WO 161/97/39

Transcription of Document WO 161/97/39
This work is a transcription of the original document here.

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Confidential Joe, Alexander, Surgeon Probationer, R.N.R. Victoria Place, Brechin, Forfarshire. Place and Date of Capture. Jutland. May 31st, 1916. Unwounded. Dates. Jutland Battle - May 31st, 1916 Wilhelmshaven - June 1st - June 3rd. Mainz - June 3rd - June 16th. Friedberg - June 16th, 1916 - Mar. 30th., 1917. Augustabad - April 2nd 1917 - Dec. 1917. Holzminden - Dec. 1917 - Feb. 12th, 1918. I was surgeon on board H.M.S. NESTOR, destroyer, 13th Flotilla, Commander Hon. Bingham, V.C. During the Jutland battle of May 31st, 1916, and between 4 and 5 p.m., we had driven off the German torpedo attack and carried out a torpedo attack on the German cruisers. In the destroyer skirmish we sank two enemy destroyers, and in the attack on the German cruisers at least one torpedo was observed by the gunner to get home. At this moment the enemy flotilla cruiser S.M.S. REGENSBERG appeared and engaged us, and the NESTOR received a hit in the engine-room. The REGENSBERG retired, but shortly afterwards the NESTOR came to a standstill. We managed to steam on for about five miles further, then stopped dead, and lay for three-quarters of an hour. Whilst we lay unable to proceed, the German High Sea Fleet passed, opened fire, and sank the NESTOR. We abandoned the ship in the motor-boat and the Carley float, and I received orders to look after the wounded, who were put into the motor-boat. I was taken on board torpedo boat S.16 with occupants of the motor-boat at 6 p.m. There were about one dozen wounded on the motor-boat, and these men were put in the ward room: Commander Bingham, the sub-lieutenant, the gunner, and myself were put in the captain's cabin, but I had access to the wounded in the ward room. The men were taken to the engine-room. I saw no case of the infraction of the laws and usages of war, and we were well treated by the German sailors, who offered our men cigarettes; all the medical stores on board the S.16 were placed at my disposal. These, I may mention, appeared to me to be somewhat scanty. We were given food and wine of good quality, and the wounded were served with the same food as the officers. Between 8 and 9 p.m. the sub-lieutenant came below and announced that two men had been picked up, and I was sent on deck to look after them. They were taken below unconscious, but I rendered artificial respiration, and they both recovered. The men said they were stokers on the INDEFATIGABLE, which had been blown up, but they remembered nothing of the circumstances, and I never saw them again. When on deck I noticed that S.16 was, with other destroyers, escorting a very large disabled battleship which was steaming about 8 knots, and from my description of her Commander Bingham said she must have been either the DERFLLINGER or the SEIDLITZ. The S.16 arrived at Wilhelmshaven about 2 p.m. on June 1st, and at 4 o'clock we were taken on shore. When we landed, about 70 men from the NESTOR were drawn up on the quay: the wounded men had been left on board, and before I left S.16 I had been asked, and had told them, how many of the cases were stretcher cases. The captain of S.16 shook hands with the officers before they went on shore, and those of the men who had no boots were each given a pair of sabots. The conduct of the officers to men on board S.16 and their treatment of use was correct in every respect. When we landed, Commander Bingham asked the admiral who was on the quay, who turned out to be Admiral von Capelle, if he might speak to his men and wish them good-bye, but he was not allowed to do so.

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We were marched at the head of the men to the naval barracks, and just before we entered the gate a crowd of sailors who were standing outside the door hissed us. At the naval barracks we were joined by four officers of the NOMAD and by a midshipman from the QUEEN MARY; here we spent two nights. Ordinary rations were given us of soup, coffee and bread, which were quite sufficient in quantity, and we were able to send to the canteen for eggs and butter, buying these things with some of the very small sum of money I happened to have in my pockets. On the morning of June 3rd, about 5 a.m., we left Wilhelmshaven for Mainz, a party of seven officers: the two gunners, who were warrant officers, were parted from us, and I do not know where they went. The journey about 14 hours, and it was fairly comfortable. No food was given us, but we took some with us. At Cologne, where we changed trains, a crowd of civilians gathered round us; they made remarks and some of the women shook their fists at us. The navl lieutenant who commanded our escort, who was quite a good fellow, did what he could to get food for us at Cologne, and when the civilians and the women tried to make themselves disagreeable he got us into the train quickly and drew down the blinds