Details like date, time and place are not too clear in my recollection. However, I believe we were in company with three other destroyers escorting a convoy somewhere in the North Sea. (this is subject to correction by someone who recalls the incident more clearly.) All was quiet on the bridge when an alarm bell sounded. No one knew  exactly what the alarm was about .Then, almost immediately  the bridge phone rang. It was someone from the quarter deck who said , "MAN OVERBOARD'. Everyone on the bridge sprang into action. The officer in charge immediately commenced the mandatory 180 degree turn and the search for the person in the freezing cold  sea  began. Also, the signalmen immediately hoisted a flag signal to inform the other ships that we were engaged in a search for a man overboard.

I do not recall how long he was in the water. And in my minds eye , I do not have a clear recollection of how he was plucked from the cruel sea and brought safely onboard. My guess is that it would be difficult to survive in the freezing water for more than ten minutes. Finding him in the rough sea, was a miracle.He was taken to Sick Bay were he recovered. I do not know if he was taken to a hospital when we returned to port, or whether he remained on board ship and resumed his normal duties.

Although we served on the Iroquois until the end of the war, I never met my engine room shipmate. Perhaps this was because we unintentionally practiced a form of segregation onboard ship as stokers, seamen, signalmen and others stayed pretty close to their own mess decks. And we went ashore with our own group.

An unexpected thing happened during the Iroquois reunion in Halifax: -- I met the MAN OVERBOARD---.While having a chat with stoker Ted Lemon, he casually said "there is the guy that fell overboard". I indicated that I would like to meet him, which I did. He told me how concerned he was as he watched the ship move away from him. And he was not fully aware that he was being pulled from the freezing water by his shipmates. I do not recall the name of this fine gentleman.

There most be G89 shipmates out there who can provide more details concerning this incident. Let's hear from the X and Y gun crew, or the depth charge crew who were on watch . It would be interesting to hear from those brave seamen that pulled the man back onboard. Hopefully the person who called the bridge and reported , MAN OVERBOARD is still around. Telling the story from your perspective will make interesting reading.

DIT DAH DIT DAH DIT  ( end of message)                                                                        Sept. 29,2001

In response to Jim's invitation, Tom Ingham who was also on the scene, offers this perspective on the incident.

"On May 5th 1945 on the way home from Russia Ernie Edwards an ERA went over the side and a call went out as to man overboard. I was on deck at the time. The ship was ordered into reverse and it shook from stem to stern. A landing net was put out on the starboard side and two seamen went down and pulled Ernie out of the water. When he was up on deck he couldn't walk from the cold water although he was only in the water a short time. He was taken to sick bay were he soon recovered. I have a picture of Ernie in the water and he still has his hat on. Incidentally his brother Harry was down in the engine room at the time. We arrived back in Scapa Flow on the 6th of May 1945. The war was officially over on the 8th of May 1945."

Terry Edwards adds this perspective to the story."My father Harry and his brother Ernie Edwards served together in Iroquois.  Ernie went overboard but my dad got the news that his brother had gone over and  rushed on deck. He was told that Ernie had been picked up and was headed for sickbay. Harry headed there and arrived first. He was drenched by sea spray and he was mistaken for Ernie. They started feeding Harry rum, which he obligingly accepted until Ernie was brought in".

1) Jim Dowell
2) Tom Ingham
3) Terry Edwards <jester7(at)cogeco.ca>
4) Julie Roberts <jules49(at)telus.net>

Jan 8/17