- Contributed by听
- CSV Media NI
- People in story:听
- Tommy Shiels
- Location of story:听
- HMS Aurora
- Background to story:听
- Royal Navy
- Article ID:听
- A4394072
- Contributed on:听
- 07 July 2005
This story is taken from an interview with
Tommy Shiels at Larne by 大象传媒 Radio Ulster. The transcription was by Bruce Logan.
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I was on the 鈥楢鈥 gun. Some of them got away, and we were still on the guns up forward. After a while they says 鈥淎bandon ship鈥. There was only the forward guns left, and we had no boats or anything like, so we slid down the side to the water. Freezing. It was full of oil as well. Good swimmers drowned 鈥 you hardly believe that, would you? Because they were trying to get somewhere, and there was nowhere to get to. People like me, who just lay there and sort of flapped about, kept together with a fellow from Strangford and another fellow from Newcastle, Co Down. All of a sudden we heard voices 鈥 it was dark, and it was the Aurora. A cruiser had turned back to pick us up. I don鈥檛 remember much. They hauled us aboard, and I collapsed. Because I was choking with oil 鈥 fuel.
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