Talk:Bombay Explosion (1944)/@comment-37427590-20181106165936

My father's eyewitness account states:

"SS Fort Stikine was on passage from Karachi to Bombay with a cargo of cotton bales, high explosives and timber, very strange bed mates, when it was reported that the cotton was on fire but they thought they had it under control.

We returned their signal asking to be informed of any new developments but they were not to come anywhere near the city or docks, and a berth would be available on the southern shore of the very large bay. Firefighting equipment with the Docks and City’s Fire Brigade (sic). And we repeated “do not come near the docks”. Copies were sent to the C in C SEAC and all other responsible bodies.

By 18:00 hours we had heard nothing more. All arrangements had been made for the safety of the crew and coverage of the fire. As we knew we were in for a long day the next we signed off duty     but arranged an early start the next morning.

You may imagine our feelings when we discovered that the Fort Stikine had not only been shifted from her safe mooring but had been taken at high water through the lock gates and imprisoned there with about fifteen other ships. It had all been done on the word of the local fire officer who said he could contain the fire. I doubt whether he had ever tried to contain a fire involving cotton, high explosives and topped off by hefty load of timber. But there was just nothing we could do. The lock gates could not open again for at least 10 hours!"

This clearly differs from the official version.