Norman’s extraordinary story is told in the Shipley Times & Express in two parts - how he escaped death and how the sea finally claimed him a few months later: Norman Rennard, a wireless operator, whose parents, Mr and Mrs H Rennard, live at Pearl House, Birklands Road, Shipley, has had a remarkable adventure at sea, where he was so close to death that he said what he thought to be his last prayer. He was then suffocating in the cabin of a sinking salvage ship. Rennard, who is 21 years of age and has been in the navy for the last two years, was asleep when the ship had an accident and began to list. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was startled at the extent of his danger. His cabin was awash. It was only a matter of a very few minutes till he would be drowned for he could not get out as the cabin door was

wedged tight by the ship’s funnel. So he prayed and he thought it would be for the last time. Then he began to lose consciousness when one of the ship’s boilers burst and the noise restored his sinking senses and blew the top of his cabin off. Next minute he was free and in the sea and he and seven others had the luck to be picked up by a tug and landed on a small island where the natives were good enough to put new life into them with plentiful supplies of food and fruit. 24 May 1918

News was received on Tuesday of the loss at sea of Mr Norman Rennard, aged 21, only son of Mr and Mrs H Rennard of Pearl House, Birklands Road, Shipley. He joined the navy two years ago and became a wireless operator. He saw varied service on the coast and on the Mediterranean and had had some thrilling adventures. A few months ago he was so close to death that he said what he thought to be his last prayer. He was suffocating in the cabin of a sinking salvage ship. He was asleep when the ship had an accident and began to list. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes

he was startled at the extent of his danger. His cabin was awash. It was only a matter of a very few minutes till he would be drowned for he could not get out as the cabin door was wedged tight by the ship’s funnel. So he prayed and he thought it would be for the last time. He began to lose consciousness and then one of the ship’s boilers burst and the noise restored his sinking senses and blew the top of his cabin off. Next minute he was free and in the sea and he and seven others had the luck to be picked up by a tug and landed on a small island where the natives were good enough to put new life into them with plentiful supplies of food and fruit. Before the war he was with his father in the business of the Pearl Laundry. 20 September 1918