On May 4th, 1917, a German submarine sank the British troopship Transylvania [picture: Wikipedia] in the Mediterranean with the loss of over 400 lives. Happily, there were a large number of survivors, including Pioneer Sidney Valentine Sillence-Lovell, 127051, Royal Engineers, whose widowed grandmother Constance Lovell lived at 2 Ridgway Road, Luton.

What the Saturday Telegraph described as his thrilling experiences on board the Transylvania on its way from Marseilles in France to Alexandria in Egypt were detailed in a letter sent by the 22-year-old London-born soldier to fiancee Winifred May Bloomfield, of 63 Stuart Street, Luton.

He wrote: "The Transylvania set sail on the 3rd of May. It was very crowded and I could not get a bunk, so slept on deck and was awakened in the early hours of the morning to permit the swabbing of the deck. So, after pacing up and down a bit, I went below to seek a vacated bunk for another nap, returning on deck just before 10 am. A nice breeze was blowing and the coast line was charming. We were all delighted.

"Suddenly our ship seemed to bump. It was a little shock which I attributed to the engines, and was surprised at the excited cry, 'We are torpedoed". I ran on the highest deck and secured my lifebelt. Boats were immediately lowered, and the Red Cross nurses rowed away to our cheering.

"The men were now getting in, but I noticed the deck had not listed and, thinking we should be towed ashore (about 10 miles distant), decided to hang on.

"I was leaning overboard when, bang! followed by a rush of water at the hatchway, nearly up to my knees, and myself covered with smoke. This was a nasty hit, and many must have been killed by the explosion.

"It was marvellous how I escaped as I was directly above the shot. A boat load was beneath me, the explosion blowing it to pieces. I saw that I must act at once, so hurried across deck and clambered over the railing, sliding down a rope into an already full lifeboat.

"A second boat had been upset and around us was much wreckage, men hanging on to anything, some being kept up by their lifebelts. We picked up two strugglers and then set to work to get clear of the sinking vessel. This was rather difficult as the sea was choppy, but one of the crew was with us and took charge.

"We could not get our craft to land, in fact it took all our time to keep afloat, two or three baling out the water. I remember it now - the voice of our leader as we were about to be washed by a big wave, 'Hold tight, boys'. I was awfully sick.

"Our escort of two Italian and a Japanese destroyer were firing at the submarines and, I believe, actually accounted for one. A good number of our crew had crossed dryshod on to these destroyers.

"At 11.10, an hour after the first torpedo, our good old troopship rose to the perpendicular, and than adieu. Many were my thoughts as I rocked to and fro in our little ship. A good number sank with our troopship, particularly R.A.M.C. men.

"After an hour or so we notices our escort picking up, firstly from wreckage and rafts and then lifeboats. Our hopes rose and fell as a destroyer encircled round us, but we eventually came alongside, and this where my trouble came.

"As I have said, the sea was rough and our little craft tossed here and there like a cork. Of course, we all made a dash for the deck, and in climbing up I slipped between the two vessels - splash! "Fortunately a rope was at hand and, amid shouts of 'Help the man in the water' from above, I was pulled into the lifeboat again, but my lifebelt had saved me from being crushed as the boats crashed against each other. All the corks were broken.

"I climbed up again to clasp the hand of a kind Italian sailor, who held me for a minute until his comrade put his arms under me and very carefully landed me on the deck. I would have given him anything at the moment. As it was, I put my arms around him and kissed him. I had no other means of conveying my gratitude.

"Then I went below in the warm while the other survivors were rescued. It was a pitiful sight to see us all, too grievous to describe.

"We landed at ----- [censored] about 5.30 and received a fine reception. We were soon in the uniform of Italian soldiers. When we left a few days later for France to be re-equipped, the Italians thronged the streets and gave us all a souvenir remembrance of the event."

[Sidney survived the war and was demobbed in 1920. The following year he married Winifred in Luton. He died in 1987 at the age of 92.]

[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: June 9th, 1917]