Days gone by: Remembering the Stonehouse man who survived a World War One torpedo attack

Reginald Walter Baker from the Royal Gloucestershire Regiment was on board the SS Cameronia on April 15, 1917 when it was attacked 150 miles east of Malta whilst en route from Marseilles to Egypt.

The ship sunk in 40 minutes and there was a substantial loss of life - but incredibly Mr Baker survived.

A letter written to his parents the day after the incident has also survived.

It read: “Just a line to let you know I am saved and un-wounded.

“I expect you see by the papers that the Cameronia was torpedoed in the Mediterranean.

“Talk about a panic, I have been in a fix before now but never one like this.

“I was one of the lifeboat crew but we did not stand a rat’s chance, as the fellows were mad and before we could get the boat off the pullies she was packed with men.

“I owe my life to a Jack Tar, if it had not been for him I should have been under the destroyer. He flung a piece of rope and pulled me in. I was not in the water but hung on to a rope that was let down from the “Cameronia”

“The only thing I worry about is my pal, I believe he has gone under, but of course I cannot say for certain as there were heaps of fellows in the water when our destroyer came away.

“We had help from Malta but of course it took them eight hours to come as we were 180 miles from the land, thanks to our escort.

“If it had not been for those two destroyers we should have not been here to-day.

“I cannot think how she got between our escort; nothing was seen of her till after she fired the torpedoes, and she was seen within half a mile from our boat but she was soon put an end to.

“No doubt her idea was to fire at the men in the water. I can tell you I felt like shooting myself for the first 15 minutes as there seemed to be no hopes for any of us, as our destroyers were engaged with the submarine.

“Some of the poor boys were knocked out before they touched the water, and a lot got knocked out by the lifeboats capsizing, but I cannot tell you how many have been put out as I do not know.

“I am living in hope that there are not many. I have lost everything except what I stand up in, but expect to be issued with some more in a day’s time.

“I am still alive and kicking.”

The horrific story was reported in the SNJ on May 11, 1917.

Following the war Mr Baker started ‘R.W. Baker’,a successful haulage company based at the family farm in Stroud Green, Standish and at Oldends Hall, where his wife Hilda grew up.

They began hauling stone horse and carts and then progressed to steam and diesel lorries. He and Hilda had three children, Mervyn, Norman and Pamela, who are all still living in Gloucestershire.