Sinking of the Carnarvon Castle

In November 1906, a 16-year-old from Norwich called Harold Higgs, signed up for the adventure of a lifetime. He joined the merchant navy as an apprentice aboard the grand sailing vessel Carnarvon Castle, tasked with carrying a general cargo to far-off Australia. What should have been a routine first voyage turned into a nightmare of fire, shipwreck and a desperate battle to survive.

A thousand miles from the nearest land, disaster struck: flames engulfed the ship and forced the crew to abandon her. Harold was among the twenty-six men and boys, who along with their Captain, took to two open boats, with only the provisions they could snatch before the vessel went down. Within days, the boats became separated. For those adrift, the ordeal had only just begun.

For twenty-four days, Harold and the other men endured blistering heat, storms, starvation and the torment of thirst. Enormous waves smashed the…