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SAVED BY THE ENEMY

ASHBURTON BOY IN JUTLAND BATTLE.

REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES

The following interesting letter has been handed to us for publication. The writer is .? Sub-Lieutenant Dearden (whose parents formerly resided at Lowcliff c), a grandson of the late John Grigg. It will be remembered that Sub-Lieutenant Dearden, who was on tho Queen Mary, was at first reported to have been drowned, but" later news showed that he had been rescued by a German destroyer, and afterwards taken as a prisoner to Mainz. Tho letter was written on June 5, and reached England on July 4. It is as follows:—-, \ ! '■

We arrived in this camp the day before yesterday, and are looking very ragged at present, having no money or clean clothes. (We, being myself and six other officers from two destroyers). We left harbour as usual, not expecting anything special to happen. At about:3:4s p.m. on the 31st, we went to action stations a.nd had every tiling ready, and at about 4.45 we opened fire, and after about an hour and a-half ; of. enjoyment, there was a terrific ex- : plosioti/' forward. I was sent out to the top of "the after-turret to see what was happening, and had to put on my respirator owing to clouds of smoke and fire. I could see nothing for a minute, then all cleared away as the foremost part of the ship went under water. I then told the officer of the turret that the ship was sinking rapidly, so a,s many as possible wore got up out of the turret. The whole fo'csle was almost blown off. I immediately took off all my gear except my shirt and vest, everyone else going in all-standing. As soon as I was in the water. I swam clear and astern of the ship about 30 yards, when she suddenly blew up completely. I was. luckily sucked under water, and so all the wreckage chucked about did not wine with its full weight on my head. I held my breath, for a long time, and at last came to the surface, and started to look about for i something to support me. The surface of the water was simply covered with oil fuel, which tasted arid smelt horribly. I smothered myself all over with it, which I - think really saved my life, as the water was really frightfully cold. ' I should say about 50 hands went, over the side, but about half of them wei-e killed in the second, explosion. Most of the remainder of us held out on two or three snm and other wreckage. Shortly afterwards several of our destroyers came up, but only one stopped, and you know as.'well as T do how many were saver! by them. This was almost half-an-hour or less after we had been in the water, and it nearly drove me frantic when, one steamed off when I was only 25 or 30 yards away from her. She would Hot even leave her whaler behind to pick xip tho. remainder of the 15 or so of iis in the water, although I shouted to them to do so. Afterwards it was terrible seoing everyone collapse and drown, and 1 had not the strength to help them. . . I only saw two officers in the water. . . . The people

with waistcoats wore the first I noticed to drown, as they were n little too high out of the water, and whon they became weak their heads fell forward into the water. After_ a while f thought everyone else had given lip, a.s T could see no one apparently swimming. Tn the end, I was picked un more or loss'unconscious, with one A.B. from my turret, also in the same state. The others were not to bo seen, except one. dead in a waistcoat.

I was first put to bed. and had n c.ood 10 hnnrs' sleep, aftei' which I sot up and had breakfast, feeling somewhat revived. I was about 1\ hour? in the water. lam at present in a eit-, adol fortress at Mainz, and really had a most interesting journey down thp Rhine. ... I was really very wel 7 troated in the destroyer in which I wa r nicked up, and was even given an egr for breakfast!. P. R. Dearden's present address is—

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG19160920.2.3

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3559, 20 September 1916, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
715

SAVED BY THE ENEMY Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3559, 20 September 1916, Page 2

SAVED BY THE ENEMY Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3559, 20 September 1916, Page 2

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