Researching a passenger on the Highland Brigade enroute from Brazil to England, some days out of Bermuda the ship was stopped as lookouts noticed a raft floating in the water. Upon examination with binoculars it was said to have in it an unopened attache case. The raft was treated as it it was some kind of booby-trap, that is the Captain refused to lower a boat to check it out. As the raft started to disappear from view, it was used as gunnery practice and a comment was made that it exploded as the first round left the barrel of the ships gun. Another comment made was that they would not be suprised if it was a German booby trap. I have checked the US publication relating to German mines and whilst there were some types that could have been used it is doubtful. Has anyone heard of a similar threat confronting ships during World War Two.

Ted Robl