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“Shields Steward’s Ordeal.
Torpedoed and dive-bombed six times in succession is the nerve-racking experience of an 18-year-old North Shields messroom steward in the Merchant Navy, Arthur Hardy, second son of Mr. and Mrs. A. Hardy, of Lilburn Street.

Hardy, who has been serving with the Merchant Navy since he was 14, was in the recent Russian convoy and lay for three days on a raft along with other survivors.

This is all in the game to him and he is now training at a North-east port to become a gunner, determined to get his own back. Hardy was educated at Queen Victoria School and the Ralph Gardner Senior School.”