Loss of S.S. Dehi, Pt 2
January 2nd, 2009 From
>Date: Sun, 21 Sep 1997 23:20:36 -0600
>From: Brooks A Rowlett
>Organization: None whatsoever
>X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01-C-MACOS8 (Macintosh; I; PPC)
>To: “C. Patrick Hreachmack”
> “Jim O’Neil”
> Mahan Naval History Mailing List
> MARHST
> WWOne Mailing List
>Subject: Loss of S.S. Dehi, Pt 2
>Precendence: bulk
>Sender: mahan-owner@microworks.net
>Reply-To: mahan@microworks.net
>
>CONTINUE FROM PREVIOUS POST GEORGE SPENCER’S ACCOUNT OR RESCUE
>OPERATION SIN LOSS OF S.S. DELHI
>
>”We arrived there between 3 and 4 in the morning 13th December. Owing
>to the heavy surf that was running it was absolutely impossible to get
>her off so the only thing we could do was to get the passengers off as
>quick as possible. We had a hard job to get to the ship as the sea was
>breaking right over her we managed to get alongside with only 3 oars
>left but we replaced them from the stranded vessel. We were not along
>in this rescue work as we found on arrival that a French cruiser had
>also answered the S.O.S. her name was “Fryant” and her boat done some
>very good work indeed but unfortunately came to grief which is
>explained below. As soon as we got alongside the “Delhi” we put all the
>women and children into her only remaining boat the others were smashed
>by the sea as they were being lowered it was heartaching to see little
>children pass into the boat wearing lifebelts as big as themselves I
>shall never forget that boat being towed away by the Frenchman it got
>almost round the stern of the ship when the tow line carried away. our
>hair stood on end expecting every minute to see the boat capsize with
>its human load but owing to the good management of the French boat she
>was able to pick her up again and succeeded in getting her through the
>surf and safely alongside the “Duke of Edinburgh” the Officers gave up
>their cabins to enable them to get their clothes dried as it is needless
>to say they had a good soaking our ship took them to Gibraltar to await
>another Liner to continue their journey. Now the French boat after
>putting the people onboard our ship returned to make another attempt but
>fate was dead against her, for as she tried to come around the stern of
>the Wreck a tremendous great surf broke right over her putting her fires
>out you must understand she was steam driven not a pulling boat like
>ours. after having her fires put out she dropped her anchor riding head
>on to the sea until she could get her fires going again she finally
>succeeded, slipped her anchor, but before she had gone many yards the
>sea picked her up and turning a complete somersault dissappeared but
>fortunately only one of the crew were lost his body was washed ashore
>the following morning the remainder of the crew managed to reach the
>shore safely. Now it came to our turn all this time we were being
>tossed up and down the ships side which was not very comfortable we
>dropped alongside of her accomodation ladder to embark the few
>passengers that were still on board they were the Duke and Duchess of
>Fife their two Daughters Princess Alexandra and Princess Maud and a
>Civilian Doctor these persons were the last to leave the ship with the
>exception of her crew we had great difficulty in getting them into the
>boat but we succeeded at last and pushed off from the ship our
>intention was to tow a grass line ashore bury the end to enable us to
>hand ourselves back to the ship again and get the crew ashore but before
>we got very far the boat was swamped. the Princesses were very plucky
>through it all they tried to bale the boat out as we were fighting
>hard to beach her. we managed to get about half way to shore, when a
>great surf threw us all out of the boat it was impossible to reach her
>again as she was to far away so we had to strike out for the shore “..
>….
>
>TO BE CONCLUDED IN NEXT POSTING