BRITISH TRAWLER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 November 1939, Page 6

BRITISH TRAWLER

SHELLED WITHOUT WARNING BY SUBMARINE SIX MEMBERS OF CREW DROWNED. SURVIVORS PICKED UP BY U-BOAT. —j ,■ Telc^rs)ph——-Press Association —Copjrisltt. (Received This Day. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON. November 14. The trawler Cresswell was sunk by a submarine. Six of the crew of 13 are missing. The trawler, a vessel of 275 tons, was off the north coast of Scotland, and wirelessed the trawler Phyliisia, which picked up the survivors. A submarine shelled the Cresswell ’’ u' warning. The crew of 13 esc: r-'-d. of w b om 10 were on a raft, two -i nring to a smashed lifeboat. . n-’’.ad a lifebelt. The three last,n.' three who dropped off the ’.T.ft exhausted, were drowned. The submarine took on the survivors from the raft after two hours, gave them clothes to put them on the Phyliisia after seven hours. The submarine commander said: ‘■Tell Mr Churchill we are not the heartless murderers you are led to believe."

The survivors were landed at Fleetwood. Frederick Lee, a dock boy. I aged 17. said: "We did not know the submarine was near until the shells began whizzing round us. There was no time to launch the boat, which was smashed anyhow. The submarine fired at least 20 shots. It- was just before dawn. We clung to a raft, crushed together on the sea, and icy rain pelted unmercifully.'' The mate, Mr Fausset. said: “The raft tossed and was submerged. I tried to hold up an exhausted companion, but it was impossible, and he disappeared. One by one the others went." Finally the submarine took us aboard.”