From time to time we shall put the texts of historical documents used in researching the story of HMS Dunedin and in the writing of “Blood in the Sea”, on this web site. Click on the links below to go to the texts
Commander Watson’s second report, written between September and November 1942 for the “Survival at Sea Sub-Committee” of the Royal Naval Personnel Research Committee (PNRC) contains a lot more detail than the report he wrote immediately after the sinking. You can see a pdf version in two parts here.
Roy Murray, was the first crew member of SS Nishmaha to sight the survivors on the afternoon of 27th November 1941, thus initiating the rescue. He wrote a detailed account to his father while still aboard Nishmaha. You can read the text here.
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First Watson Report
Official report of the sinking, written by Lieutenant-Commander Watson, the senior surviving officer. The original of this document can be found in the National Archives at Kew, doc number ADM 199/2067. Click here for the text.
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Watson notes on numbers of men on the rafts (new document discovered in 2015).
Click here to see a copy of Watson’s notes on how many rafts were rescued and how many men were on each raft.
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Olsen Report
Official report of Captain Olsen, Master of the Nishmaha. This report appeared in the company magazines of Lykes Lines, “Lykes Fleet Flashes” in February 1942. Click here for the text.