Survived Torpedo Sinking
Heroes Remember
Survived Torpedo Sinking
Transcript
We went out this night,
we were a convoy and a hospital ship
down to, going down to that island
down there (Malta.) Malta, s right,
that's the place where.
And on our way down we got torpedoed,
and they put two fish into her,
torpedoed her twice right there.
And she sank right there, just like,
I'd say three or four minutes,
five minutes it was all over, down.
And there was 126 aboard the ship and
there was 18 of us picked up and
out of the 18 that was
picked up there was 12 survived.
Interviewer: You were a stoker aboard that ship?
Yeah.
Interviewer: How did you get out Mr. Ellis?
Well, I was, happened to be lucky
that day I was in the engine room,
up until ten to four that morning and
I went up to wake the watch that took over
at four and I happened to be out of
the engine room, at that time and
the other fellas were going down,
some of them didn't get down.
See the, like the, the chief or the office,
petty officer down below would be running
the thing while these fellas would be
taking over and we getting them up and
getting them going and I didn't go down,
and the first thing, she went bango.
I was down in the mess tank, but that
was only one flight down and
I was at the back, the ship, our mess deck
was at the back, and she was hit it the front.
Interviewer: Were there any survivors
from the engine room?
No, not that I know of. I can only remember
the fellas that were picked up,
like the 18, and there was none in that.
Interviewer: How long were you in the water Mr. Ellis?
Four and a half hours.
Interviewer: What do you remember about that?
Well I thought it was all over.
I was, oh, I wasn't in very
good shape cause the,
the depth charges went off,
on our ship that went down,
they went off and they shook us pretty well,
ya know, they, we were bleeding pretty well.
Interviewer: Did they fire because they were
(Set at depths? Yeah.)
So when the ship reached that depth
all the depth charges went off.
Yep, yeah some of them were going off
in different intervals.
(And the concussion.)
Oh, oh me ears were bleeding,
I was bleeding everywhere, every place was,
there was a place for blood to come out. Yep..
Interviewer: Were there any life rafts
or boats in the water?
There was one life raft off of that ship,
and the rest of them, there was, there
was a carry float or probably two and
I was by myself, I just had my,
what they call a May West lifebelt and
it was there and I would have no
chance whatsoever, of living with that.
But anyway, up after a few explosions and
the ship was down and everything else,
there was a square hardtack can came
right up beside me, and sealed.
And I just put that underneath me arm
and that's what held me there.
Well, I'll tell ya four hours and a half
is a long time in the water and you covered
with oil you're as black as your boot.
Interviewer: What did you think the chances
were of being picked up by another vessel?
I didn't think there was any,
at the last of it, but our sister ship was
with us that night, the Alarm,
and she followed on with the convoy,
with the hospital ship, followed on with it and
I wouldn't know how far she went,
but anyway she came back and she
put out these scrambling nets and
they put the little boat of the,
motor boat of the ship and
went around picking them up.
And I was the last or the second last
fella getting picked up.
I was a way out from the rest, ya know,
I was off and got a scare,
thought it was all over.
You think of all the things
you done in your life.
Description
His ship was torpedoed on the way to Algiers in North Africa. There was a heavy loss of life as his ship sank. Mr. Ellis was one of only 12 survivors. He recalls the frightening experience, including 4 ½ hours in the water, hoping to be rescued.
Bruce Ellis
Bruce Ellis was born in Donaldston, Prince Edward Island on June 19, 1918. His father was a machine salesman and operated a small farm. He comes from a very large family with a total of 18 siblings - 9 brothers and 9 sisters. He was the fifth born. He recalls attending a one-room school with almost 50 students attending. He left school in Grade 8 near the age of 15 years. Mr. Ellis originally enlisted in the Canadian Army but moved to the Royal Canadian Navy after basic army training.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Duration:
- 05:15
- Person Interviewed:
- Bruce Ellis
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Branch:
- Navy
- Occupation:
- Stoker
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- Date modified: