“We left Newcastle on Saturday evening, unescorted, and our vessel was painted with a black hull and grey superstructure. We carried a four-inch gun aft, and the draft of the vessel was 23ft aft and 19ft forward. As a matter of interest, although we were told nothing except that we were going to Australia to take troops from there, everybody locally in Newcastle appeared to know everything about it.

We dropped anchor off the mouth of the Tyne, and stayed there for a few days. On the 26th November at about 0420 we passed Flamborough Head, and I was the Officer on watch. We were heading on a course of 139 degrees for the Outer Dowsing, and there were two British Captains on board.

The tide was not very strong and we passed a few ships going iun the opposite direction at about half a mile between us and the shore. I was told later that these ships formed a convoy. Our speed was about 19 knots, and the Officer of the Watch before me told me that we were quite safe, being in 20 fathoms of water.

At 0536 we were proceeding with lights on as it was now dark. Previously we had an order from the Captain to put on lights only if we were passing too close to another vessel in order to avoid collision.

I was inside the wheelhouse at this time when the first explosion occurred. This explosion took place right on the port side. All engine telephones were broken and put out of action. I did not observe any water spray go up at the time of the explosion. The vessel took an immediate 10 degree list to port. The vessel first appeared as if she was going to sink very quickly. The Captain ordered everybody to the life boat stations and eventually we lowered all the boats.

My life boat was on the starboard side of the bridge, and it was a motor boat. I asked the Captain if I should lower my life boat and he said “No, it is better to go aft because of the list on the vessel”. As I proceeded aft I met a few of the crew of my life boat. I took them along and decided to lower my own life boat after all. The Third Officer started to lower the port side lifeboat. He had some difficulty in unhooking the falls of rope so he decided to go to the starboard side life boat. The sea was very rough and it was exceedingly dark, but as I have stated previously, we managed at last to get all our life boats away.

During the night we noticed two ships quite close to us and at about daybreak we sighted the Valores. By this time we were about a mile away from our vessel, and I also noticed that she had not yet sunk. I heard later that she had sunk about four hours after the explosions.

The Valores first picked up the Captain and two other members of crew who were on a raft. Unfortunately, the Captain, who was aged 58, had been in the water for about an hour, and he died shortly afterwards from hypothermia and shock.