1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: a show that shines a light on the ups and 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: downs of everyday history. I'm Gabe Lousier and in this episode, 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: we're looking at the incredible survival story of Poon Limb, 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: the man who drifted alone on a life raft in 7 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: the South Atlantic for almost half a year. The day 8 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:45,040 Speaker 1: was April five, ye ten miles off the coast of Brazil, 9 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: a family of fishermen rescued the sole survivor of a 10 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: German U boat attack. His name was Poon Limb, a 11 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: Chinese man who had been working as a steward aboard 12 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:00,720 Speaker 1: a British Merchant Navy ship called the s S. Ben 13 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: Lomond in November of nineteen forty two. The ship was 14 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 1: torpedoed by an enemy submarine. Limbs survived the attack, but 15 00:01:10,760 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 1: spent the next five months clinging to a small wooden raft, 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: completely adrift in the Atlantic Ocean. When the family of 17 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,040 Speaker 1: fishers spotted Poon Limb on his raft, he was jumping 18 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: up and down and waving a shirt. He clearly needed 19 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: some help, so they turned the boat around and picked 20 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: him up. Limb climbed aboard, and after a hundred and 21 00:01:33,000 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: thirty three days, lost its sea. He finally headed back 22 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: to dry land. Poon Limb was born on March eighth, 23 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: n eighteen in High Non Island, China, the largest in 24 00:01:46,240 --> 00:01:49,520 Speaker 1: a series of islands in the South China Sea. His 25 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: older brothers sent home money from their factory jobs, and 26 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: because of this, Limb was able to attend school, a 27 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: luxury that wasn't afforded to most kids on the island. 28 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:04,040 Speaker 1: In the nineteen thirties, Japan began its invasion of China, 29 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: and Limb's father decided it was safer for him to 30 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: go abroad than to stay and be drafted into the 31 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 1: Chinese army. By that time, one of Lim's brothers was 32 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: already serving with the British Merchant Navy, so Lim signed 33 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: up to work aboard his vessel as a cabin boy. 34 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,679 Speaker 1: Limb's family had imagined a better life for their son 35 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: at sea, but what he got still wasn't very good. 36 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: He and other Asian crew members were routinely discriminated against, mistreated, 37 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: and beaten by the British officers. They were also stuffed 38 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: into the smallest living quarters on the ship and were 39 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: paid a third of what their British counterparts made. Fed 40 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: up with this abuse, lim quit his post in nineteen 41 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 1: thirty seven and went to Hong Kong to study engineering. 42 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: In his absence, the conditions for Chinese crewmen on British 43 00:02:55,720 --> 00:02:59,560 Speaker 1: ships gradually improved, though the changes came more from the 44 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: Cess city than anything else. The Second World War had 45 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: begun in nineteen thirty nine, and after two years of fighting, 46 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,840 Speaker 1: England was in desperate need of more manpower. To persuade 47 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:15,960 Speaker 1: more sailors from China to sign up, merchant ships improved 48 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:20,279 Speaker 1: conditions and increase the pay, although other benefits and privileges 49 00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 1: continued to be withheld from Chinese crewmen. Still, the improvements 50 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: were enough to entice Poon Limb back to the sea 51 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty one, with the Japanese preparing to strike 52 00:03:32,520 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: Hong Kong, Limbs signed on as a steward aboard a 53 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: merchant ship called the SS ben Lomond. Limb served without 54 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: much incident for the next year, but in November of 55 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 1: nineteen forty two that would change, and not for the better. 56 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: The Ben Lomond set out from Cape Town on November 57 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: tenth and began making its way across the Atlantic, first 58 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,080 Speaker 1: to a Dutch owned plantation colony in South America and 59 00:03:59,160 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: then on to New York. Unlike other trade ships carrying 60 00:04:03,160 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: cargo for the war effort, the Ben Lomond traveled without 61 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: an escort and was only lightly armed. This, along with 62 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: its relatively slow speed, made it easy prey for Nazi 63 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: U boats, and sure enough, on November twenty three, the 64 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:24,440 Speaker 1: ship was torpedoed by German sub U one to about 65 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 1: seven hundred and fifty miles east of the mouth of 66 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: the Amazon River. The ship sank in less than two minutes. 67 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: When the Ben Lomond went down, Limb put on his 68 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: life jacket and jumped overboard. Others evacuated as well, but 69 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: in the end only Limb survived. The other fifty three 70 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 1: crew members went down with the ship. For the next 71 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: two hours, Limb swam through oil and debris until he 72 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,280 Speaker 1: found a wooden life raft. Then another crew member had 73 00:04:56,360 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: launched but failed to get aboard. The raft was roughly 74 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: eight feet square and was partly covered by a canvas canopy. 75 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 1: It was also stocked with provisions, including ten gallons of 76 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: fresh water, several tins of biscuits and crackers, A kind 77 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: of jerky called pemmican, some malted milk tablets, a few 78 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:20,720 Speaker 1: lumps of sugar, and even a bit of chocolate. It 79 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: was a decent spread, all things considered, but Lim had 80 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: no clue when or if he might be rescued. He 81 00:05:28,839 --> 00:05:33,359 Speaker 1: decided somewhat optimistically that thirty days should be enough time, 82 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 1: and so he started rationing his food and water accordingly. However, 83 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: as that first month drew to a close, Lim was 84 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: no closer to being rescued, and his provisions were running 85 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:49,799 Speaker 1: dangerously low. He knew that in order to stay alive 86 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: he would have to get creative. Limb collected rain water 87 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: in his life jacket and in the canopy above his raft. 88 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: He also unbraided a rope to make fishing line and 89 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: crafted fishing hooks using the spring from a broken flashlight 90 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: and a nail pried from the planks of his raft. 91 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 1: For bait, Limb crushed up some of his remaining biscuits 92 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 1: and then rolled them into a paste. Once he had 93 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: caught a small fish, he then used that his bait 94 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: to catch an even bigger one. Starting a fire on 95 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: board a wooden raft would have been a bad idea, 96 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: so instead, Lim had to eat his catches raw. This 97 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:31,679 Speaker 1: included seagulls, which Limb would sometimes lure aboard by building 98 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: nests made out of seaweed and fish rot. Once he 99 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:38,159 Speaker 1: had captured and killed a gull, he would salt the 100 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: meat with sea water and then dry it on the 101 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: deck to make seagull jerky. During his many months at sea, 102 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 1: lim had more than just starvation to contend with. He 103 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: weathered storms, seasickness, sunburn, and even hungry sharks. A group 104 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: of sharks frequently surrounded his raft, attracted by the blood 105 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,240 Speaker 1: of the fish that he got it on board. Word 106 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: Sometimes the sharks would head butt the raft, which was 107 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,799 Speaker 1: scary but also an opportunity for Limb to fight back. 108 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,119 Speaker 1: On one occasion, he was able to hook a shark 109 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: that got too close and then drag it out of 110 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,200 Speaker 1: the water. A fight ensued on the raft, but lim 111 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: was able to bludge in the shark with his water 112 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,679 Speaker 1: container and then cut it up using a crude knife 113 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: that he had fashioned from the lid of a tin. 114 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: It was grizzly work, but it kept Limb fed for 115 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: another long week at sea. But perhaps the worst thing 116 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: that Limb endured was the anguish of watching other boats 117 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: sail right by him. It happened three times during his ordeal. 118 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: The first was when he was spotted by a freighter 119 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:48,119 Speaker 1: that refused to acknowledge him at all. Limb could see 120 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: the crew on board, and they could see him, but 121 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: they never offered any help. Lim later suggested that the 122 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: crew may have ignored him, either because they misstook him 123 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: for a Japanese combatant, or because they suspected he was 124 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: part of a German ploy meant to lure their ship 125 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: within range of a hidden U boat. The second chance 126 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: for rescue came when lim was sighted by a U. 127 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,640 Speaker 1: S Navy sea plane. The airmen flew low to get 128 00:08:15,640 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 1: a better look, and even dropped a marker in the 129 00:08:18,120 --> 00:08:22,320 Speaker 1: water so they could dispatch a rescue crew to that position. However, 130 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: a storm rolled in soon after, and Limb's raft drifted 131 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: miles away from the marker and thus out of sight 132 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: of his would be rescuers. The third time lim was 133 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: spotted at sea was more terrifying than the shark attack. 134 00:08:38,400 --> 00:08:43,120 Speaker 1: A German submarine surfaced right alongside him, and Limb figured 135 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 1: he was as good as dead, but eventually the German 136 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 1: troops decided to withdraw content that the sea would eventually 137 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:55,520 Speaker 1: kill Limb fourth them. That's not what happened though. Instead, 138 00:08:55,840 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 1: lim was rescued by fishermen off the coast of Brazil 139 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: on April five. He was brought to shore three days 140 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,719 Speaker 1: later and spent the next four weeks in a Brazilian 141 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: hospital regaining his strength. By the time Limb was released, 142 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 1: he had become an international celebrity, and the British government 143 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: and military began treating him better than they ever had before. 144 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:24,120 Speaker 1: Later that year, the British consul arranged Limbs travel to London, 145 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: where he was presented with the British Empire Medal by 146 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: King George the six. The Royal Navy was so impressed 147 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,439 Speaker 1: by Limb's account that many of his survival techniques were 148 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 1: added to its training manuals. All of these honors were 149 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: eagerly recounted in the British press, including in newsreels like 150 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:47,439 Speaker 1: this one. Take a listen the arrival in Brittain of 151 00:09:47,559 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: the amazing Mr Poon Limb. To all intents and purposes, 152 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: Mr Poon Limb is a dappy little Chinese one might 153 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: meet anywhere. But now let's tell you something. He's a 154 00:09:57,000 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: twenty five year old merchant seaman who, after his ship 155 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:02,679 Speaker 1: had been torpedoed, lived for a hundred and thirty three 156 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:05,760 Speaker 1: days on a raft in the South Atlantic, over four 157 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: months adrift in mid ocean. Now you know why they 158 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: had a big reception waiting for him up north when 159 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: he came to receive the congratulations and admiration of everyone. 160 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 1: Natural outcome of this is Punlim's visit to Buckingham Palace 161 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 1: to receive the British Empire Medal from the King. Not 162 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,560 Speaker 1: until he had told his story to his Majestate would 163 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: he recount his amazing experience to the press. Once all 164 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: the initial excitement had passed, Limb settled in the United 165 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: States in ninety four and continued to speak about his 166 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:41,679 Speaker 1: experiences and survival skills at conferences around the world. He 167 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: became an American citizen five years later, but it took 168 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: the help of a U. S Senator and an Act 169 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: of Congress to make it happen. The discriminatory exclusion laws 170 00:10:52,679 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: against Chinese immigrants had been abolished years earlier, but in 171 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: their place was a strict immigration quote of China. No 172 00:11:01,360 --> 00:11:04,720 Speaker 1: more than one hundred and five visas would be granted 173 00:11:04,840 --> 00:11:09,320 Speaker 1: each year to Chinese immigrants Limb tried for years but 174 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: never made the cut. Finally, Senator Warren Magnusson came to 175 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 1: Limb's aid and was able to convince Congress to increase 176 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:22,320 Speaker 1: the quota of Chinese immigrants by one. Limb spent the 177 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: remainder of his life in Brooklyn, New York. He passed 178 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,200 Speaker 1: away there in ninetee at the age of seventy two. 179 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,600 Speaker 1: Fifteen years later, the British government erected a memorial plaque 180 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: in Liverpool honoring the contributions of Chinese seamen during World 181 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: War Two. Written in both English and Chinese, the plaque 182 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: also acknowledges the poor treatment that Chinese crewmen received and 183 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: the wrongs inflicted on them. The message then concludes by saying, quote, 184 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:58,560 Speaker 1: this is a small reminder of what took place. We 185 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: hope nothing like it will ever happen again. That's a 186 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:06,920 Speaker 1: sentiment that Poon Limb certainly would have shared at the 187 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:11,040 Speaker 1: time of recording. He still holds the unfortunate record for 188 00:12:11,120 --> 00:12:14,959 Speaker 1: the longest time a person has ever survived alone at 189 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: sea in a life raft, one hundred and thirty three days. 190 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:23,520 Speaker 1: When lim was told of this sour achievement back in 191 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: he simply responded, I hope no one will ever have 192 00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 1: to break that record. Amen to that. Here's hoping. I'm 193 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 1: gay Bluesier and hopefully you now know a little more 194 00:12:39,440 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If you enjoyed 195 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: the show and you want to learn more about the topic, 196 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,720 Speaker 1: consider following us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at t 197 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: d i HC Show. You can also rate and review 198 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: the show on Apple Podcasts, and you can write to 199 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: us directly at this day at I heart media dot com. 200 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 1: Thanks as always to Chandler May's for producing the show, 201 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: and thank you for listening. I'll see you back here 202 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: again tomorrow for another day in History class.