cordials, canned fruit and so on were all manhandled into rafts, out of rafts and into the Regensburg’s holds. As a kid I never stopped drinking Rose’s Lime cordial and to this day if ever offered it at a party my mind flashes back to the “Regensburg” and the crates of it stacked up in the hold at the end from where we slept. The cases of ammunition and cordite on board the “Nankin” were systematically dropped overboard to be consigned to the depths of the ocean, and this also helped lighten the damaged vessel which had only a temporary patch close to the waterline. Also jettisoned were a large number of bales of wool into the ocean to help lighten the ship which were also used as target practice from the “Thor’s” machine guns. Some bales of wool were however brought onto the Regensburg and stowed in the hold below where our quarters were.
This transfer of cargo went on continuously whilst we were aboard. As we sat there in the midst of the great Southern Indian Ocean the Germans would laugh and taunt us as to where the Royal Navy was whilst all this was going on, but the middle of the Ocean is a place of limitless vastness as they well knew in the days long before orbiting satellites!
Two mornings later we were given a most welcome treat when we were informed that each day some passengers would be ferried back to the “Nankin” from where they could spend about a quarter of an hour and gather as many goods as they could carry from their cabins. I did not return to the ship, but Mother did and she retrieved a whole load of warm clothing, sweaters, and most importantly all her sewing materials, all of which she squashed into two large kitbags and which were afterwards to prove absolutely invaluable in the cold winters that we were to endure later in Japan. With the needle and cotton she also was forever altering clothes to fit me as I grew over the coming years. Also with her knitting needles she would be perpetually unpicking old sweaters and re – knitting them into new more suitable garments as the occasion demanded. Mother had always been an exceptionally good needlewoman making intricate embroideries etc back home, but now her manual dexterity would prove to be an invaluable asset in adaptating to new circumstances.
Back on the Regensburg, I had made friends with the Germans and who let me and Howard go forehead to visit the men in their quarters at any time. In the afternoons the women too were allowed to join their husbands and friends in the forehead. Needless to say they were always welcomed by all the other crews and there were very pleasant social gatherings. The men were housed in the bows in two hatches, the officers in No.2 hatch, and men in No.3. The Lascars had been returned to help work the Nankin and stayed permanently on our old ship. We found there were a lot of other crews already installed prior to our arrival from ships that had been sunk by the “Thor”. They were:-

Wellpark sunk March 30th 1 man killed Willesden sunk April 1st 2 men killed Aust (Norwegian) sunk April 3rd Kirkpool sunk April 10th 16 men killed

The first three were all attacked in the same manner as the attack on our ship, with the Arado seaplane being able in all cases to tear away the ships aerial so that no messages could be sent. In the case of the Kirkpool however, the attack came at night when they were suddenly shelled from only about half a mile away with the full force of her guns. As she was carrying coal, the cargo helped to absorb the shock of the fire, and she continued steaming with men jumping into the sea as the vessel continued its

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