Hi

My great grandfather was also on the Harpagus when it was torpedoed. He was the master and wrote an account of his being taken prisoner on U.34 below.

The account was received by J&C Harrison Ltd. of 66 Mark Lane London EC3 and includes this covering letter:

Dear Sir,

s.s. "Harpagus"

We have to-day received a letter from the Intelligence Division, Admiralty, acknowledging the account of your experiences whilst on board the German Submarine U.34, and we have pleasure in enclosing you herewith a copy of same.

Yours faithfully,
for J&C Harrison, Ltd.

J. White [unclear]

The statement reads:


Statement of W.E. Pope, Master

June 17th 1919

re SS Harpagus, torpedoed 60' SW of Planier Island May 9th, 1917 12h [unclear]

Myself + ch. engineer were taken onboard submarine about 2-30 a.m. 9/5/17. She proved to be a German submarine numbered U34. The name of the commander or other officer I do not know at present. On the 26th May/17 about 11 a.m. the submarine arrived at Cattaro, her base, she passed off Malta during the night, also at night through the Straits of Taranto. The time of passing various points am unable to say. No prisoner was allowed on deck when anything was in sight, or whilst submarine was engaged with other craft. I cannot say any other submarine was met during the cruise, but was told that a craft supplied our submarine with provisions off the Balearic Isles & likewise off a Spanish port. Cannot say any mines were laid. The folowing vessels were sunk by U34 whilst we were onboard viz c/s "Caspian" a 'Z' steamer one of Turner-Brightman's a Bay sine [unclear] steamer "ChuSan" I think was the name - also two fshuif [unclear] schooners (Spanish). The commander & other officers had very little conversation with the prisoners, we were only allowed 15 to 20 minutes, every 24 hrs, to be on deck & once in bad weather we were 48 hours below without getting on deck. At times the food was very indifferent & during the 17 days I was inboard we were confined in the small after cockpit with no sleeping accommodation & only the clothes we wore on leaving our ship, which sunk in 7 minutes after being torpedoed.

To the Director of Naval Intelligence
W.E. Pope