THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 October 1915, Page 6

THE TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

FURTHER DETAILS. NEW ZEALANDERS' EXPERIENCES. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Danncvirke, Yesterday. Regarding the torpedoing of the transport, a Dannevirke resident has received a letter stating it was the' troopship Southland, which left Alexandria on August 30 and was torpedoed 30 miles from Mudros at 9.30 at night. Two torpedoes were fired. The first missed, but the second struck below the water-line. Brigadier-General Lyton died of exposure and shock. About 50 men were drowned or killed. The hospital ship Neuralia picked up many. The troopship was carrying the 2nd Australian Division, also General Legge and headquarters staff. It was eventually beached at Mudros. Dunedin, Yesterday. Gunner Webb, of Dunedin (No. 2 Howitzer Battery), was on the torpedoed transport. In a letter to his father he says that he was in the boat which capsized. There were 57 men in the boat, eight above the full complement. The ship was torpedoed at 9.45 p.m. He' says: "We were picked up by a French torpedo boat at 2.15 p.m. Two torpedoes were fired and one hit the ship. The deck on which we were sleeping was blown to matchwood. Several men were killed. The troops were orderly, but one of the crew in a boat was unnerved and cut one of the falls and so capsized tho lot of us into the water. Only three" of our crowd are missing, and the whole of the ship's death-roll will not reach thirty.