' Royal Navy Rescues Refugees From Burning Merchantman.

' Royal Navy Rescues Refugees From Burning Merchantman. Photograph taken on board the British escort carrier `Trouncer` when she rescued 420 of the 510 survivors from the SS. Empire Patrol which caught fire when repatriating 567 Greek refugees from Abyssinia to East Africa. The ship was on fire from the after hold to the stern, and had some 350 persons still onboard when `Trouncer` reached her. Boats and additional volunteer crews of strong swimmers were dropped, together with 4 carley floats, to pick up survivors in the water. The work of getting survivors into the boats was made more difficult by the state of the sea; there was a fairly heavy swell running, and the heat of the water was almost unbearable for continuous work by swimmers from`Trouncer`. After two hours, `Trouncer's` bow was laid alongside the port weather quarter of Empire Patrol to try to transfer passenger's direct. The movement of the ship above the poop of the Empire Patrol, made this too difficult a task. Photo shows: Many helping hands bring women survivors on board as a carley float is brought alongside HMS Trouncer. 18.10.45. '