Evening star., 1942-08-31
Two Ships Torpedoed
Under u. ). Sailor
During One Week
SoIvoees TinfoiI From
Lifebout Chocolate
For Serop Drive
3, the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 31.-In
Coxwain Donald H. Eaton's locker
at the armed guard center on
Treasure Island is a pasteboard
shoe box with story. e.s
The story begins early last June,
when Eaton sailed out of Galveston,
Tex, aboard an American mer-
chantman.
A tall and sturdy young sailor
from Meridian, Idaho, Eaton was
in command of the vessels Navy
gun crew. The night of June 4 they
were torpedoed.
Il yelled the general quarters
alarm to my men. But we never
got chance to fire. When I saw
that well deck filling up with water
I yelled to my men: To the life
RATS, fellows!' and started for the
after port raft.
II jumped on the. hatch cover.
worked over the raft, and jumped
down into the water to slip the ring
on the pelican hook. Just as I slip
ped the ring. mountain of water
hit us from over the gunwales.
"The downcurrent began whirl-
ing the raft over and over. 1t turned
over three times On the second
turn I saw the last bit of the bow
of the ship going under, right down
beneath us. When the raft stopped
turning, we got the oars loose and
started to row."
Flour Sacks Jam Raft.
Scores of men were swimming and
crying for held Eaton recalled, but
hundreds of sacks Of flour from the
ships cargo jammed around the.
raft and kept Eaton from padding
to the rescue Of others. Fifteen men
were lost.
Eaton had ordered his gunners
to remain dressed, but many of the
ships regular crew were unclothed
The Navy men peeled off part of
their clothes and shared them, yet
even so, none had suf1icient protec-
ton aaginst the next days broiling
sun. =
1--WE fixed that up. Five Of those
sacks of flour had got tucked up
under my raft. We picked up two
more, emptied them, and made our
selves some shirts and headgear out
of the sacks"
Rescue came on the evening of
the second day.
"A convoy pulled up on us, two
English ships and several Ameri-
cans.
Little by little the convoy dis
solved until by the night of June
10, only the two English ships and
one American remained.
AT just past midnight, I awoke
suddenly. A loud explosion came
from starboard I saw two bright
flashes from an English ship, and
1 knew shed been torpedoed.
Ship Carried Ammunition.
"Our own ship was loaded with
ammunition, TINT, powder, tanks
and guns-not comfortable load if
you're expecting torpedo. ] hur-
ried back to the 4-inch gun. It
was. manned. Then I yelleo at an
Australian gunner that we might
as well man the 20 nm. just as
we got started rigging it, a torpedo
hit the port side.
Il ran to the boat deck as the
officers were lowering the last life
boat. and it was little one at that
Just as we got ready to cast away
the ship went down-so fast that
the forward davit pulled our lifeboat
under before we could get it loose
"A piece of hatch came floating
by finally and grabbed it. 1 had
just located some sailors on a larger
piece of wreckage when someone
yelled Look out!
L turned around and saw the sub
bearing down on us. 1t looked like
she was going to run us down, but
she passed about 80 feet away.
Her captain hailed one of the life
boats in perfect English.
1--WE got a passenger for you"
He let an English sailor they'd
picked up get into the lifeboat and
sent out two cartons of cigarettes.
Nine days and nights in the life
boats followed, while the refugee.
drifted into the equatorial Atlantic
Sighted on Eighth Night.
On the night of the eighth da,
a Navy patrol bomber was sightec
and its attention attracted with 8
flashlight. The plane dropped fare.
and headed away.
Next morning destroyer pickec
them up. Landed in Panama, Eator
shipped aboard another merchant
vessel to his present station here
With him he brought his shoebox
He guards it closely, for it is flllee
! unity, Al 4,.iI.,tia..