The chief officer of the West Hartlepool steamer Firby (4,869 tons), which was sunk by a submarine off Scotland, told a reporter yesterday that after they had left the ship the German commander sent an S.O.S. to Mr Churchill at the Admiralty giving the ship's position.
All the crew, numbering over 40, got away by boat, but four were injured by the shells.
The crew's experience was described by Mr James Woodruff, of Sunderland, the chief officer. He said that he was asleep in his berth when he heard shells bursting overhead. At least five were fired at the ship, and two lifeboats were launched.
"We pulled alongside the Uboat," he said, "and the commander was most considerate towards us. He gave the master of our ship, Captain T. Prince, of Northallerton, a stiff drink, and members of the U-boat crew handed to our men nine loaves of black bread and three rolls of bandages for the injured men.
"Before we moved away from the submarine the commander sent an S.O.S. to Winston Churchill at the Admiralty giving our position. Then the U-boat sank the ship, which went down within ten minutes.
"One of the lifeboats was caught in the swirl of the water as the Firby went down, and she capsized, but we managed to get the men into our boat. There were heavy seas during the thirteen hours we spent in the lifeboat before we were picked up by a destroyer and brought to port."
The Irish Times, September 15th, 1939.