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Description: | British civilian aboard RMS Lusitania at time of sinking in Atlantic, 7/May/1915
REEL 1: Story of obtaining employment as nanny with Pearl family in Folkestone, Kent; nature of responsibilities as nanny to four children; story of arrest of Mr and Mrs Pearl by Germans in Denmark at outbreak of war; description of journey to New York with children, 1914; memory of send-off from New York aboard RMS Lusitania, 5/1915; question of rumours of possible submarine attack; attitude to responsibility of captain. Recollections of sinking of Lusitania, 7/May/1915: description of location aboard ship and explosion of first torpedo; description of location aboard ship and explosion of second torpedo; story of jumping into sea with baby and being dragged into lifeboat by hair; problem of suction as Lusitania sank; memory of German U-boat watching ship sink; question of panic aboard ship; question of captain ordering passengers out of lifeboats; memory of funnels disappearing under water; story of rescue by Irish fishing boat and transfer to British ship; question of number of lifeboats on Lusitania; memory of bodies and wreckage in water; story of death of Danish nurse and two children; question of compensation for loss of possessions.
REEL 2 Continues: further description of conditions in lifeboat; amusing story of French man; memory of singing in lifeboat; story of arrival in Queenstown, Ireland and question of cabling family; description of state of surviving children; attitude to survival of sinking; description of mortuary in Queenstown; story of Lady Allan; effects of experience of sinking; opinion of treatment of survivors; question of compensation; press coverage of sinking; story of attending court of inquiry and dispute over location aboard ship at time of sinking; opinion of captain of Lusitania; question of lifeboat drill; story of signing release form when boarding Lusitania and attitude to role of Cunard; memory of money and valuables being thrown into lifeboat; attitude to sea travel following sinking; story of medal struck by Germans celebrating sinking; story of being last survivor of Lusitania. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Drury, Alice Maud | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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