Lifeboat 12

This section contains the poems “Bad Luck,” “It’s Time,” “Reinforcements,” and “Our First Night.”

The day of the ship’s departure brings ominous signs: The weather is stormy, plus the date is Friday the “13th,” a notoriously unlucky date in the eyes of sailors. However, the ship must make its meeting with Canadian ships that carry war supplies, so they have no choice but to depart. Derek and his younger brother Alan say that 13 is their lucky number, and Ken feels relieved to be leaving despite the foggy, windy weather. The Royal Navy convoy appears in formation beside the City of Benares. The convoy is 18 ships, plus the destroyer and two corvettes in the lead. A seaplane flies overhead as added security. On deck, Terry sketches all the boats in the convoy as well as a portrait of Ken standing at the ship’s rail. That night, the young boys in Ken’s cabin need comfort, and many of the children get seasick as the boat navigates the stormy waves.

This section contains the poem “Storms.”

In the morning, the storm continues, and Ken knocks on Father O’Sullivan’s door seeking help for the seasick and homesick boys in his cabin. However, Father O’Sullivan doesn’t feel well and can’t do much for Ken other than suggest barley sugar water for the boys. On the way back to his cabin, Ken is warned by Officer Ronnie Cooper that a German bomber has been sighted.

This section contains the poems “Steady as She Goes,” “A Different War, A Different Fight,” “Smile for the Camera,” “A Jolly Holiday,” and “Progress.”

By Sunday morning, the storm is over, and the sun is shining. The escorts gather the children for prayers, and afterward, everyone plays in the sun on the decks. A Scottish filmmaker, Miss Grierson, explains she is making a movie about the children’s trip to Canada and takes pictures of the boys as they play. They continue to enjoy rich and delicious meals in the dining room. As they sail farther from German U-boat territory, Ken’s only worry is how much longer it will be before they are out of reach of the Germans.

This section contains the poems “Day Three” and “Secret Stowaways.”

The passengers continue to have daily lifeboat drills, and Ken notices that the ship is moving in a zig-zag pattern to “throw the enemy off course” (91). A cadet named Doug Critchley explains that once the ship is 500 miles out to sea, they will be safe. Sickness breaks out on the ship as some of the younger boys get chicken pox, and Father O’Sullivan continues to fight the flu. Ken notes that both illnesses are contagious.

This section contains the poems “In the Clear?,” “Safe at Last,” “Cadet Critchley,” “To the Lifeboats!,” “Lost,” “Lifeboat 12,” “Abandon Ship!,” “Down to the Sea,” “Rescue Will Come,” “Horror,” “Up from the Sea,” “Heroes,” “Get Away!,” “Blues on the Run,” “Blankets,” “Fireworks,” “Going Down,” “Shock,” “Yo!,” “Questions,” “I Can’t Move,” “Light in the Night,” “Ahoy!,” and “Keep Calm and Carry On.”

On day four, the weather grows stormy once more. However, everyone is in high spirits upon learning they are now 600 miles out and clear of danger, as U-boats don’t come out that far. They can now take off their life jackets and sleep comfortably. During the night, Ken wakes to the jolt of an impact and the sounds of splintering wood and breaking glass. The alarm sounds, and Ken realizes the ship has been torpedoed. Ken reassures the boys in his cabin as they slip on their life jackets and head to their muster stations. As Ken heads toward his lifeboat, he remembers he left his overcoat in the room and returns to get it, knowing his stepmother will be furious if he loses it.

As he returns to his muster station, Ken passes a bleeding girl and hears fearful emergency sounds. By the time he reaches Lifeboat 8, it is already gone, and he worries that all the lifeboats have left. Officer Cooper directs Ken to Lifeboat 12, and Ken recognizes some of the other passengers as he boards: Ramjam Buxoo, Paul, Fred, Billy, and Derek. Meanwhile on deck, one of the escorts, Mary Cornish, hesitates to board the lifeboat because she cannot find the girls in her care. As the ship starts to list toward port, Officer Cooper reassures Mary that the girls are safe in another boat, and Lifeboat 12 is one of the last to leave.

The lifeboat is hard to control as it’s lowered, and Ken is thankful to find that they do not tip or flood like so many of the other lifeboats he sees. Many passengers on the other boats are thrown into the water when their boat flips or are flooded so badly that they sit in water. Even though the boys are scared, the rolling waves are somewhat thrilling, and Ken is confident that the Royal Navy will come soon to save them. As two explosions light up the night, Ken can see people swimming and grabbing at overturned boats. He hears cries of fear and pleas for help. He feels helpless at the scene of so many being swallowed by the waves and sees the rocking horse from the playroom among the flotsams. Officer Cooper, the lifeboat captain, navigates the stormy waves and starts pulling people aboard. Gunner Harry Peard saves people from the water, swimming through the dark ocean and handing people up to Lifeboat 12. Ken admires his bravery and thinks, “heroes can’t die. / Can they?” (112).

As the Benares starts to sink, Lifeboat 12 must get clear of the ship to avoid being sucked under with it. Ken helps operate the Fleming gear. As he rows, he hears another lifeboat singing. He starts singing too, and soon, all of Lifeboat 12 join in. Once clear of the ship, Steward Purvis pulls out blankets from the Lifeboat locker; there are only 15 for the 50 passengers, and the blankets are given to those with the least amount of warm clothing. The boys are given two to share amongst themselves. As the Benares sinks, its electricity trips, and the entire ship illuminates until it is no longer visible beneath the waves. It only took 30 minutes from the time the ship was torpedoed until it sank. Gunner Peard climbs aboard, and Ken notices his rough and tough personality in contrast with Cooper’s reserved nature. Ken recognizes both men as heroes.

Ken wonders where all the ships in the convoy could be, and when they will arrive to rescue the lifeboats. Everyone in Lifeboat 12 is crammed tightly together, and it’s nearly impossible to sleep. Two torches in the darkness announce the presence of another lifeboat that pulls up beside Lifeboat 12. The lifeboat captain, Paine, explains that they were a part of the Marina, a ship in the convoy that the Germans also sank. The destroyer left before the attack to escort a different ship, and the other ships in the convoy had to scatter, following navy rules to prevent further attacks and casualties. Paine suspects a rescue ship is on its way, and the two lifeboats stay next to each other through the night, with everyone holding on to hope that the Royal Navy will be there soon to rescue them.