DEATH ESCAPED

Taranaki Daily News, 28 September 1940, Page 7

DEATH ESCAPED

CHILDREN FROM LINER SIX MORE REACH PORT Received 7.30 p.m. London, September 27. A DRIFT in an open lifeboat for eight days, 46 more survivors, including six children, from the ill-fated City of Benaies, the torpedoed evacuation ship, reached a British port last night. The lifeboat's rations and water were exhausted and they were preparing to face death when they heard the roar of a Sunderland fiying-boat's engines. Survivors agree that the boys owe their lives to a Londoner, Miss Mary Cornish, aged 21, who, crouched in a pitifully confined space, massaged their limbs and improvised exercises to keep the children warm. She was the only woman aboard the lifeboat. Miss Cornish paid a high tribute to the children, who never complained, even when they could not eat the dry biscuits because they were too thirsty. "The main problem. was to keep the boys' circulation going in the bitter cold," she said.

"Our favourite pastime was planning our meals after our rescue," said Miss Cornish. "We lost all account of time after two days." All the children were being evacuated by the Government. The number of child victims is now reduced to 79. Two Sunderland flying-boats. one of which was an Australian, found the survivors drifting in a boat. A warship later picked up the survivors who were 600 miles from land. Tlie Australian Sunderland had just been relieved from convoy duty when it found the lifeboat. The Australian captain flew to the convoy and asked the captain of the R.A.F. Sunderland, which had taken over from him, to ensure the survivors' rescue. Admitted to Hospital. The survivors included a number of members of Ihe crew, all of whom were admitted to hospital, a millionaire Polish shipping magnate. Mr. Bohdan Nagorski. a Roman Catholic priest. Father O'Sullivan. and Miss Cornish. The two last-named were children s escorts. Mr. Nagorski said a ship was sighted on the sixth day. "We signalled frantically. but it paxsed on without seeing the lifeboat," he said. "The children bchaved magnificently. Aflcr two days we discovcred a sail in a locker with which and with the aid of oars we made good headway. The officer decided to steer east in the hope of Teaching the coast. The I ncxt two days were iikc a nightmare. •Heavv seas broke over time after time jand it--took: all - our efforts to • prevent

the children from being washed overboard." "We had a terrible time," said Howard Clayton, aged 11. "We saw other floating rafts at daybreak. We picked up a number until our boat was rather crowded. Miss Cornish took charge right away and dealt out food and water. We did not have any breakfast any day. "The first meal was lunch when we were given half a biscuit and sometimes a piece of sardine or a little meat. Once a day each of us received one-eighth of a peach and a little water. This had to do us aii the afternoon. For tea we received another biscuit and / water. There was also condensed milk Hut we did not take it because we discovered it thickened the saliva and • made us terribly thirsty. One of the boys first sighted the Sunderland when it was a speck miles away. "Miss Cornish was a wonder. She massaged our feet to prevent them being affected by the water and cold. The crew of the warship that- picked us up gave us clothes. We had a great time coming home." Kenneth Sparks, aged 11, said rowing all night was worst. All boys took turns and turns resting under the canvas in the bow where there was room for three. "I was the first to sce the Sunderland," he claimed. "Father O'Sullivan began pra.ving it would see us. All tlie boys joined in. A scaman signalled and the plane answered. Some of us began to cry." F.vcrvone was liftcd aboard thc warship. They could not walk because they had not stood up since getting into the lifeboat . S— - Ll