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[Page 10]
The "Stere Brere" was sunk that same night at about 11 p.m. The Huns placed 3 lights on board, and when the lights disappeared they knew she was gone.
We crossed the Equator about the 10th January. After crossing the line we were not allowed on deck after 5.0 p.m. and "Oh Lord" wasn't it hot. Just try to imagine 480 prisoners in two 'tween decks, hatches closed, and all packed together with hardly enough room to move, and one kettle of warm water between 14 to 20 men.
We couldn't wear any clothing when we went to bed, and yet we were sopping wet all the time. But thank God this only lasted for three days, and then started the cold weather. On the 27th January we ran into our first bad weather. It started to blow the night before and during the night mess tables and seats were all knocked down by the rolling of the ship.
The next morning the waves were mountains. High. One minute we were on top of a mountain and the next down in the valley. The sea was white with foam. We were shipping seas all over. The poop was awash. All the time we had three accidents amongst us. One chap got in the way of a falling mess table and got a nasty gash in the shin which took thirty stitches to make it look a bit respectable. Another chap had his foot hurt by the same thing. The other hurt his wrist. This weather lasted for three or four days and then all was calm again and I don't think anybody was sorry to be able to stand upright again and not have to lean to the roll of the ship.
Early in February icicles started to form in the riggings and we had a fall of snow. We had some sport snowballing each other. My first experience with snow, so I made the best of it, but I was doomed to see more snow than I wanted under different circumstances which we will come to later.