“THE NAVY’S HERE!”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24226, 19 February 1940, Page 7

“THE NAVY’S HERE!”

ACCOUNTS OF THE RESCUE CAPTIVES CHEER MADLY FOUR GERMANS KILLED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) LONDON, Feb. 17. (Received Feb. 18, at 10 p.m.) A member of the crew of the Tairoa, John Quigley, in an interview, said the first he knew that they were being rescued was when a voice shouted, “Any Englishmen here? ” The prisoners replied “ Yes,” whereupon a voice answered, “ Well, the Navy’s here, boys.” All cheered madly. A cleaner from the Doric Star, James Wilkinson, said the Germans fired on the British boarding party but knuckled under quickly in a clash in which four Germans were killed. It lasted about half an hour. He added: “I spent five months

aboard the Altmarck and lost two stone in weight. She is a filthy ship.” Another man said: “Life consisted of a continuous struggle to ward off the point at which our minds would break. We regulated every detail by means of routine to preserve a semblance of order. We played cards with a" single pack which became so worn that they had to be stuck together with spittle and paper. We bored a hole in the hatch and used a home-made sextant to tell us our position, dividing ourselves into watches, which were strictly observed. An officer had managed to bring on charts and thereby we plotted a reasonably accurate course. We reached Norway within a few hours of our estimated arrival. Immediately the boarding party came aboard the Altmarck firing broke out on both sides.” J. J. Smith, gunner-in-charge of one of the parties, was severely wounded. STIGMA ON NORWAY LAXITY OF OFFICIALS LONDON, Feb. 18. (Received Feb. 18, at 11 p.mY Admiral Sir Roger Keys, who was interviewed, said that Norway should be grateful. that the Cossack enabled her to escape from the shocking stigma of condemning 300 British seamen to imprisonment in Germany owing to the credulous laxity of her officials at Bergen. According to international law, a belligerent person is a free man if his captor enters a neutral port. He added that the Altmarck’s captain deceived his Norwegian hosts and would have escaped but for the Admiralty’s refreshing acceptance of responsibility in sending the Cossack, whose exploit was reminiscent of enterprises of olden days. The Admiralty, in a statement, said the Altmarck’s captain made ready to blow up the ship, but the German Legation at Oslo ordered him not to destroy her. It added that about 100 German members of the crew were still aboard the Altmarck. THE GERMAN PROTEST GRAVE CONSEQUENCES LIKELY BERLIN, Feb. 17. (Received Feb. 18, at 11 p.m.) The German Minister at Oslo delivered the following written protest to Norway: “This situation is most serious and may have very grave consequences. Germany enters the sharpest protest against violation of international law unique in world history, and against the insufficiency of Norway’s protection of our ship.” . The Note demanded restoration of the status quo aboard the Altmarck. compensation for the damage, and strong action against the British.