Published in: The Evening News and Southern Daily Mail, no. 27441, Portsmouth & Southsea, Tuesday, April 9, 1946

“CALL TO PRAYER” DRAMA IN CRIPPLED “SUB”

Young Officer Faces Court Martial

DRAMATIC evidence of a 22-hour under-water ordeal by the crew of the submarine Seal, prior to her capture by the Germans in 1940, was given at a court martial at Portsmouth, to-day.

An officer, who was only 21 at the time, was accused of negligence in failing to ensure the sinking of the ship to prevent its falling into the hands of the Nazis.

Her commanding officer told how officers and crew, panting for breath, toiled to prevent the sinking of the submarine after she had been damaged by air attack and a mine, and how, with the Seal still submerged, the hands were called to prayer.

It was alleged that the accused officer was left in command of the ship after his commanding officer had swum to a nearby enemy seaplane at the request of the Germans, and the First Lieutenant had been wounded.

The Germans claimed subsequently to have commissioned her as a unit of the U-boat fleet.

To-morrow the commanding officer of the Seal is to face a Portsmouth court martial.

To-day, Lieut. Trevor Agar Beet, R.N. (27), pleaded not guilty to two separate charges. both relating to events on May 5, 1940. They were:

That he negligently performed the duty imposed on him when, acting as second-in-command, he failed to take steps to ensure the sinking of the Seal when it appeared possible she might fall into the hands of the enemy, and

That he negligently performed the duty imposed on him when the command of the Seal devolved upon him, in that he failed to ensure the sinking of the submarine to prevent her falling into the hands of the enemy.

President of the court was Captain R. J. O. Otway-Ruthven, D.S.O., of H.M.S. Leander, Prosecutor was Captain R. F. Elkins, O.B.E., Comdr. J. Cowell was the prisoner´s friend.

Minelaying Trip

The circumstantial letter, read by Deputy Judge Advocate of the Fleet, Captain (S) A. J. Wheeler, stated that the Seal sailed from the Humber at 9 p.m. on April 29, 1940, on a mine-laying operation.

On May 4, at 2.25 a.m., she was slightly damaged by air attack and dived. That evening, she was mined, and grounded by the stern in 22 fathoms.

After a 22-hour under-water ordeal, she was brought to the surface with great difficulty in the early hours of May 5, and was so badly damaged that the Captain decided to make for Swedish territorial waters.

About 3 a.m. she was again attacked from the air, and the first lieutenant was injured, some time afterwards his duties devolving upon Lieut. Beet.

An enemy seaplane landed close to the Seal, and at the request of the occupants the captain swam over to it, the command thereby devolving upon Lieut. Beet, who, it was alleged, at no time prior to the boarding of the ship by the Germans, took steps to ensure her sinking.

C.O.´s Evidence

Lieut.-Comdr. Rupert Philip Lonsdale, Commanding Officer of the Seal at the time of its capture, was warned by the Deputy Judge Advocate of the Fleet that he need not answer any questions that might incriminate himself.

He told the court of the Seal´s patrol, and of the bombing attacks upon her.

At 6.30 p.m. on May 4, a mine exploded. “It seemed as though a hot blast of air struck me in the face,” he said. “The Seal went down by the stern. The crew endeavoured to shut the afterdoor through which water was pouring.”

Witness described the difficulties in

raising the submarine, many things being done to lighten the boat.

“These efforts made ever increasing demands on the mental and physical capabilities of my crew,” he said, “and it was obvious that their efforts took a greater toll on them as time went on.”

Witness gave orders to Beet to destroy the secret books and to the first lieutenant about the secret gear. The inference was that it was most important that they should not fall into the enemy´s hands.

Witness said he was made a prisoner-of-war and was repatriated on May 8, 1945.

Cross-examined by accused´s friend, witness said that about one fifth of the open space for the Seal was flooded.

Witness could not say that he afterwards had a headache or feeling of sickness, which he believed was common among the crew. He did notice that he had an inability to compete with situations when they did not turn out as he fully expected them to do.

Lieut.-Comdr. Lonsdale gazed intently on the floor as he went on: “I could best illustrate this when the ship would not turn after we got to the surface. I could not think literally what to do next, and it was another person who suggested that we might go astern.”

He added that he called the hands to prayers.

Lieut.-Comdr. Lonsdale said that the accused had served as torpedo, gunnery, and signals officer in the Seal, and he carried out these duties efficiently and conscientiously. Witness had trust in his judgement.

Charles Futer, formerly C.P.O. telegraphist in the Seal, described the accused coming into his mess, his appearance being “about normal.” They got the confidential books into bags ready to throw overboard.

Aircraft Attacked

Lieut.-Comdr. Terence Brinsley John Danvers Butler, R.N., the Seal´s First Lieutenant, said that when the submarine surfaced he was in the motor-room helping to pump out the water. He then went up on to the bridge, and an enemy aircraft attacked.

Witness said: “I was wounded in the leg. I managed to get down into the control room. I remember little or nothing of what took place after that. I lost a lot of blood.”

In answer to the President and a member of the court, witness said he did not inform the captain or accused that he was incapable of carrying on as First Lieutenant after being wounded.

Efforts on Engines

Lt.-Cdr. (E) Ronald H. S. Clark, engineer officer of the submarine, described efforts to keep the engines working.

When witness went on the bridge the captain was just jumping overboard to a small seaplane.

The accused was on the bridge, and witness said to him, “Well chum, you´re the boss now.”

After the captain had jumped overboard to the seaplane, witness was certain that the Seal was going to sink. He was given no orders by the accused.

Witness told of the men working aft, “panting very hard.” By the time the Seal surfaced witness had got to the “happy state” where he wasn´t wondering whether she got to the surface or not.

He also found it difficult to stand up. He felt “ghastly” when they surfaced.

Sinking Fast

Warwick Higgins, formerly C.P.O. coxswain in the Seal, said that

the Captain gave instructions for a towel or tablecloth to be brought to the bridge and he (the Captain) waved it as German planes were overhead. One of the seaplanes alighted and came alongside.

The Germans made frantic signals for the Captain to go to the seaplane, and pointed a machine-gun. Lieut. Beet said, “Let me go,” but the Germans insisted upon the Captain going. It was obvious to the Germans who the Captain was.

The accused and witness said to the Captain, “Don´t worry, sir, we shall sink the ship,” and when the Captain left he was confident that it would be sunk.

When witness and some of the crew tried to get out the berthing boat, the Germans fired upon them, and witness went back to the control room.

A message came from the bridge that a boat was approaching, and there was talk of getting the First Lieutenant up as quickly as possible, because they all thought she was sinking fast.

The next thing witness remembered was a pair of strange legs coming down the ladder. The accused said to witness: “Come on, let´s open up forward and sink the ship.” They went forward and were both “swinging off the flood valves” when an armed German came up and stopped them.

Cross-examined by Comdr. Cowell, the witness said that he could not be sure whether the accused said to the captain “We will sink her” or “She will sink.”

He admitted that the events were muddled in his mind.

John Edward Stalt, Chief E.R.A., who said he was below until the Germans came on board, added that he heard no orders about the sinking of the ship, but he believed her to be sinking.

John Edward Murray, E.R.A., gave similar evidence.

This concluded the case for the prosecution.

Addressing the Court for the defence, Comdr. Cowell said that the prosecution witnesses had given as clear a picture of the events in Seal, as their brains, which were muddled at the time, and their memories would allow.

The defence would show that there was no negligence on the part of the accused.

In the witness box, Lieut. Beet described an increase of air pressure “like a slap in the face” after the explosion. The Captain immediately “took over” in the control room.

Lieut. Beet said he helped to prepare the secret books for destruction upon surfacing. At that time he was confident that they would get the Seal back to the surface and home to England.

By about midnight he began to feel depressed, which rapidly increased to a certainty that they would never get the ship to the surface. This was soon submerged into an overwhelming desire to go to sleep.

In the control room a large number of ratings were sitting or lying on the deck in a comatoze condition.

He had to fight to keep awake. Breathing had become difficult and he was panting without having made any undue exertion.

The Captain said that there was little more that they could do. They all stood up and repeated the Lord´s Prayer - “a never-to-be-forgotten scene,” said the accused officer.

Later he felt the ship on an even keel, and he found that she was on the surface to his great relief.

(Proceeding)