TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1915, Page 7

TORPEDOED TRANSPORT.

STORY OF THE SOUTHLAND. THREE HOURS ON A RAFT. 'A thrilling account of the torpedoing of the transport Southland has been supplied to tlic Melbourne Ago by a soldier who was on board and who was attached to the utli Infantry Brigade. ; llc referred to the entire absence of panic among the troops, even in the dreadful moments which followed the explosion of the torpedo, when the men were uncertain as. to the fate which awaited them, lie, with others, finally found themselves on a raft, from which they were rescued in the nick ul time, after floating about for some three hours. He writes as follows:

"1 was regimental orderly corporal, and 1 relieved the orderly sergeant to enable him to paek his kit, as we were expecting to arrive at Lemno.s about mid-day, and at the Dardanelles in the evening. After he came back I went down to pack my kit, ami had just finished and was about to return, when there was a tremendous explosion. I thought the ship had been struck by a mine. I was in the fore part of the ship, and the torpedo struck the ship in the fore well deck, just next to where I was. The compartment between the well deck hold and where I was collapsed and I got the smell of the fumes, so I grabbed my lifebelt and made my way on deck, and helped to fall the company in.

"At first there was a little excitement, and the first couple of boats were rushed, with the result that a couple while being lowered turned turtle, and the occupants were dislodged into the water. One boat went down head first. Had you seen the way the soldiers acted you could not have done anything else but admire them for their coolness and courage. Our company had to wait until all the propel' lifeboats were lowered, as they were allotted to A and B Companies and the raits were for C and D Companies. While I was waiting my turn I took off my boots and puttees, and Also advised my O.C. to do likewise, which he did. When most of the men of the company had gone I saw a boat with my platoon commander and sergeant in it, so I thought that was the boat I had better got in, and I made up my mind I would be with them whatever my fate was to be. I rushed up the steps and jumped into the boat as it was being lowered. [ felt a bit shaky as it was bring lowered, and felt much more at home while dancing up and down on the waves. "We were in a collapsible boai, but it was a raft wilh canvas sides. We picked up a couple of fellows who wore floating about. One poor follow we picked up was just about giving up. We were drilling about on the raft for three hours. Our second lieutenant, who Wfis rowing near me, said, 'Just you tell me what to do-and I'll do it,'' While we were drifting I noticed a couple of fairsized sharks hanging around. One of the seamen luid a boat-hook ami was trying to >pear them, which was certainly far from possible. At last, to our joy, a motor-Inmieli then camo around our way, and saw our pitiable condition. They took half of us off the /aft, and then towed the other half to tin- ship. I stuck to the raft, am! was being towed through t!i;> water, which win up tl n "' K& : *t, but I had a firm grip of the side rope. My watch, which was under the water for at least ton minutes, never stopped. You can quite imagine how delighted we were when we set foot on the secure H.M.S. , which is an air-raiding boat. The men on her were, very good to us, and they gave us warm clothes, cigarettes, and what food they had on board. "The second torpedo that was fired at us happened to miss. Wo all thought we had caught a second, but it was a 4.7 gun we had on the stern having ii shot at the. submarine. One thing that we had to be thankful for was that the transport had watertight compartments, and, therefore, did not sink. Everybody managed to got off, and the ship, managed to steam away, and was beached on Lemnos Island. .My tunic was among the wreckage, as I took it off to row, and when the boat fdled, it floated away. We were landed quite safely at Mudros, where we were put aboard a large transport and wore fed and given a bed.''