The lifeboat was fully packed with survivors and we propelled it near the other lifeboats and tried to keep together throughout the night and morning. A large number of people in the lifeboat were nurses. Everyone kept cheerful and disciplined until we were safely picked up by the destroyer HMS Verity. The Naval Ratings gave us large mugs of hot tea – so well done to Verity. We were taken to Oran and the crew were transferred to the Canadian Pacific liner Duchess of York.

A colleague from my cabin had an entirely different experience. His name was Christopher Goodall and was the swimming instructor. He got to his lifeboat on the Port side to find it half full of water, possibly from the explosion of the Torpedo in the water.

When the order came to abandon Ship they went down hitting the water at such speed they were swamped and washed overboard. Being a good swimmer he was able to collect a number of nurses in the water around a raft he had secured. His bravery and cheerfulness in keeping them around the raft earned him the B.E.M and Lloyd's medal for bravery.

On Christmas day on board the Duchess of York, which was taking us home to England , we were served our Christmas dinner by the Officers of the Strathallan and the menus with their signatures, and those of the Pursers department are reproduced here. After the loss of the SS Strathallan I was appointed to SS Ranchi and on my first voyage with troops we were attacked by German aircraft off North Africa . A bomb destined for us was miraculously deflected and exploded outside the ship causing damage to the ship's side. Repairs were carried out in Alexandria and the ship and I finished the war without further mishap.

I married Marjorie in 1945 and decided to leave the Ranchi at the end of the war. I then joined the Ministry of Defence and later the Department of the Environment, retiring when I became 60 years of age. I am looking forward to celebrating my 60 th wedding anniversary next year.

I was introduced to this website by my son Philip and granddaughter Sarah on my 82 nd birthday. Tim my grandson is studying at University.

Congratulations to all those involved in establishing a website dedicated to the Strathallan. It is worth remembering when one considers the magnitude of the task in rescuing safely over 5000 people in the middle of the night, from a torpedoed ship, on fire, listing heavily and sinking in the Mediterranean . As a result there was a minimal loss of life. This website is a tribute to all those concerned with the Strathallan. The SS Strathallan was a truly great ship and I treasure many happy memories from my time on board her. In the end she proved her worth by allowing the many thousands of us to be rescued before she sank.