WOMEN FIGHT FOR LIFE ON THE ROPE LADDERS
A steward reached forward to take the child, but the she shrank back and screamed. That was sufficient to make Mrs. Clark realise she could never part without her.“If we’re going, we’re going together,” she shouted. Even as she said it she thought: “Maybe I am being selfish- I don’t know. But I’m going to hang on to her”.
Alta Magroon, a young Canadian who worked for a radio station was waiting to get into a lifeboat. Then she saw a young Protestant minister perched dramatically on a deck elevation.
He had his arms raised towards the sky, and he was praying aloud. People were kneeling on the deck around him.

There were stupid, selfish people. One woman asked stewardess Rogerson if she would do something for her.
“What is it?” asked Miss Rogerson. “I’ve forgotten my handbag” she said. “Would you mind getting it for me?”
Miss Rogerson’s voice was icily firm: “No, certainly not. I wouldn’t mind going down for a lifebelt –but I’m not going to risk my life for a handbag.”
On the bridge Captain Cook picked up the speaking tube and ordered Chief Radio officer Don to send out and S O S in naval code.
Alone in the radio room, a fairly large room just aft of the foremast, Don began tapping….

A RESPONSE
Naval distress signals are answered only by Coast stations. Nearest Coast station now was Valentia, in the south west of Ireland; call sign GCK Don found Valentia busy on war traffic, however, and it was 15 minutes before he could get through with his message: – “Athenia torpedoed- 56.42 North, 14.05 West.”
Captain Cook came on the speaking tube. “Send it out in clear too.” Don tapped the key. This time he got an immediate reply from a Norwegian vessel, she was the Knute Nelson, a 5, 000- ton tanker lying less than 40 miles to the South-West.
After acknowledging, the Nelson’s radio officer came back with this signal: – “The old man doesn’t believe you’ve been torpedoed – but he’s coming to your assistance right anyway.”
Don continued to tap out the S O S. Less than 10 minutes after the torpedo had struck the Athenia the emergency lights came on and as darkness closed in over the sea a searchlight on the bridge began to play about the decks and over the water, where boats were already bobbling about.
That was the scene which greeted Oberleutnant Lemp when he surfaced his submarine half an hour after the attack.

BUT WHY…?
Now the U.30’s radio was picking up distress signals from the listing ship, and Lemp was handed in a transcription.
A sturdy, quietly-elated figure he fingered the bit of paper. Then he read: “ATHENIA TORPEDOED 56.42 North, 14.05 WEST.”… (To be continued- (In the next Sunday edition of the Guyana Chronicle.)