Anita Birt's Note Book

ATLANTIC CROSSING - continued

An explosion had rocked The Ariguani. September 8, 1944

I scrambled into my warmest clothing and grabbed my life jacket. I don't remember being afraid and hurried to the saloon as the ship still rocked from the first big explosion. There were no further big explosion but solid thumps continued to rattle the ship.

"Not to worry," said the chief steward. "It's the navy boys practicing dropping depth charges." In the next breath he said. "Captain's orders. You are not allowed out on deck."

No one asked why. We sailed on and docked in Liverpool on September 10th. We had been ordered not to carry much cash. Our RAF husbands had arranged to have money delivered to us on the ship before we disembarked. I lined up with the other women while the clerks called out names.No money for Anita Birt

. I left the ship carrying my suitcases and purse. I had a ten shilling note and a few unfamiliar English coins. My husband was "somewhere in England." I didn't have a clue where he was or how to find hm.

I was virtually penniless in a foreign country . . . may be continued

If you want to know what happened next, you must leave a comment!

Anita
www.anitabirt.com

NOTE:  From searching the Internet I have discovered: The Ariguani sailed in convoy HX 304. The ship was 425.2 feet long. 54.1 breadth. It could fit into a Canadian football field.

September 8, 1944, U-boat 482 attacked convoy HX 304 and torpedoed Empire Heritage, a steam  tanker. P:into, the convoy rescue ship came to pick up survivors and was torpedoed. The armed trawler, HMS Northern Wave picked up the remaining survivors. The attack occurred north-northwest off Tory Island.

Three months later, U-boat 482 captained by Graf von Hartmut Matursky was attacked and sunk by the Royal Navy. All hands lost.