D/S Roy

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Appeared Master Mariner Josef Thorvald Berge ...

The master produced the ship's deck and engine room log books and a transcript in conformity with same ...

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The master referred to te extract. When the torpedo struck the vessel the master gave orders to go into the boats and push off. Men were lying around flooating in the sea. They were the survivors from another sunk vessel. We picked up all that we could see or hear as we were rowing about. This took some minutes. The master now heard shouts both from the vessel, which was still keeping afloat, and from the sea further out. He asked the chief officer if he would row his lifeboat to the ship's side in order to see if any one had been left on board. In consequence the English fireman Bernhard Morgan was taken into the lifeboat. The master's own lifeboat, which had in all 17 men in it, picked up the two men from whom they had heard shouts from the sea, namely the master and the chief officer of the sunk English vessel.

The torpedo struck astern on the starboard side. Those who lost their lives were probably in their cabins or in the mess-room, all of which were blown away by the explosion.

The vessel was in completely seaworthy condition and the lifesaving equipment in complete order.

The vessel had been in dock in the month of June at the Tyne Dock Engineering.

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Appeared as 1st witness, chief officer Simon Holmedal ...

They had passed Buoy No. 56 B at 23.30 o'clock. The witness was on the bridge. A.B. Seaman Hilmar Ditlefsen was at the wheel, A.B. Seaman Andreas Ytterli was look-out man. Clear and calm weather, slight swell. We heard the drone of E-boats about. At 23.45 o'clock the witness heard a violent report. The vessel was struck aft on the starboard side. The witenss, the 2nd officer and A.B. Seaman Ditlefsen ran aft in order to see the effect of the explosion and found there was nothing else to be done than to get into the boats. The whole of the starboard side of the poop had been blown away, the hatch-coaming of No. 4 hatch had been blown away and they heard the water pouring ito Nos. 3 and 4 holds.

They quickly got the boats into the water and the crew went into the lifeboats. A.B. Seaman Skorpen, who had been knocked unconscious, was assisted to the boat deck by the 2nd officer and Ditlefsen. No other injured could be seen in the darkness.

When the boats had been put into the water they picked up some men from an English vessel which had been sunke one minute after the s.s."Roy".

The witness volunteered to row back to the side of the s.s. "Roy", which was still floating, in order to make sure that no one had been left on board. A.B. Seaman Ditlefsen and donkeyman Olaf Hella voluntarily ran on board in order to bring with them a man they saw hanging fast and from whom they heard shouts. It was fireman B.Morgan, seroiusly injured. They succeeded in getting him into the boat.

They saw nothing of the 2 missing A.B. Seamen, Sverre Rimestad and Terje Johannesen. Trimmer Jack Waudby was seen pinned down, it was impssible to get him with us.

The chief officer's lifeboat picked up in all two men from the other vessel, which was sunk, and they were landed at Grimsby together with the men from the s.s. "Roy".

The witness saw the s.s. "Roy" go down about 1/2 a minute after they had come clear of the ship's side. It was just in time.

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Appeared as 2nd witness, Tallak Solheim ... the witness stated that he was the chief engineer on the s.s. "Roy" and was on watch in the engine room.

On Sunday the 12th October, at about 23.45 l'clock, a violent explosion was heard. The whole of the engine room was filled with gas. The engine was stopped. The witness then ran up. The donkeyman, who was aslos in the engine room, was ordered up. They got into the lifeboat. No injured could be seen.

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Appeared as 3rd witness, Helmer Ditleifsen ... the witness staated that he was an A.B. Seaman on board the s.s. "Roy" On Sunday the 12th October the witness was at the wheel when, at about 23.45 o'clock, he heard a violent report. The vessel had been struck aft on the starboard side and, together with the chief officer and the2nd officer, the witness ran aft. Skorpen was found knocked unconscious and was carried up on deck amidships. It was apparent to them that they had nothing else to do than to leave the ship.

They got into the boats and rowed away, but the lifeboat, in which the witness was, later came back to the ship's side and managed to save B. Morgan, who was lying pinned down aft.

About 1/2 a minute after the lifeboat had left the ship's side this time, the witness saw the vessel sink.

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Appeared as 4th witness, Andras Theodor Yttrelie ... the witness stated that he was an A.B. Seaman on the s.s. "Roy". He was on watch as look-out man when the casualty occurred.

The witness kept a sharp look-out. The gunners were at their post. There was nothing to be heard just before the explosion. The vessel was struck suddenly. It was betwwen 23.30 and 24.00 o'clock when the explosion occurred.

The statement of the witness agreed with those of the other witnesses. Everything went on quietly and orderly.

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