File:Seaman's S.o.s. to Makers of Lifeboat and Raft Equipment Art.IWMPST13994.jpg

whole: the image occupies the upper two-thirds. The title and text are separate and positioned in the lower third, in black, set against a white background. image: five British merchant seamen in a lifeboat with a small red sail, on a stormy sea. One of the men waves his arm, as if trying to attract the attention of a passing aircraft, while three of the others look up at the sky. The fifth man sits with his head bowed. In the background, smoke rises from their sinking ship. text: EDWARD OSMOND 1942 SEAMAN'S S.O.S. TO MAKERS OF LIFEBOAT AND RAFT EQUIPMENT. FAULTY FOOD, WATER AND STORAGE TANKS AND TINS. THESE STATEMENTS BY A SURVIVOR OF A TORPEDOED SHIP ARE PUBLISHED FOR THE INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE OF ALL CONCERNED IN MAKING AND SEALING TANKS AND TINS FOR USE IN LIFEBOATS AND RAFTS. 'Three Aircraft flew directly over the rafts. We tried to light the smoke floats but of the six we had. [sic] Only the last one functioned, but this was not seen by the Aircraft. We were also unable to use the twelve red flares as the canister container was full of water, and the flames were saturated, and would not ignite.' 'Two patrol sea-planes passed overhead. The other raft lighted a smoke float, and this attracted their attention.' 'There should be a better watertight system for storing the food and signals. The food and water were definitely bad owing to leakage of sea-water into the tanks.' FOR THE SAFETY OF MERCHANT SEAMEN DO ALL YOU CAN TO SEE THAT THE LIFEBOAT AND RAFT SUPPLIES OF WATER, FOOD AND SIGNALS ARE PROPERLY PROTECTED BY WATERTIGHT TANKS AND TINS. THEY ARE DEPENDING ON YOU!!! PRINTED for H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE by CHROMOWORKS LTD., LONDON.