I remember a young officer shouting "Open all sea cocks", although we were sinking fast now.  I never saw him again.  Then the Captain came and told us to get off as soon as we could. That was the last time I saw Lt Cdr Roope.  By this time the ship had turned over onto her starboard side and the siren was blowing and smoke was belching from the funnels.

I scrambled down the port side and then onto the bottom of the Glowworm, she turned right over in the water.  All the time the Germans were pumping shells into us.  At last I decided to take the plunge and jumped into the sea and swam as hard as I could from the sinking ship.  After what seemed a long time I stopped swimming and just let the lifebelt keep me afloat.  I watched the end of HMS Glowworm.  The Germans finished her and she began to sink below the waves with men still standing on her.

I felt lost and just could not realise that my ship had gone.  I didn't know what to do next, one minute I was tossed onto the top of a huge wave and the next down into a steep valley of water.  I was just drifting, swimming made no difference.  Then suddenly right in front of me I saw the German ship. I was being carried towards her. I could see some of our chaps being pulled up the side of her.  I swam as fast as I could, because I thought if I never reached her I would be lost forever.  It was at this moment that I felt the underwater explosion and a kick like a mule.  It must have been some depth charges on the Glowworm.  I was nearly all in but I managed to look up and see some German sailors who threw a rope. I grabbed it and that was the last I knew for a long time. 

I finally came to my senses to find a group of Germans standing around me.  When I moved, one of them gave me a cigarette and asked me if I felt alright.  I was under a cradle of electric light bulbs which they had put over me to keep me warm.  My first words were for news of my Brother, but there was none.  I felt sick and stunned as it was weeks before I could realise that he had gone with all the others.  All that was left were twenty nine survivors of that grim and terrible day. The following day only twenty seven, two having died of oil fuel poisoning.  They were buried at sea. 

I must say that they were the best German sailors I ever knew.  They looked after us the best they could.  Their Captain came to us and told us that our Captain had been a very brave man. 

We were all locked below decks with armed sentries.  We were there until the following Friday.  The Hipper was on her way to Norway where she discharged the troops she was carrying. Her mission completed, she made for the open sea again.

We had been at sea for quite a time when excitement ran high amongst the Germans.  Something was happening and before long came the sound of gun fire.  We knew that we were being fired on by the Royal Navy.  It gave us all a queer feeling not knowing what would happen as we were shut down below with armed sentries on the hatches.  But they told us we would get the chance to get out if anything happened.

HMS Renown was chasing us.  However, this was not to be. The Hipper got away as she had a good turn of speed and the weather was in her favour.