Ian Stewart McIntosh was born in Melbourne on October 11 1919, and educated at Geelong Grammar School before joining the Royal Navy in 1938. On joining his first submarine, Porpoise, in 1941, he insisted that the Chief Engineroom Artificer show him the purpose of all the machinery, valves and pipes. But he was reticent about where he had been since completing his submarine training six months previously.
In fact, McIntosh had been a passenger on the Anchor line steamer Britannia when she was sunk by a German raider some 600 miles off the West Africa coast. He found himself with 82 fellow passengers and crew in a lifeboat designed for 56, awash to the gunwales. After they had all baled furiously, he was held over the side by his legs while he stuffed the larger shrapnel holes with torn blankets and covered them with sheets of tin. With just 16 gallons of fresh water, 48 tins of condensed milk and two bags of hard biscuits, but no oars, they were forced to sail westwards across the Atlantic. The condensed milk was rationed by dipping a spoon and wiping it on each man's palm.
McIntosh sketched a chart from memory and with the Britannia's Third Officer, Bill McVicar, who "became like a twin brother" to him, the lifeboat was steered by the sun and stars. Their navigation was only a few miles in error when they smelled land 23 days later. Just 36 survivors staggered ashore at Sao Luis, Brazil - emaciated, burned by the sun and covered in sores and boils - after a voyage of 1,500 miles. McIntosh was awarded the MBE.
Obituary Telegraph UK 04/08/2003)
