Irish Times – 16 September 1939
U-BOAT CAPTAIN CHEERED
HER SEARCH FOR RESCUE SHIP
CARE FOR VICTIM’S SAFETY
SINKING OF BRITISH INFLUENCE
The crew of the torpedoed oil tanker “British Influence”, cheered the U-Boat commander who on Thursday saw them safely aboard the Norwegian vessel, “Ida Bakke”, and the German captain returned their cheer.
The facts were told when yesterday the rescued men were landed from the lifeboat at Courtmacsherry, County Cork.
RESCUED MEN AT COURTMACSHERRY
From our Correspondent
CLONAKILTY, Friday.
At 9.30 this morning the Courtmacsherry lifeboat landed the crew of forty-two of the oil tanker, “British Influence”, which was torpedoed at noon yesterday 200 miles off the Fastnet. At 6.30 a.m. today the lifeboat, acting on instructions from Lloyd’s agent in Cove, went to sea and took the men off the Norwegian cargo vessel, “Ida Bakke”, which had picked them up after they had been several hours adrift and arrived off the Seven Heads, coast of Cork. The “Ida Bakke” proceeded on her voyage to Panama after the lifeboat brought the men ashore.
The crew, who are all safe, were made comfortable at Courtmacsherry this morning and afterwards they left for Cork en route for England. One member, A. Sterling, of London has sustained an injured knee. He was attended to by Dr. James Sheehy, Timoleague.
ARRIVAL AT CORK
From our Correspondent
CORK, Friday
At Courtmacsherry the rescued crew were provided with a substantial meal by Mr. Frank Ruddock, Honorary Secretary of the Lifeboat Station and his brother Mr. Robert Ruddock. A special ‘bus carried them afterwards to Cork, which they left later in the day for England via Dublin.
A COURTEOUS FOEMAN
How the submarine commander, having seen the crew of the “British Influence” safely on board the Norwegian ship, “Ida Bakke”, was cheered by the rescued crew – and how the submarine crew returned the compliment – was related to when Press representatives here today.
The submarine stood by the crew in their lifeboats for five and a half hours, fired rockets to attract the attention of the Norwegian ship, and when she did not see the signal the submarine went after her and told her of the sinking of the “British Influence”, and that the crew needed to be picked up.
PATRICK WALSH’S STORY
Of the forty-two members of the crew are all British, with the exception of one Irishman, Patrick Walsh, of Slieverue, Waterford.
Walsh said that this was only the second voyage of the oil tanker, which was built this year, and was returning from the Persian Gulf with 12,500 tons of fuel oil. He was foreman greaser on board and was in the engine-room when he heard shell-fire. He thought three shots were fired by the submarine. In response to a pre-arranged whistle signal, he rushed on deck with other members of the crew, and lost no time in getting into one of the two lifeboats. He did not see the submarine until he was in the lifeboat.
“When I did see her she was completely on the surface,” Walsh continued. “She was then about three-quarters of a mile away from our ship, as far as one could judge the distance at sea. There was a very heavy swell on at the time. The submarine went round to see that we were all right in our boats, and the submarine Commander asked us if we had provisions, water, tobacco and wireless on board. He also asked the name of our company. He then went round the “British Influence” completely and came back to his original position and fired a torpedo. The torpedo struck her aft, somewhere about the engine room. There was a big burst of smoke and gas and everything, and she went down by the stern at a certain distance. Our ship stood almost upright in the water, and when she was not sinking apparently as fast as he wished, the commander fired six shells inside about twenty minutes into her. She then went down. We were at a safe distance from the ship at the time.
COMMANDER SPOKE GOOD ENGLISH
“When he had sunk our ship he hung around, and was all the time keeping an eye on the horizon. He used to go away from us and come back again, and one time, when he came back he told us to look in the direction he pointed out. There were about twelve men on the conning tower of the submarine, and the Commander spoke good English – as plain as ever we could speak it. He sighted a ship on the horizon, and then he fired three rockets to attract her attention.”
“When the rescue ship was not coming he went towards her and brought her over to us. The submarine stood by all the time until they saw us safely on board the Norwegian. The Commander was a proper good fellow, and a perfect gentleman, and when we got on board the Norwegian, we all gave him three cheers and he gave us three cheers back. He then waved to us and disappeared under the water.”
AT COURTMACSHERRY
“A message was sent to the “Ida Bakke” to be out at the Old Head at 6 or 6.30 this morning, where the Courtmacsherry lifeboat took us off. The Norwegian had taken on board our own two life-boats. These were launched, and some of us got into them and others into the Courtmacsherry boat, which towed our two to land, where we arrived about 8.30 this morning.”
“The people of Courtmacsherry could not be kinder. They gave us tea and other refreshments.”
“I was the only Paddy on board,” Walsh said. He added that he had a wife and five children in Waterford. The captain, Hugh McMichael of the “British Influence”, declined to state further than that he was a native of Kirkcudbright, Scotland; that his ship was absolutely new, had a crew of forty-two, including officers, and that she was bound from the Persian Gulf to the Thames. When asked for further information about the sinking, he said “I can’t give you that; better get that from someone else.”
MAN WHO SAW THE U-BOAT
John J. Atkinson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, was on watch when the submarine appeared. He said that he first saw her about five minutes to twelve on Thursday, when the conning tower appeared above the water on the port quarter aft. He reported to the third officer, who, in turn, informed the captain. The submarine fired a shot across the bows. “We were still going ahead to make sure what it was when a second shot was fired,” he said. “The submarine then came alongside and ordered us to get into the lifeboats. When we were in them the German commander asked us if we had water, tobacco, bread, sails, oars and a compass. We told him we had. He said if we headed in the direction he pointed out to us we would be picked up or make land.”
“It was when he fired rocked to attract the attention of the Norwegian ship, and got no answer, that he went over to her and told them to follow him, as he had sunk an English ship. When we got on deck of the rescue ship we all gave the submarine commander three cheers for having seen us safely on board and he returned them and waved before he submerged. We were about five and a half hours in the life-boats all together, with the submarine standing by us all the time, keeping on the look-out for a rescue ship.”
“Two members of the crew were slightly injured; one got a knock on the leg and the other fell into the life-boat.”
NO PANIC
Joseph Edward Atkinson, carpenter, who is a brother of John Atkinson, said that it was a bit worrying for both of them until they found each other aboard the Norwegian ship. There was no panic of any kind. In fifteen minutes the lifeboats were clear of the “British Influence”. The heavy swell made it a bit awkward getting into the life-boats, but beyond that they suffered no discomfort. They lost all their belongings, however.
The only man to carry anything in the nature of a suit-case was George Ledbitter, of South Shields, donkeyman on board this tanker.
Ledbitter bore out the statements of the other members of the crew about the solicitude shown by the German commander for their safety. I am the only one, he said, who got anything out of the ship. I managed to have some clothes ready in my bag here, and I grabbed that as I ran on deck. In it I have some china, which I was bringing home as a present for my daughter, who lives with my wife at 24 Salbourne Street, South Shields. I hurt my leg a little and George Davidson, also of South Shields, got slightly injured when he fell into the lifeboat. The weather was good.
U-BOAT CAPTAIN CHEERED
HER SEARCH FOR RESCUE SHIP
CARE FOR VICTIM’S SAFETY
SINKING OF BRITISH INFLUENCE
The crew of the torpedoed oil tanker “British Influence”, cheered the U-Boat commander who on Thursday saw them safely aboard the Norwegian vessel, “Ida Bakke”, and the German captain returned their cheer.
The facts were told when yesterday the rescued men were landed from the lifeboat at Courtmacsherry, County Cork.
RESCUED MEN AT COURTMACSHERRY
From our Correspondent
CLONAKILTY, Friday.
At 9.30 this morning the Courtmacsherry lifeboat landed the crew of forty-two of the oil tanker, “British Influence”, which was torpedoed at noon yesterday 200 miles off the Fastnet. At 6.30 a.m. today the lifeboat, acting on instructions from Lloyd’s agent in Cove, went to sea and took the men off the Norwegian cargo vessel, “Ida Bakke”, which had picked them up after they had been several hours adrift and arrived off the Seven Heads, coast of Cork. The “Ida Bakke” proceeded on her voyage to Panama after the lifeboat brought the men ashore.
The crew, who are all safe, were made comfortable at Courtmacsherry this morning and afterwards they left for Cork en route for England. One member, A. Sterling, of London has sustained an injured knee. He was attended to by Dr. James Sheehy, Timoleague.
ARRIVAL AT CORK
From our Correspondent
CORK, Friday
At Courtmacsherry the rescued crew were provided with a substantial meal by Mr. Frank Ruddock, Honorary Secretary of the Lifeboat Station and his brother Mr. Robert Ruddock. A special ‘bus carried them afterwards to Cork, which they left later in the day for England via Dublin.
A COURTEOUS FOEMAN
How the submarine commander, having seen the crew of the “British Influence” safely on board the Norwegian ship, “Ida Bakke”, was cheered by the rescued crew – and how the submarine crew returned the compliment – was related to when Press representatives here today.
The submarine stood by the crew in their lifeboats for five and a half hours, fired rockets to attract the attention of the Norwegian ship, and when she did not see the signal the submarine went after her and told her of the sinking of the “British Influence”, and that the crew needed to be picked up.
PATRICK WALSH’S STORY
Of the forty-two members of the crew are all British, with the exception of one Irishman, Patrick Walsh, of Slieverue, Waterford.
Walsh said that this was only the second voyage of the oil tanker, which was built this year, and was returning from the Persian Gulf with 12,500 tons of fuel oil. He was foreman greaser on board and was in the engine-room when he heard shell-fire. He thought three shots were fired by the submarine. In response to a pre-arranged whistle signal, he rushed on deck with other members of the crew, and lost no time in getting into one of the two lifeboats. He did not see the submarine until he was in the lifeboat.
“When I did see her she was completely on the surface,” Walsh continued. “She was then about three-quarters of a mile away from our ship, as far as one could judge the distance at sea. There was a very heavy swell on at the time. The submarine went round to see that we were all right in our boats, and the submarine Commander asked us if we had provisions, water, tobacco and wireless on board. He also asked the name of our company. He then went round the “British Influence” completely and came back to his original position and fired a torpedo. The torpedo struck her aft, somewhere about the engine room. There was a big burst of smoke and gas and everything, and she went down by the stern at a certain distance. Our ship stood almost upright in the water, and when she was not sinking apparently as fast as he wished, the commander fired six shells inside about twenty minutes into her. She then went down. We were at a safe distance from the ship at the time.
COMMANDER SPOKE GOOD ENGLISH
“When he had sunk our ship he hung around, and was all the time keeping an eye on the horizon. He used to go away from us and come back again, and one time, when he came back he told us to look in the direction he pointed out. There were about twelve men on the conning tower of the submarine, and the Commander spoke good English – as plain as ever we could speak it. He sighted a ship on the horizon, and then he fired three rockets to attract her attention.”
“When the rescue ship was not coming he went towards her and brought her over to us. The submarine stood by all the time until they saw us safely on board the Norwegian. The Commander was a proper good fellow, and a perfect gentleman, and when we got on board the Norwegian, we all gave him three cheers and he gave us three cheers back. He then waved to us and disappeared under the water.”
AT COURTMACSHERRY
“A message was sent to the “Ida Bakke” to be out at the Old Head at 6 or 6.30 this morning, where the Courtmacsherry lifeboat took us off. The Norwegian had taken on board our own two life-boats. These were launched, and some of us got into them and others into the Courtmacsherry boat, which towed our two to land, where we arrived about 8.30 this morning.”
“The people of Courtmacsherry could not be kinder. They gave us tea and other refreshments.”
“I was the only Paddy on board,” Walsh said. He added that he had a wife and five children in Waterford. The captain, Hugh McMichael of the “British Influence”, declined to state further than that he was a native of Kirkcudbright, Scotland; that his ship was absolutely new, had a crew of forty-two, including officers, and that she was bound from the Persian Gulf to the Thames. When asked for further information about the sinking, he said “I can’t give you that; better get that from someone else.”
MAN WHO SAW THE U-BOAT
John J. Atkinson, Wallsend-on-Tyne, was on watch when the submarine appeared. He said that he first saw her about five minutes to twelve on Thursday, when the conning tower appeared above the water on the port quarter aft. He reported to the third officer, who, in turn, informed the captain. The submarine fired a shot across the bows. “We were still going ahead to make sure what it was when a second shot was fired,” he said. “The submarine then came alongside and ordered us to get into the lifeboats. When we were in them the German commander asked us if we had water, tobacco, bread, sails, oars and a compass. We told him we had. He said if we headed in the direction he pointed out to us we would be picked up or make land.”
“It was when he fired rocked to attract the attention of the Norwegian ship, and got no answer, that he went over to her and told them to follow him, as he had sunk an English ship. When we got on deck of the rescue ship we all gave the submarine commander three cheers for having seen us safely on board and he returned them and waved before he submerged. We were about five and a half hours in the life-boats all together, with the submarine standing by us all the time, keeping on the look-out for a rescue ship.”
“Two members of the crew were slightly injured; one got a knock on the leg and the other fell into the life-boat.”
NO PANIC
Joseph Edward Atkinson, carpenter, who is a brother of John Atkinson, said that it was a bit worrying for both of them until they found each other aboard the Norwegian ship. There was no panic of any kind. In fifteen minutes the lifeboats were clear of the “British Influence”. The heavy swell made it a bit awkward getting into the life-boats, but beyond that they suffered no discomfort. They lost all their belongings, however.
The only man to carry anything in the nature of a suit-case was George Ledbitter, of South Shields, donkeyman on board this tanker.
Ledbitter bore out the statements of the other members of the crew about the solicitude shown by the German commander for their safety. I am the only one, he said, who got anything out of the ship. I managed to have some clothes ready in my bag here, and I grabbed that as I ran on deck. In it I have some china, which I was bringing home as a present for my daughter, who lives with my wife at 24 Salbourne Street, South Shields. I hurt my leg a little and George Davidson, also of South Shields, got slightly injured when he fell into the lifeboat. The weather was good.
