THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1915, Page 4

THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

A DUNEDIN BOY'S STORY. EVIDENTLY MUCH CENSORED. By Telegrapn.-'PreM Associatioa. Dunedin, Last Night. Mr. G. A. Lewin, town clerk, has re* ceived a letter from his son, a member of the Fifth Keinforcements, who states that a transport containing Australian and New Zealand troops waa torpedoed. Tho writer states that the total casualties were fifty-one Australians and three New Zealanders, including a Dunedin boy. The troopship was attacked on her way from Alexandria to Anzac, and the torpedoing took place' at 10 a.m. Lewin waa rescued, by a French destroyer. The troopship was not actually sunk, but was able to proceed to port under her own steam.

The letter continues;— The torpedo blew up the middle of an apartment where bunks had been fitted, all round the hold. The explosion blew the hatches and steps leading from tho hold clean off, and a number of men were caught down below. A chain happened to be hanging down from the deck above, and the men climbed up somehow or other. Everything was very orderely on deck, so far' as the soldiers were concerned. Most of the men in Lewin's boat were thrown into the sea, as one of the crew lowered the boat with a rush while another held on. Lewin swam awaj-t, and got into another boat. After picking up five or six men tlfey made for'an island which appeared to be about 10 miles off. Boats from cruisers and destroyers commenced to arrive about an hour and a-half after the transport was torpedoed and Lewin's boat was picked up by a French destroyer about 3.30 p.m. The three New Zealanders belong; ed to the New Zealand Headquarters Staff., A first torpedo missed the engineroom, and a second one mjssed the vessel altogether. The torpedoing is supposed to have happened about September 3.