Enclosure to K. T. B.  "  U  123  "
  
           
           
                                     On board 26.10.41.  
           
              Today the following was heard from the prisoner of war S  h  a  w  fished out on 21.10.41. in square BE 2214.  He made the following statements.  
           
              "My name is Bertie, Edward  S  h  a  w, Identification Disc Number:  P  E  N.  24 802, (PEN = Pensioner).  Occupation:  Leading Seaman (Naval Reserve).  Born on 21.2.1893 in Kingston b/London, married, 3 children.  Address of my Wife:  60 Wyndham Road, Kingston on Thames.  
              Formerly active in the Navy (Str.Nr. C/J 6 100) I was drafted when the war began as Leading Seaman on the auxiliary cruiser "  A  U  R  A  N  I  S  ".  The first 6 months belonged to the Northern Patrol and was stationed in Scapa Flow.  On 13 (!) May 1940 ran from Glasco to Canada.  There we conducted patrols on the east coast all the way down to the Bahamas.  Entered harbors were Halifax, St. John and Bermuda. Early in 1941 once brought troops to Iceland.  About 400 men.  Because the " AURANIA " was constructed as an auxiliary cruiser and all cabins etc. had been removed, no additional men could be transported.  
              Armament:  seven 15.2 cm cannons, 2 Lewis machine guns each in the bridge wings.  Crew consisted of 250 men.  (Apparently also naval reservists).  The Captain was Kapt.z.See  W  h  i  t  e  h  o  r  n  .  The "AURANIA" for the time since the beginning of the war under the War Flag ( White Ensign ).  
              Since the ship was abroad 1 1/2 years, it was to have gone for the first time to England, so that the crew could be on leave.  On 13 (!) October it departed Halifax.  Arrival in England unknown.  We traveled as an independent, making a sharp curve at the southern tip of the Newfoundland Bank.  This was due to the danger of fog also made by the convoys.  
              On 20 October in the afternoon meeting with 3 steamers, amoung them a 2 smokestack steamer, excort of 1 destroyer and 2 large corvettes and we were included in this convoy.  The other 3 steamers, to my knowledge proceeded under the merchant flag.  They came from St. John or Sydney.  In the course of the following night I was awoken by 2 detonations.  The hits lay in the foreship and after edge of the bridge - forward edge of the engine room.  "All men in the boats!" was whistled.  My boat rushed out, the block and tackle broke, it struck, because we were still making way, however, I was able bring it back to an even keel and drifted astern.  The "AURANIA" had a heavy list to port, the bow was in the water up to the head.  On board two red lights were set as indications for the escort: " Attack from port ".  The destroyer came 3 times to within 30 meters of my boat, despite the calls did not rescue me.  I saw another fully manned boat was taken over by the destroyer.  Meanwhile I observed a further very heavy explosion and afterwards did not see "AURANIA" anymore.  The destroyer also ran off after the explosion and did not come back. The next morning I was rescued by the U-boat."  
           
              Shaw testified yet that he should have disembarked after this trip because of reaching the age limit and get a job in the Coast Guard.  His house had been bombed 2 times, was repaired immediately each time.  All news of his family was very positive, they would have plenty to eat and enough coal for the winter.  
                                                   
           
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