Well we went into tea at about 4:30 as usual and at about 4:40 just as we were going on deck the alarm sounded and a few seconds later the bomb fell. I can’t remember hearing the plane. When it hit us I was just going to get my lifejacket, I saw the splash of a near miss right alongside us and felt the ship shudder and heave. The impact of the bomb was not nearly as great as one would have expected and for some time afterward we didn’t know we had been hit. We thought it was the near misses.
We got together a few things and sat in the dining room as we had been told to do, for about 40 minutes, waiting for the all clear. At first there was an awful noise when our guns replied but after that all was quiet until rather unexpectedly one of the officers came down and told us to abandon ship. Certainly a surprise.

The attack started at dusk, just the time they like best as the darkness covers them when they are finished. After we had been hit we heard the pumps but at the time didn’t know the reason for them. We thought it was because of fire. We heard the rockets go off, but again we didn’t guess the reason. So when we were told to leave the ship we didn’t have time to get as many things as we might otherwise have done. Well, anyway, we dashed back and grabbed a few more things and went to the boats.
We got in without very much trouble, by then it was quite dark. The lowering of the boats wasn’t much fun, but it was done without mishap. Waiting for the others to get in after we were in the water, wasn’t too pleasant either, as several times we were nearly smashed against the side. It was all due to Dad’s friend Mae that we got away safely as he managed to get an oar, which he broke several times against the sides, thus saving us.

We were in the Captain’s boat, the first to get away, the Captain never gave a single order. In fact one would not have known that he was there. The 4th officer had to take charge. He was very good, the only one to row, he got us away from the ship, he gave all the orders, and he had to start the engine because the Chief Engineer, who was also with us, was too terrified to move. He couldn’t even answer when spoken to. I sat next to him. The 4th did a very good job of work and so did Mae.
Another thing, the children were grand. They spent their time singing ‘Roll out the Barrel’, etc. I spent most of the time being and afterwards feeling very sick and also, though it was very cold, I with three coats plus other things, felt rather hot and was quite glad when it rained. It cooled us off and it wasn’t long after that that we were picked up.

We were about 2 hours in the boats. By the way, here I will say that of a large convoy we were the only ship to be hit and it was a very lucky hit for us. Another few yards and we would all have been goners. As it was, everyone was saved and no one injured – a lucky thing. It caught us on the foredeck, went through two hold and exploded down in the cargo, sugar, which muffled it quite a lot, but all the same it was enough to break her back. Also the near miss parted the plates in her side, but even so she sank very slowly at first. It was not till we were in the water that we saw how far down she was in the front.
Another thing, the planes attacked us just ten minutes after our own fighters had left us. Also we heard later that one of them had been shot down. I hope it was the one that got us.

Well, to continue I must say that all the passengers were wonderful, also a few English lads among the crew were very good. The Dutch wireless operator even refused to stay and send out an S.O.S. One of the English lads pushed him out of the way and did the job for him.
After about two hours one of the escorts came to our assistance. From the boats she (HMS Saxifrage), a corvette, looked enormous, almost a Battle Ship. At first I honestly didn’t see how we should ever get on board her, though we were very glad to see her. Actually I managed it quite easily, I stood up and when a big wave lifted the boat the sailors just hauled me over the side. Others had to climb up a slippery ladder. Once again the boat got smashed until she was secured. It was another call of ‘Thank God for the Royal Navy’ and they were British.

Well after all that everything went much more smoothly and they gave us a great welcome. They were very good to us, gave us hot tea, soup and cigarettes everything we wanted in fact and later on beds. I am afraid I couldn’t make much use of anything but a bucket, boy was I sick. We hung around the ship for a while to see if she could be saved but shortly afterwards at 7:15 she went down, breaking in two.
That night 5 of us slept in the Captain’s cabin. We really were lucky to be picked up so soon and to get away with everything so easily. I even managed to sleep part of the night. The next day I lay down most of the time and was still very sea sick. We were told that we would be taken to a certain port that day but later we were told we would be transferred to another ship, the leading escort ship, a sloop, a bigger and better ship (HMS Stork). At first we all hated the idea, there was still a high sea running but better than the previous night. The worst thing was the prospect of another trip in a lifeboat, but it was done on the leeward side of the ships and everything went very well, only a short run and an easy ladder to climb up and dozens of smiling, welcoming faces to greet one. Only the passengers were transferred, the crew remained on the other ship.

I won’t mention the names of either ship but when we got to ‘Our Ship’ as I will call her, we all realised what a good thing the change had been, in size and comfort she couldn’t compare with the other ship. She had been mentioned several times in the news and has 8 certain subs to her credit – a good record. The night before we were sunk her commander (DSO) heard he had won the D.S.O. for the last sub and others of her crew were decorated as well.
When we came on board we were taken straight to the ward room where a lovely tea was waiting for us, I almost managed to have some. We couldn’t have found a better ship anywhere, the officers and men were simply grand.