Mike Truscott’s article last week on the sinking of the Mitera Marigo in the Carrick Roads prompted my own memories of that event – as I, too, had that “sinking feeling!”

I worked for G C Fox & Co, shipping agents, for 49½ years and I boarded the ship on the night she went down.

As I approached on the quay punt, I reckoned her bow could not have been more than two or three feet above sea level and the crew were already in the lifeboats.

I went aboard and met the captain in his cabin, and while I was talking to him I could actually see the water coming in through the cabin floor. I could also hear the ship’s rivets cracking off.

“I don’t know about you,” I said to the captain, “but I’m getting off and going back ashore.” I must say, the captain seemed to be in a bit of a daze. There was no sense of urgency about him.

None of the authorities ashore seemed to know what was going on – we had no mobile phones in those days, of course - but as I returned to Custom House Quay in the quay punt I saw a number of people on the quayside.

They included the Harbour Master, Captain Frank Edwards, and Mr Phillip Fox, head of the shipping agency.

I told them of my concerns about the ship and they joined me in returning out towards her in the quay punt. Alas, when we were still some 500 yards away from her, the Mitera Marigo went down.

Stephen Pellow Falmouth