had died a little while before, and one Indian Fireman had refused to leave with us. He was obviously shell shocked and kept calling “Allah, Allah” as he clung tenaciously to the Forehead mast stay. The night dragged on with no sign of being picked up. A little red light then began to bob up and down about fifty yards away. Someone had managed to get their distress light to operate. The most puzzling feature of that night was that most of us had lost our distress lights that were fitted into a small pocket of our life jackets. We soon discovered that this red light belonged to Sid our chief steward, a generous brave little man who worked untiringly during the action helping the suffering wounded and dying. He had already miraculously survived being torpedoed four times before, and knew well what it was all about. Sid had passed his light to Mickey who had clipped it onto his tin helmet and cheered him up. Soon a strange sensation of drowsiness took hold of me and it was getting difficult to stay awake. I could see members of my family at home sitting by the fireside and the scene seemed as vivid as though I was watching a cinema screen. It was now getting very cold and our teeth chattered non- stop and only the occasional wave that doused us stopped us from slipping into a sleep of death. My world and its horizons were rapidly diminishing, and only the dark outline of the oncoming waves held my attention hoping against hope for a ship to pick us up. I felt an inner peace within, and the roar of the sea became music to my ears. Each breaking wave glowed brilliantly with tumbling phosphorescence spilling millions of tiny sparkling diamonds into our path and all around us. This was a beautiful sight amidst the horror of all around. Then suddenly I heard voices coming from the other raft that sounded full of excitement as a great giant black shape loomed up ahead of us. A dazzling streak of light stabbed the darkness creating a beautiful scene and illuminated the green water around. Someone got frightened that they would now machine gun us. The light switched off but then the whole port side of the raider was suddenly lit up and became alive with dark uniformed men. The decks hummed with life as they threw rope ladders over the sides and prepared to receive us on board. New life entered into all of us as we surveyed the situation and anticipated the acrobatics needed to escape from our watery grave. The rise and fall of the swell along the ship must have been seven foot or more. As we drew closer there was a heavy dull thud! In a split second a deep silvery streak flashed beneath us at an astounding speed. It was yet another torpedo speeding towards the Kirkpool which was still afloat and blazing. I listened for the impact but suddenly the blazing hulk vanished, and our home and our last link with England took her final plunge. Soon the painful ordeal of the long climb was over as hands reached out to drag me off the ladder and over the final hurdle onto the firm deck. I collapsed but pride and anger made me struggle to my feet refusing any Nazi hands to support me. One young marine then came up to me, he was about my age and cautiously took my left wrist and led me off to the prison hold. He never took his eye off me but I could see genuine feelings of sympathy in them. He was one of us! As was also the tall lieutenant the next day who expressed a veiled disgust at the unnecessary slaughter of so many defenceless seamen. The access to our prison was down steep steps and then a steel grill was dropped into place. None of us grumbled now, or even murmured after all that we had been through. We were totally and utterly exhausted, cold and spent by all that had taken place. It was during these long days of confinement that I slowly and finally became for the rest of my life a committed Christian.” So you see Michael what my life has been like up until now when we are all still in the same boat together!” I was speechless and in awe at all that he had related and was thankful that our capture and action on the Nankin on the 10th May had not been so bloodcurdling or dramatic. I It might well have been had the shell that hit us forward been a few yards further aft, it would have ignited the ammunition in the Stern Hold! The resulting explosion would have made the Kirkpool’s ordeal seem like a picnic. Such is the luck of War!

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