THE POLICEMAN IN A SINKING SHIP

Evening Star, Issue 23686, 20 September 1940, Page 3

THE POLICEMAN IN A SINKING SHIP

Inspector Marsdcn, of the Straits Settlements police, thoroughly deserves the holiday ho is now haViug in Sydney with his wife and baby. Not long ago Mr Marsdcn, who was once a Loudon policeman, received the ■King’s Police Medal for his bravery during the Sirdhana disaster off Singaporo. Ho was in charge of 139 Chinese convicts who were being deported from the Straits Settlements to China on board the Sirdhana. The liner had not been at sea very long when it was accidentally mined. Minutes were precious. Mr Marsclen raced below, but to his horror found that he had no key to the steel grille imprisoning the convicts. With great presence of mind ho burst open the lock with his revolver and forced the door open. The ship was sinking rapidly, and as the water rose he had all he could do to keep his prisoners from becoming panic-stricken. He made them file out iu an orderly fashion. 'The water rose so high that he could not tell whether anyone was left inside the quarters or not, and then ho did one of the bravest things imaginable. Although lie knew that the liner was about to take its final plunge be dived into the water and felt round the floor for unconscious Chinese. Finding none, he hurried on deck and saw that all his charges were rescued.