An extraordinary story of WWII heroism and forgiveness involving a Liverpool-born seaman has emerged after 80 years.
William Swinchin, from Dingle, was serving on the steamship Etrib when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in the Atlantic on June 15, 1942. The ship went down, the second officer and an able seaman were lost, but the rest of the crew of about 40 were saved.
But Mr Swinchin himself managed to survive in an amazing way. Thanks to being a powerful swimmer, he managed to swim about alone in the darkness for an hour and a half. Then he bumped into what he found was a raft and clambered aboard. The raft was designed for 20 men, and supplied with basic food and drink provisions.
