Lieutenant-Commander Tony Spender
"Lieutenant-Commander Tony Spender, who has died aged 91, was a submarine captain during the Second World War whose coolness under pressure enabled him and his crew to emerge intact after their boat, Sirdar, had made an involuntary dive and buried its bow in mud during sea trials in 1943."
. . .as the oxygen and the electric power dwindled and the temperature rose, Spender, who was only 23 at the time, maintained his composure, attempting various manoeuvres in a bid to break Sirdar free of the mud.He admitted later that it was the first time that he had really had to put his Christian faith to the test. “I told God what I was planning and just asked Him to let me know if it was the wrong thing to do. I didn’t hear from Him so I pushed on.”
The men danced the submarine to safety.
And Spender pushed on.
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