PROMPT AID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 August 1940, Page 5

PROMPT AID

ARANDORA STAR RESCUE. FINE WORK BY CANADIAN DESTROYER. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 24. Many survivors of the Arandora Star, who were themselves going to Canada, owe their lives to the speed with which the Canadian destroyer St. Laurent raced to the scene. The Arandora Star, which was taking German and Italian internees to Canada, was torpedoed by a U-boat without warning on June 2 and the St. Laurent, which was at sea off the west coast of Scotland, was ordered to proceed to the rescue. Guided by a Sunderland flying-boat, which rendered the greatest assistance during the rescue, the Canadian destroyer found ten lifeboats crowded with survivors and the sea littered for two or three miles with rafts and light wreckage, to which were clinging many other survivors. The destroyer came to a standstill m the middle of the wreckage area and sent out all her lifeboats.. These with the boats of the Arandora Star, which were supplied with fresh crews, succeeded in embarking 850 survivors. Food and warm drinks wero| provided for them in the destioyci. Carrying and feeding such a numbe of persons in a ship the size of a destroyer was in itself a considerable feat but it was made easier by the conduct of many of the survivors, who gave every assistance within then power, especially two doctors, one > German and the other Austrian, wno | worked throughout the night attending to the injured and distressed. ,