General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Life rafts
Posted by:
Ken Dunn
()
Date: July 02, 2003 09:27AM
<HTML>Hi Alan,
I was a little surprised they got that much water too but even at a pint a day it wasn’t enough to keep them alive for very long. Some also drank salt water and of course that contributed to their demise.
Here is what “Sole Survivors of the Sea†has to say about Poon after his rescue:
“After the round of awards and notoriety came to an end, Poon wished to remain in the United States but was prohibited from immigrating by the 1882 Exclusion Law. In order to stay in America, the Chinese Consul obtained a "temporary visitor" visa for Poon. When the 1882 law was repealed in 1943, Poon still could not realize permanent status because of the very limited annual quota of 105 Chinese immigrants.
With the support of the Chinese Vice Consul, Poon was able to extend his stay in America by working as a parts inspector at the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in New Jersey until the war ended and then signing on as a messman for the United States Lines. In 1947, a special bill was introduced in the 81st Congress by Senator Warren G. Magnussen "To provide admission to, and the permanent residence in, the United States of Poon Lim." President Truman signed Private Law 178 on July 27, 1949 and Poon became a United States citizen in 1952.
That same year Poon Lim settled in Brooklyn, New York with his new bride.. The matchmaker for the pairing was an old shipmate from the S. S. Tanda. Poon returned to the sea working with the United States Lines as Chief Steward until he retired in 1983. Poon Lim, perhaps the most extraordinary "sole survivor," has since passed away.
Poon's ordeal 50 years ago set a record for survival at sea which still stands today. The 1993 Guinness Book of Records lists Poon Lim's feat as follows: "Endurance and Endeavor: Longest on a raft. The longest recorded survival alone on a raft is 133 days (4 1/2 months) by Second Steward Poon Lim (b. Hong Kong) of Great Britain's Merchant Navy, whose ship, the SS Beniomond was torpedoed in the Atlantic 565 miles west of St. Paul's rocks at Lat. 000 30' N, Long. 380 45' W at 11: 45 A.M. on 23 November 1942.â€
Regards,
Ken Dunn</HTML>
I was a little surprised they got that much water too but even at a pint a day it wasn’t enough to keep them alive for very long. Some also drank salt water and of course that contributed to their demise.
Here is what “Sole Survivors of the Sea†has to say about Poon after his rescue:
“After the round of awards and notoriety came to an end, Poon wished to remain in the United States but was prohibited from immigrating by the 1882 Exclusion Law. In order to stay in America, the Chinese Consul obtained a "temporary visitor" visa for Poon. When the 1882 law was repealed in 1943, Poon still could not realize permanent status because of the very limited annual quota of 105 Chinese immigrants.
With the support of the Chinese Vice Consul, Poon was able to extend his stay in America by working as a parts inspector at the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in New Jersey until the war ended and then signing on as a messman for the United States Lines. In 1947, a special bill was introduced in the 81st Congress by Senator Warren G. Magnussen "To provide admission to, and the permanent residence in, the United States of Poon Lim." President Truman signed Private Law 178 on July 27, 1949 and Poon became a United States citizen in 1952.
That same year Poon Lim settled in Brooklyn, New York with his new bride.. The matchmaker for the pairing was an old shipmate from the S. S. Tanda. Poon returned to the sea working with the United States Lines as Chief Steward until he retired in 1983. Poon Lim, perhaps the most extraordinary "sole survivor," has since passed away.
Poon's ordeal 50 years ago set a record for survival at sea which still stands today. The 1993 Guinness Book of Records lists Poon Lim's feat as follows: "Endurance and Endeavor: Longest on a raft. The longest recorded survival alone on a raft is 133 days (4 1/2 months) by Second Steward Poon Lim (b. Hong Kong) of Great Britain's Merchant Navy, whose ship, the SS Beniomond was torpedoed in the Atlantic 565 miles west of St. Paul's rocks at Lat. 000 30' N, Long. 380 45' W at 11: 45 A.M. on 23 November 1942.â€
Regards,
Ken Dunn</HTML>
