DIVING TO A DEPTH CHARGE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 170, 12 April 1919, Page 10

DIVING TO A DEPTH CHARGE

4 0 OFFICER AND SEAMAN'S - f GALLANTRY. a 0 The King lws been pleased to approve s of the award of the Albert Medal for gals lantry in saving life at sea to * Commander Henry de Beau voir 1 upper, f 1!.. N., and Ablo Seaman Edward Thomas Spalding, t O.N. J 55883 (Ch.). lf Tlio account of the services in respect 0 of which these decorations have been con;t ferred is'as follows,— n On August •!,. 1918, 11.M.5. Comot, under tho command of Commander Tupper, was soriouslv damaged in collision. The ship i, IV as badly holed on the starboard side, the <loclt and all compartments eventually filled with water as far as the enginey room bulkhead, and the stern was at any s. moment liable to fall off. On being ina fonuod that tho hydraulic release depth a charge was sol to "lira." Commander Tup-' h per sent away a man in a whaler to re--3' • move tho primer. It was only possible 111 | to remove 'the primer from one of tho charges, leaving the other depth charge s " | about 15ft. under water, still at "fire."' i ('omniai-'T T'l.opnr then wmit wiv in a "• J dinghy himself, and by repeated diving ?>' ii'vs I'eu r>, iviuior a «itc. Alter a rest lie returned to complete tho operation, in which Ablo Seaman Spalding, who was a passenger on tho ship at the ip time and was a good swimmer, volunteern- ed to assist. Commandei' Tupper at first refused to allow Spalding to assist him, s" as the latter had 110 knowledgo of depth y, charges, and Commander Tupper did not ce consider it safe for him to go down. Ulm timatoly Commander Tupper and Ablo in Seaman Spalding swam to tho spot hole- neath which the depth chargo was subn- merged, and alternately gave a turn to to tho iron bar which Commander Tupper had placed in' tho handle, until tho primer was eventually unscrewed and taken out of the depth charge, thus renw- dering it safe. . >r- This operation was of tho most dannil gerous nature, as at any moment the .es .stern of the shin might have dropped off before the depth charge was removed anil [in' would have carreid down both llio oflicer to and tho man, who would have inevitably ilo lci,i llvr. ''V nl>!> it- !invo destroyed the remaining portion of i|,.. \<-.i ■ '1 ■- • 10 iliosc oi the •rt crew who woro 011 board.