I just got done re-reading “Mawson’s Will” which was the epic story of courage, strength and horrendous ordeal by Doug Mawson, an Australian explorer in the early 1900s who was exploring Antarctica. He lost his men, his dogs, ran out of food, fell into crevasses and with skin literally falling off his hands, face, groin, legs and feet (due to Vitamin A poisoning from eating dog livers) he survived for weeks to eventually be rescued and live to the ripe old age of 78.
Then I found this story from WW II of some British sailors who survived on lifeboats for weeks after being torpedoed.
Makes you wonder how many men today could have endured all this.
Here’s a taste:
Chief Officer Maurice Case wrote in his diary of how the stricken crew faced starvation and hypothermia after their ship was sunk by a German U-boat.
The men were stranded in four lifeboats and survived on water biscuits, raisins and the odd raw fish caught by hand.
They drank salty rain-water and tins of condensed milk they salvaged from the wreckage.
The newly discovered log tells of how the men were often drenched by heavy rain storms, leaving them cold and wet for days afterwards.
Three men died from hypothermia and exposure and had to be buried at sea during the ordeal in the middle of the Atlantic in February 1943.
Despite their plight, they managed to navigate their way using the stars and eventually found land at Antigua.
Although severely malnourished and “a bit groggy on the legs”, the men were in good spirits when rescued.
The little-known account has come to light after Mr Case’s war-time mementoes sold at auction.
The items included the eight page pencilled log and an MBE medal he received for heroicly leading one of the four lifeboats.
Mr Case died in 1988 aged 87 and his belongings were passed on to his wife. After her recent death they were bequeathed to a family friend who has sold them.
Daniel Fearon, a medal expert from auctioneers Woolley and Wallis of Salisbury, said: “It is a pretty epic tale of survival and one that isn’t well documented.
“It was something that Maurice Case never really spoke of afterwards, it was just an event that happened during his war.
“He was in charge of one of the four lifeboats and was responsible for navigating, keeping up morale and handing out the rations.”
