An abridged account of the sinking of
S.S. Fort La Maune 1944
by Peter Rucklidge
edited by Norman Gibson

We were sailing from Aden to Cochin with military supplies. The weather was fine,  a dark night,  smooth sea with a big lazy swell and cloudless sky. I was on watch with Cadet, Ian Fergusson.
There was an enormous explosion and tons of water smelling of cordite crashed on deck.We soon developed a heavy list to port. The "Old Man" arrived on the bridge and ordered me to signal "Abandon Ship". I went to the chart room to grab a sextant but back on the bridge I noticed one lifeboat was already away but the other was still hanging on its davits.