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On the 16th June 1943 at 11.30pm in a position some 600 miles south of the equator and west of the occupied Japanese islands of Indonesia we were struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine. The torpedo entered the Starboard side and into the engine room breaking the casing of the engine. This was obvious because the valves from the engine (5cwt.apiece) had been blown on to the boat deck. We knew it had not come through the Port casings as the water coming into the ship flooded around both sides of the engine, met at the controls where Walter Smith was standing and carried him up to the top of the engine room — a miraculous escape. Not so for Freddie Greener who would have been taking readings and temperatures in preparation for the end of his shift. He was due to wake me at 11.45pm to relieve him at midnight. We believe he must have been right in the path of the torpedo.

As I awoke the first thing I can remember was the silence caused by the cessation of the engine. I was half way out of my bunk when out in the corridor a voice was calling ‘Engineers, are there any engineers there’ I stepped across in the dark the wreckage of my cabin, doors were hanging off but the outer, heavy door, had swung to and jammed in place. With a little bit of panic I took two remaining steps and put my shoulder to it — luckily it opened easily.

In the alleyway one of the greasers was shouting. He was in a hell of a state, covered in oil, grease and blood. He had a lump of shrapnel in his head and one foot was hanging off. I knew he was in the same boat as me — the port midships one. I managed to get him onto my back and carried him along the fly bridge and gave him into the charge of the men who were making ready to lower the boat. By this time the order to ‘Abandon ship’ had been called.

The starboard after boat had sunk as it was lowered into the water due to a large hole in its side. This was the boat that was above my cabin and the explosion had blown a large piece of shrapnel up through the shell of the lifeboat. That piece of shrapnel must have passed within a few feet of me as I lay in my bunk.

The submarine surfaced and started shelling the ship. We couldn’t see the submarine as it was on the other side of the ship but the shells were coming in our direction, although far enough away not to do us any damage. The shelling went on for some time — I don’t know how long. The ship eventually sank at about 5.00am.

As related to Steve Lamb — Gateshead Council @ Blaydon

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