LOST ON THE TORPEDOED WARILDA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1918, Page 2

LOST ON THE TORPEDOED WARILDA.

how ms> wm mm. ■ A thrilling narrative of tlie torpedoing of the ambulanco transport YVarila is told by Miss Charlotte Trowell, W.A.A.C., who was was acting as orderly to Mrs. Violet Long, Chief Control. ler of Queen 'Marys Auxiliary Army Corps, who lost her I*fe. Miss Trowell, who had coine on special leave to be married, said that soon after she had gone to her cabin Mrs. Long came to inquire if alio was comfortable an'! gave her some She did not seen her again until she was in the water. "I was tbrowa out tf my lunk by the shock of the explosion. A wounded American office- came and assisted ma on deck. I did not see many men'there, but I could see many wko had bnon thrown into the watar through, tlie cap-' sizing of the boats It was a sad and unnerving sight. I vas helped into a boat which was filled with wounded soldiers, and it was lowered down, but as the Warilda sank the boat became so lopsided that tha ropas of the davits had to be out quickly. The boat capsized as soon as it reached the Water and I was pitched into the sea. "I clung to; a rope and was pulled into another boat; by an American and an Ajlstraliaii. ! '■ I; shall ever remember the Unselfislmcs's of; the poor wounded in we' : 'M their saturated blanket's. TSrery" stir-: vivor of these soldiers' deserves the "Victoria Cross. ~" . ' , ' "''' ''■''■■"'' "Drowning men clung to one another in the water and their cries could'be frequently beard., W'oile I sat -hr'-the! boat with my feet in tie wafer'someone; said, 'That's;.a..,w.bmah,' ahd"l "saw Mrs.; Long clinging.'iojour sintf Hoard; her murmur,, save' mcr" She" had-be-i come ejitaivgled",iii. some rope. Efforts-, to free her ~W?i'p., WccessifuL, and I caught holt} ,ofV'kcr iiairj'to hold her up,'ft'trf she saJ's,- Jnirtin? mk: v Her grip sjioVMy lqqsenedlnd she colla'p*!, and the sea. I feW-lifco" collapshJa also. It the sight, forshe-liad been ( age from' tlie"fqrtitude of; the shffervng and rlvjng "meii'! round . me.' though.it'.piay'seem, the thought' iippeimoßt'in my W'imt'was ihat I should have Nliked -workers Who strike in war time to lie-there to witness the scene. While ■I was> in the boat we saw the wake of •another torpedo. After about two hours we were picked up by a patrol >bnat. An officer of the latter called out, 'The badly wounded cases first.' hut the wounded replied, 'There is a girl in'the. hoat. <so on, miss.' and that despite stlie sufferings these had endured."