Page 45 - Aloysius Burke, Survivor

ISSUE : Issue 46

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1987/8/1

warm (bed). (Nothing jump?) Oh no, no, no I knew I had to jump, well until the last, saw the boat giving i and I thought she was bly I had waited too happened to mak' you I had to jump myself. So I waited pretty anyway. But when I ome kind of a lurch, going under--possi- long--I jumped then. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. I swam a- round for awhile until I came to this up? turned lifeboat. And I climbed on top of this upturned lifeboat. Upside down and cut in two. When the sub came up, there were only two boats got away. They cut the two boats in two. So I had a couple of women on. I was kind of dazed at first--I had been hit in the back of the head. Something had hit me there. (So these women came.) They just swam up and I gave them a hand, pulled them in. I was on top of the overturned lifeboat by then. And some more came in, and some more, gave a hand to somebody else, and we finally started out--well, we were 12, anyviay. On an overturned lifeboat. On the keel. And when we were picked up, there were on? ly 5 of us left. The sea was kind of rough, and they just fell off. But there was noth? ing you could do. I mean, you couldn't save anybody at all. If we would have had a proper boat, we could have saved quite a few people--kids , and stuff like that. By the time we got picked up, there was a Na? vy fellow and two women on one end, and there was myself, and a soldier, holding onto me. The sea was rough. And every wave that would pass, would cover you--pass right o- ver you, because the lifeboat--there was no give in the lifeboat, it wouldn't rise with the waves. All you could do was hold on yourself. And if you would have let go, well, you would have just gone, the same as the others went. 'Cause there was noth? ing around to hold onto, except that piece of lifeboat. (Those of you who held on, what did you talk about?) Well, I remember talking a- bout--if I ever get out of this, and get near a nice hot stove, and a bottle of San? dy MacDonald • which I'm going to have, if I ever get out of this. That's about all we talked about, you know. (Any prayers?) No, I can't remember people saying prayers. Not the kind you say in public, anyway. No, they were just cursing the sub.... (So when they took you aboard the Grand- mere, was it difficult getting you off aiid onto the boat?) No. A sailor came down on a rope, tied a rope under my arms, and hoisted me up. And I imagine he hoisted pretty well the others up the same way. Be? cause by then we didn't have the strength, I guess, to climb hand over hand on the rope up to the side of the minesweeper, the Grandmere. After the maiden voyage of the new CARIBOU, some passengers, survivors, and people of Port-aux-Basques gathered at the memorial to those who died in the sinking of the first CARIBOU. Pictured here are some of the survivors. COMPLETE INDUSTRIAL SUPPLIES FOR CONSTRUCTION - INDUSTRY • HOME OWNERS p. '' Miller Industrial Sales saies r'I lUI I" Complete Line of Hydraulic Hoses & Fittings ?? Honda Power Equipment QL 'QQ O'Qi ''"' Tools, Saws, & Shovels ?? Stihl Power Saws ?? Rainwear ' jOsy'JjO I Industrial V-Belts ?? Rope • Poly & Wirerope ?? Complete Paint Supplies oSrVIC?? 803 GRAND LAKE ROAD >< SYDNEY .(45

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