: Boat capsizes,

14 die: 'Miracle' saves 9 men

by.

COMMODORE

SIR JAMES BISSET, C.B.E.

If the grounding had been judged Shortly before dawn ww sighted an "ant sf God" and no carelessness her, nosen by the brudd with a heavy proved, he would have been absolved list to port. Great seas were crash- from blame and would Bol have hg up her sides and she was wal-

lowing violently.

I felt very strange in her. A been penalized in any way. sailing ship amblis along

cording to the wind, but

steamship has her course

and she keeps to it.

il

Ket

I was third mate, and the enplain, knowing

I

steam, was a bet

bren

111

hervotis about allowing me to keep watch on the bridge.

opinion

was that

My own olcer in charge of a watch in walling ship had a great deal

any

#

more

duties and responsibilities than the

old same mani

a lumbering steamer, but of course 1 didn't tell

the casting that.

of

A sailing ship takes advantage every breath of wind and the sails have to be constantly trimmed urge from her the het speed.

This, in fact, is what happened in The came of the Jura,

THE TITANIC

We save 706 from her lifeboats

1907 1 pased for master and extra muster, and the same year joined the Cunard Line as fourth officer,

On her low side she was submerge ed to her bridge deck amidships, For derricks were sawing mur- derously back and fourth over her side rail, with a pair of davits bent dobble and constantly striking the water, it was perilous for any small craft to get near her,

Her boats and steering gear had been carried away, and at 0.39 a.m. the railed: "Position

very pris. carious, Please do your utmost to

I was appointed second officer in 444 us off.” Pebimary 1912 16 NALS.

Cirpathia

J The New York-Moderranean

*ezicht,

On April 15, while on a voyage

trom New York, we picked up the

ANXIOUS CREW

"When will you send a boat?"

SOS from the ill-fated Titane and ŋŋunkz Jean Jadot, a Belgian steamer,

10 a few hours later rescued 705 sur-had reached her ahead of

vivors Then her Heboats,

T

14

in those days saling shite in stront. far breeze often made knols, a much better pace them taut of most of the early steamships,

I subu nude, the cantan realise 1 was a capable seaman, and after a absolute couple of days he placed confidence in me, and I am glad to say never let him down.

I took me some time to get used to the noise and smell of the engines

The story is well known and need not be stresed here, but it might b piked, what was the Historical sumilleaner of the Titanic clisas-

S

It de 15 ach treat prevements in the navigation of the North At- tontie that it is virtually impressible for sufrir a thing to reeur today.

States

The ice patrol system was institut and the accompanying dirt, for and whereby during the ice Season alling ship had none of these draw- eutters ru by the United backs, and it was always our pride fonstguard are from April to Sip- that she could be spet and span, as tember çonstantly' patrolling. elean as a whistle.

These cutters make four-hourly to reports by radio to all ships giving icebergs. particularly position of thine, furthest sun.

For a year-or-two-l-vften-used. tu- Jeel ! would like to go facis sail-it seemed a more seaman-like Job than walking up and down the deck of a steamer, but these feelings. the passed and reagned myself

ilfe of a steamboat man, realising that sailing ships were dying out and that in a low years they would no longer crowil the ocean brave spread of canvas.

with their

FIRST PASSENGERS

Valuable part of

the cargo!

The Board of Teníe made it com-

board. anci

us,

זיון

and in the oll we spread for was manoeuvring its position for faunching a boat.

Heavy squalls of wind and hall were sweeping tengs the trips. keeping the sea confused and dans gerately high.

At 11.30 a.m. the Usworth sugal- ted:" "When will you be able to send boat! Ship increasing list. Crew very anxious."

1 replied: "Am also very anxious. will do everything possible."

It would have been folly to send 'n buut away in streh a sea, but the glass, was .rming steadily and had hops of taking action before dark-

ness.

To our surprise-and 1 still con- pulsory for all ships to carry life-ter the delion Fash although super- boats for everyone of

infively courageog--the Jean Jadot hered about about non. there were many improvements in life-saving appliances

She was manned by eight men, and In addition, lifeboat examination after a gallant struggle she took off

that 14 of the Usworth crew. was introduced. Jaying down every member of the crew of a ship, wither he be sailor, fireman, cook,

BOAT CAPSIZED steward, must pass a test before a Baaral of Trade official showing that he

Unfortunately, on her way back to

"Three men jumped, but they ctrified roddiy astern, two helng mangled by the ship's propeller and the third was smothered in oil. Usworth's crew rushed after to try to save him, but he missed a thing to him and disappeared.

feats

That was how, by God's miraculous help and by the fortitude of 11 Britons, we rescued nine members of the Usworth, including her caps

thin.

The entire crew was watched an xlously by the 400 passengers on board, and they gave generously of clothing, shaving kit, and all manner of luxuries to the rescued men..

THE RESCUED

All walked except

WHEN rope W

he

nine

Ar Pollitt now decided that must risk damaging the boat and get alonutside, and the remaining men jumped quickly into the bal is the surged fevel with the bridge deck

"Cue man fell across K. Campbell, A.B. of Ascania, breaking Camp hell's leg. They were all exhausted! and fell into the bottom of the boat and hey there, too weak to render

sistance

our crew.

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For the family

we reached Halifax days Inter all except the with the broken leg d recovered and were able to walk ashore.

Even before we reached port there had been seongs of requests from newspaper and broadcasting stations for the story of the rescue,

and directly after landing I was able to give a 20-minute account from the station, introducinit Halifax radio Lieutenant Pollitt and the respuest captain to the listeners.

There were about 40 congratula- tory telegrams from all over, Canada and the U.S.A. within an hour of completing the broadcast.

When the ship arrived in London brosideast weeks later I had to

"All but.six ours were tow broken, bun by greal good fortune the boat was thing clear of Usworth's side and

again. They were able to tnall her away

Honours were showered upon us from the overhanging wreckage.

from both sides of the Atlantic. "They were still in the oil

I slick.

myself

received the Lloyd's otherwise she would have most cer- Society Medal, an address from the Medal, The Liverpool Shipwreck tainly capsized.

Society

"As soon as I saw our boat

Fishermen's Shipwrecked clear Mariners' Society, and a rose bowl

et the Daworth's stern, 1 manpetives from the Board of Trade, presented

d the Asrania to give her a lee and by the Lord Mayor of London at the gradually drifter down to plek her Mansion House, up.

ed men but was a tricky job, as the "Getting the Injured and exhaust

boat was almost level with the ship's .de doar one moment and 20 feet below the next, due to our furcling heavily to port,"

Mest cherished of all were the lel- ters from the parents of some the men we had saved

NEXT WEEK Luxury Cruises: Cutbreak Of War -

Saturday Comment

W

By "Candidus"

of

THEN tuning in to ZBW on four and a half million men are Monday evening last, 1 to be demobilised. "Not immo- bilised," he stated. Of that we was astonished to hear some-

are, of course, bitterly aware. body extolling the virtues of Think of the Navy! The Home the British Government-the Flent cut down to some four Brilish Government! destroyers and a cruiser. The

is familiar with the launching, and the dean Jade the boat capsized and present

humlling of a beat under ones or

MY est experience of that queer sail, and that he is arquainted with

animal, the passenger at

was in the Rembrandt.

sen,

the gear in the boat and its uses.

Certilentes are granted to all men who pass the examination.

Lifeboat schnois have been esta- bed at many of the larger ports whne mo 2011 go for Avation,

nerally a two-week course.

SAFETY FACTOR

We had never carried any in the wailing ships of my youth, but at the Rembrandt we had 15 men, women and children with whom we ofleer took meals in the dining saloon.

It amazed me at first to lind people, on board a ship who had abolutely nothing to do with the running of her, because in sail every man all

In a ship like the Queen Elizabeth boy had to pull his weight and there on average of 15 percent of the crew were no idlers.

wough hold tha se certificates,

I the Talaric

12 of the rescued men and two of

the brace box crew were drowned. The speaker was endeavouring grandest career of all shame-

Iv 1.15 pan. I deridert it was posto assure, his listeners that all lessly sacrificed.

If

we over

le to send a boat, and began tig well at Home, and that really hold another Naval Review at ing a wide sweep 19 get into possuthere is no cause for dissatis. Spithead-well, I ask you!

The

1

faction with the trend of cur- rent ntfairs.

the

31

on Usworth's weather porter.

Later, tele With an officer in the stem

I discovered that

other speaker was none

than me the distance off, ploning

Jack gentleman named

Singleton, manoeuvred my sitip to a dead stop

billed as Lecturer to H.M. Forces in 100 feet astern of the Unworth and

He was somewhat of the Southeast Asia! Surely the Army lowered my bout.

Every fleer and seaman in

rapid-fire type of orator. but is not to be wed as a feld for the crew Vilunteered to man that boat-that aspect

may he excused, serrading of political propaganda, ntact want had happened to the Jean herause he had a very wide held matter what party may be in power! Facet's boat may have shaiten them. to enver. It runged over the Very rapidly 1 came to regard Halar, of course. In now a great but they did not show it

Artificial Dissemination then as a vable part of the earned sandly factor.

had chose one officer-Lieutenant E. (which I gather is of the utmost A for a talement and dissatisfac- ANOTHER subject which is a cause The following year when I Was been equipped with it she would have R. Poltt, R.N.--ond ten single second etiver alla tramp steamer called the Jus she ran agroal in the velorg and would not men most physically suitable. I did importance to British farmers), tim is Government's realy on Octo-

have a into it.

The Walt, to incant married men it something about bees. the ber 24 to the Hon. 1. D. Gillespie's

guthu nep i It is worth recollecting, too, that

F.B.I., the horrible winter last question referring to the requistion- Government's an were moving along shovel Wadless was in As intancy in 191 the boat to act as fenders at pre-car (in no small measure res. ng bf vehicles in 1941, When those

concerned read Although the. South great ther, we had only one operator. Yet, ner being crushed or damaged.onsible for present troubles), ouncement that owners of vehicles From the oletal report 1 made at Incidentally, it was surprising who can produce evidence that their the line I was quote what happen to hear that there are troubles vehicles became a total loss before.

25th December, 1941 will be paid od next-

something about Churchill and 20th "Owing to our rapid drift,

for tie value of the compenta and

vehicle," they assumed that the unly evidence, required would be proof that their vehicles became a kotal loss to them when in possession of Government.

fog about ten o'clocit at mutât în the

North Sea.

We

endeavouring to make the

Goodwin Hightraip.

Suddenly there was a bump and

We realised

the Jura Aveled over.

she was ashore.

WOOED, WITH WHISKY The engines were, pat full, speed astern and we backed' off into, dregi water and dropped the anchor.

When the fog clearod at daylight we sighted a French fishing boat.. He refused in come alongside, so the captain sent me in a boat with

બંદ

two bottles of whisky.

was

hự used to play around with his rather inefficient set all day, and at **** night slent next to it

Hada were kihed to the sides of

the

On the night of the Titanic tragedy on nud much talleury in getting the "pink. conservatives,”

he was reading in bed and belore going to sleep put on his headphones out of casual interest

By that lucky chance he heard the

905 in morse,

AT DAWN

•

A ship was sinking.

in heavy seas....

fear of the Aschnia and drifted for- so on. ward where she was in great danger 9 being crushed by the ship's fore-

Toot.

That glorious "Red"-lhe red of the roast beef of Old England with ten men at the cars, pulling did not come into the picture was extremely difficult as the violent, motion of the boat kept an-shipping at all. However, it would have the pars from the rolloriss and the been surprising if it had, bear- Government. How could be posibly wind blow them out of the men's ing in mind that the speaker hank

At times the boat was complete-wis praising present-day con- to get on board, and `/PWENTY-TWO years later I was ly hidden by the sea, then when she after I had handed them over to a In sole charge of another rescue rose on the crest of a wave the erow proof of friendship, he showed me at sen, this

in story mid- could be seen streggling towards by his chart that we were on the Atlantic. E

the their goal. captain of was West Hinder Bauk, south-east of the Conard White Star finer Ascania. Goodwins.

Because of the splendid, heroism

Seeing them, the French skipper

allowed no

time

ditions.

put, beyond the belief that it was

An owner holding Government's receipt for his vehicle is thoughly Justified in placing the onus An

KIKW what use his vemele was

used in the defence of the Colony, and while being so used was either I was more than surprised to destroyed or lost. He had no means

of checking. hear that the present ration situation is only two percent He is able to prove that he owned GREAT DANGER

less than in 1938! really a car. He is able to produce a re- the only line in my career that resese will ever be remembering derricks and the hont davits was

"Getting between the overhanging didn't remember that things able to prove that his vehicle has ceipt issued by Government. He is

I have ever been

of during

were so bad in 1938. However, vanished a one of the greatest fents

whilst In Government's by the British Mercantile Marinc. great danger.

It was admitted that sugar, possession, As far as he da con- Had the Jura

"Mr Pollitt backed stern in It was early on the morning of Do- there would have been a Board of rember 14, 1934, when the Ascanin about 16 it, off, and shouted to the eggs and tea are slightly less cerned, it is a total loss, and he has Trade Inquiry, nid had carelessness got a radio signal revealing that the Usworth crow tes Sump into the today. been proved, the captain might have British ship Usworth (3,500 ions) water, his intention being to been dealt with by suspicion or loss was sinking in heavy seas. We need felines and pull them

into the boat,

1

I mention this incident because it of some of her crew, I believe this

grounded in

ship.

of his certificate.

auffered damage

towards her,

£1

to

throw

whose car is

always in use.

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GILMAN & COMPANY ILTID.

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had an asurance given him that Government will pay for a total lass! How in the sweet name of With obvious pride, the morality can Government repudiate Sole Agents:-ED. 'A, KELLER & Co, Lia speaker informed listeners that its written undertaking?.

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