21 Days in an Open Lifeboat
Welshpool Seaman's Experiences
FOUND BY AEROPLANE
MR Edward Whitfield Breeze, AB, who serves in the Merchant Navy, is at present at home on leave after some unpleasant experiences, including 21 days at sea in the Atlantic in an open lifeboat.
He is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs E W Breeze, Pentrenant, Pwell, Welshpool, and is a former pupil of Welshpool Boys’ County School.
Six years ago he decided to join the Merchant Navy, and he was almost continuously been at sea since the outbreak of war. Until this year vessels win which he had served had had skirmishes with enemy aircraft and U-boats, but had not been impeded, but in February this year his ship was attacked and sunk by an Italian U-boat, and it was not until 21 days after being set adrift in an open boat that Breeze and his sixteen colleagues were rescued.
Leaving home last August, Mr Breeze joined a ship and went to Nigeria. In October he had the misfortune to fracture an ankle, and this resulted in his ship sailing without him and leaving him in Africa.
"He made an excellent recovery from the accident and joined a vessel which was bound for Canada. When well out in the Atlantic, on the morning of February 3rd, the ship was attacked by the U-boat without warning, and a torpedo struck No 2 hatch. The ship hove to and the submarine surfaced, closing with the stricken merchantman and ordering the crew to abandon ship. Four lifeboats were launched and were occupied by the crew, each boat being in charge of an officer.
"As the seas was calm, the boats got away together, just before the submarine trained her guns on the deserted ship and sank her. Having done this, the submarine came alongside the small boats and the commander asked for particulars of the ship he had sunk and took one of the officers on board the U-boat as a prisoner of war. He said he could not furnish the lifeboat with water was he had been at sea a long time, and supplies on the submarine were running short.
1,200 MILES FROM LAND
“It was a quarted to seven in the morning when we were attacked,” Seaman Breeze told a County Times reporter this week, “and after our ship had been sunk all the lifeboats set a course for the West Indies,some 1,200 miles distant.
"Later in the day the sea rose, and thunderstorms and high winds caused us to lose sight of each other. Throughout that night we had rough weather and though conditions had moderated by the following morning, the storm had caused our boats to drift apart. At dawn there was no sign of any of our colleagues and our boat with seventeen men was on its own in a vast expanse of water.
"The second mate, Mr Thomas of Anglesey, was in charge of our boat, and he divided the crew into watches so that, as far as possible we carried on the usual routine of the ship. The progress of the days was marked by a notch in the gunwale of the boat, and food and water were rationed from the outset, for we realised it might be some time before we were picked up.
“We had 33 gallons of water and our food included biscuits, condensed milk, chocolate, and ‘pemican’, the latter being the emergency ration of food, concentrated to contain more vitamins. We also emptied our pockets to form a cigarette pool. With the trade winds in our favour we set course for the West Indies.
"Our chief occupation was watching the air and the horizon for aeroplanes or ships, but we saw nothing. After five days all our cigarettes had been smoked, and we found this added to the monotony of life in a confined open boat. We were fortunate inasmuch as the wearther was fine, and the sea calm.
“We kept ourselves cheerful, got what rest we could, and so day followed day. Our water allowance was eight ounces one day and sixteen ounces the next day and this was most welcome for the sun was very powerful.
"Our hopes rose on February 19th, 16 days after we had been torpedoed, for we sighted a flying boat. We signalled as best we could, but to our disappointment the flying boat failed to see us and went on with her patrol. We saw another flying boat the next day but again we were not seen.
FOUND BY AEROPLANE
“At night we heard more aircraft about, and fired flares in the hope of attracting attention. We did this on the following night, and next morning, to our joy and relief, and American aeroplane circled above us, came towards us, and dropped us supplies. The crew of the aircraft then ‘spoke’ to us, telling us to set a certain course, and we waved to them before starting to have a good meal for we now knew that our rescue would not be long delayed.
"From the time we were seen the aircraft patrol remained with us, one aeroplane relieving another. When dropping us food, the aircraft also dropped us cigarettes, and after being so long without a smoke these American cigarettes were most welcome. The lifeboat was now within 60 miles of land, and we were all delighted when we saw a coatsguard vessel coming towards us to complete our rescue. When we were all picked up the aircraft wheeled away, and we were soon on our way to St Thomas, one of the Virgin Islands in the West Indies.
"Here we were given a good reception, and the American Red Cross Service was excellent. Needless to say we were all suffering to some extent, the most common complaint being swollen feet, and we were all very hungry. Some of our chaps needed medical attention, but all I needed was a feed, and I soon felt better after eating two boiled eggs and toast, and enjoying a plate of porridge.
“The people of the island were good to us, and we were very much cheered when we knew that all our lifeboats had been found, two others having landed in the West Indies and the other in South America. Apart from one man, who died of pneumonia as a result of exposure, we were all well. I joined another ship and went on to Wisconsin in the United States to join another ship.
"Several of my shipmates wernt, and at the port where the ship was handed over it was United Nations week, and with my colleagues I was at a banquet at which we had to tell of our experiences over the radio.
“When we left Wisconsin we came along to join the convoy which, as announced by tha Admiralty and Air Ministry last week, came over the Atlantic unmolested. It was a good trip, and there was real satisfaction in looking overhead and seeing our umbrella of aircraft. Now I am enjoying a bit of leave at home.”