Third of a series of true stories of heroism and adventure in dramatic form
Stephen Murray and James McKeehnie in 'The Boat'
Adapted by Felix Felton from the book by Walter Gibson
Produced by Alan Burgess
In 1942 Sgt. Walter Gibson of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders sailed from Padang in the Dutch ship Rooseboom. The ship was crowded with five hundred evacuees, mostly British civilians and soldiers. She was torpedoed at night on the way-to Ceylon and sank warhin a few minutes. Only .one life-boat floated, and into it crowded 135 human being, packed so tightly that they could only stand up. They were adrift in mid-ocean with but a few handiuis of food and a few mouthfuls of water, and they were almost naked.