“However later the aeroplane circled again and told us the course to pick up survivors. He dropped a smoke flare and we could see a Lifeboat ahead. We manoeuvered the ship and took 9 men aboard – the Captain, Mate and seven others. This boat had been shelled at and damaged to the boat had been repaired. Two men were killed and buried at sea. There were three others injured, one with stomach wounds and one with foot wounds. Everybody was running around themselves.” The men who were injured by shrapnel were the Chief Officer, Second Engineer, and a sailor.
We got these on board and cut the lifeboat adrift. Then thinking we had all we told the aircraft we were on our way but he signaled again and again dropped a flare. This time it was two men on a raft. We managed to get alongside and one man scrambled aboard, the other an old man of 73was not so nimble. He managed to claw a ladder and was holding on with his hands and men were pulling in the ladder with him on it. Another man went on the ladder to hold his wrists but he was gradually slipping away. Another fellow named A. Smith leaned over the side to give a hand but unfortunately the old man let go. Smith immediately went in after him and everybody was running around throwing overboard lifebelts. Smith swam to one and gave it to the old man and swam around him and generally comforted him.
Meanwhile the Mate gave orders for the Jolly Boat to be lowered and all hands assisted. It was not long before they were rescued and the boat hauled in. Meanwhile, the aeroplane circling again dropped yet another flare and Morsed to us. Again we followed and passed considerable wreckage and then saw one man on a raft. He turned out to be the Indian Fire man and as we could not manoeuver ship near enough we lowered the Jolly boat again and took him onboard. We understood this left one man unaccounted for. The aeroplane went away and we returned to our course. There was a general post on the ship to find accommodation for all and by nightfall everybody was suited. The name was
HALCYON and we understand the submarine was on the surface even up to the time that the aeroplane was sighted by us.”