WWI forum
World War One discussions.
Re: U154 and U153 / HMS Bombala 1918
Posted by:
Clive leadley
()
Date: September 19, 2017 08:29PM
I am the grandson of Leading Seaman John William Leadley Royal Navy from 1906 and a gunner on the Bombala/willow Branch.
Grandad was the sole survivor of the sinking of the Bombala, I remember being told as a child how the ship was abandoned and the remaining crew took to the lifeboats, what he told me agrees with earlier postings on this forum about how the crew drank seawater and died, how he made landfall with another crewman David Medera and found a spring of fresh water at the top of the beach which saved their lives. He said they were taken in by Bedouin Arabs who gave them meat but threw it into the sand first so they had to pick the grains of sand off first before they could eat it. David Medera contracted malaria and died, grandad then managed to get to the French Embassy in Dhakar where he was debriefed and hence the account that has been put up by another poster. He eventually returned to the UK and used to tell a story that his name was included on a come,oration plaque on Tower Hill amongst all hands that were lost. I have never been able to find or have sight of hits, if anyone has any information about it please let me know. If I can answer any further questions from what I was told please let me know, kind regards, Clive
Grandad was the sole survivor of the sinking of the Bombala, I remember being told as a child how the ship was abandoned and the remaining crew took to the lifeboats, what he told me agrees with earlier postings on this forum about how the crew drank seawater and died, how he made landfall with another crewman David Medera and found a spring of fresh water at the top of the beach which saved their lives. He said they were taken in by Bedouin Arabs who gave them meat but threw it into the sand first so they had to pick the grains of sand off first before they could eat it. David Medera contracted malaria and died, grandad then managed to get to the French Embassy in Dhakar where he was debriefed and hence the account that has been put up by another poster. He eventually returned to the UK and used to tell a story that his name was included on a come,oration plaque on Tower Hill amongst all hands that were lost. I have never been able to find or have sight of hits, if anyone has any information about it please let me know. If I can answer any further questions from what I was told please let me know, kind regards, Clive