The Wilhelm Gustloff: The Forgotten Greatest Maritime Disaster in History

IV: The Survivors' Voices

[NOTE: THIS IS AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER]

[*Before I start this chapter, I would like to say that this is a chapter filled with the stories from Survivors of the wreck. These stories come from the dreadful memories that these people will probably take to there graves; so I ask of all readers to please leave respectful comments, if any.

In other words, don't say stupid irrelevant shit that will only make you look like an asshole.

And ESPECIALLY: don't leave hate comments; whether it be about the fact that these people don't speak good English

(I'll be putting the exact words keep from the website I used from the individual posts; and these people aren't FROM Britain or America, etc.)

Or if you're just in the mood as if someone peed in your cereal; or, if your just an asshole and want to leave hate.

Lastly, I will only be posting 5 from the source I'm using.

Mainly because I want people to give notice to this website and to these people, but also because I don't want to leave an extra tediously long chapter.

If you want to visit the website (PLEASE DO) where I got these stories from, then here's the link-

[http://www.compunews.com/gus/testim01.htm]

You can also just search *Wilhelm Gustloff Stories* on your phone/computer/whatever and the website should pop up.

Without further ado, here's the 4 accounts from survivors of the

M.S Wilhelm Gustloff:

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Irene E. (Canada)

Yes, I'm a survivor of the Gustloff by God's Grace, to this day I wonder why some of us were spared. Out of over 9,000 (mostly women, children, and wounded soldiers) only about 1,000 refugees were saved. It was in the Guinnes' book of [World] records for many years as the worst ship disaster as loss of lives was concerned.

That ship did not need to be torpedoed since it was getting close to the war.

My 13 year old cousin Evelyn died.

I found my mother in the water, [and] we didn't know what happened to my little 5 year old sister.

We left Gdynia (Gotenhafen) about 6 p.m; wearing lifejackets and packed into the salon underneath the uppermost deck.

About 9 p.m we felt a thud and the ship listed- the room emptied of all furniture except a grand piano which started to slowly roll towards us.

As soon as the ship righted itself again, Mother took our hands and we made our way as quickly as possible upstairs onto the deck which was a bit icy. There we hung onto the rail until we felt more hits. (I understand the 4th torpedo misfired from the Russian submarine).

As the ship listed more and more (in just a few minutes) we couldn't hold onto the rail anymore and slid onto the only chimney of the ship and then the waves washed us into the sea.

I was 11 at the time, It was dark, of course, there were already some lifeboats in the water with people in them, and they wouldn't let us hang onto the ropes swinging from the side. I don't blame.

I found my mother in the water and we swam to the rescue ship - T36.

Two ladders hung from the side of the T36 with lifeboats in the water into which we climbed and went up the ladder with our elbows crooked because our fingers wouldn't work from the cold water.