Excerpt
of correspondence within Lloyd’s of London file
resulting in the award of Lloyd’s Medal for Meritorious Service
Source: GL: MS
31611/15
IN HIS MAJESTY’S
COMMERCIAL COURT
This twelfth day
of March 1918
JOHN EVANS, son of
Evan Evans, born at Newquay in Cardiganshire and
residing at Llandyssul, master of the oil-tank
steamer "Mitra", flying the British flag,
of the net registered tonnage of three thousand five hundred and three (3503)
tons and of four hundred and sixty (460) horse-power, entered at the port of
London has applied to this Court for permission to lodge his sea-protest, in
view of damage sustained in hull and cargo through enemy action during a voyage
from Alexandria to Bizerte, the Judge of His Majesty’s Commercial Court has
allowed the application and appointed Oscar Prnis,
LL.D. to represent him for the purposes of this sea-protest.
Wherefore the said
JOHN EVANS has made the following declaration on oath duly administered to him
by me the undersigned Deputy Registrar.
(sd) M. Ciantar,
Deputy
Registrar.
S E A - P R O T E S T
I
am the master of the oil-tank steamer "Mitra"
on board of which I left Alexandria on the 3rd March 1918 with a
full cargo of oil-fuel in bulk. We travelled in convoy and we were bound for
Bizerte. At the time of departure the vessel was fully manned and equipped and
from every point of view thoroughly sea-worthy. At about 1.5 p.m. while I was
on the bridge during the second Officer’s watch an explosion took place on
another steamer which was abreast of us in the convoy and about three hundred
yards to our starboard, and almost immediately after I observed the periscope
of a submarine about twenty yards astern from that steamer. I immediately
ordered full speed head and helm hard a-starboard in order to get my ship clear
away. One shot was fired from my ship at the periscope, but did not take
effect. A few seconds after I observed a torpedo coming from the direction
where the periscope was, and moving towards our starboard side, My ship had begun to answer her helm, but as I saw that the
torpedo was very close and just about to strike my ship I rang the order:
"Stop engines". My ship was struck almost at that instant. A very
violent explosion took place as the torpedo struck my ship on the starboard
side on No.2 tank, that is at the second tank counting
from the stern. As I noticed that my ship was still proceeding at full speed,
the explosion having evidently prevented my order from being received in the
engine-room, I shouted out: "Stop engines", and the order was passed
on to the engine-room by those on deck, and the engines were stopped.
I
next gave the order for the boats to be lowered and the crew to stand by. On
receiving instructions from my escort to get the boats clear of the ship, I
ordered the boats to put away from the ships and stand by. Later my crew was
put on board the escort. On arrival, there, I ascertained that all my men were
safe, and I asked to be taken back to my own ship. I was informed that on board
the escort the provision were insufficient to serve for my crew and for the
other survivors on board the escort, so I proposed sending over some provisions
from my ship. I was rowed to my ship and sent provisions by the boat that had
carried me there. I also sent word to my officers and crew that if any one of
them wished to volunteer to come back to the ship, they could rejoin me as I
had no intention to abandon the ship. The Chief Officer, the Third Officer and
the second engineer - the chief engineer having been injured by the explosion -
came on board in answer to my call. The ship was towed to Malta by three
Admiralty tugs. We arrived at St. Paul’s Bay examination anchors on the ninth
instant about an hour after sunset, and were towed to the Grand Harbour on the
afternoon of the following day. Before leaving St. Paul’s Bay, a message was
received by wireless telegraph on the tug-boats that as my ship had no steam I
was to slip my anchor and that would be picked up. Soon after the explosion my
ship took a heavy list to starboard and she remained so listed till she reached
St. Paul’s Bay.
I
am not in position to state the extent of the damage to the ship and to the
cargo.
Wherefore
in my own name as master of the said ship and on behalf of the owners thereof
and on behalf of all other parties interested in the ship and its cargo, I have
lodged this sea-protest for all intents and purposes of law’.
Go to the
main Mercantile Page