Hello and welcome to the witness history podcast from the BBC World Service, with me, Ben

Henderson.

Now, you've probably heard of the Titanic, but far less famous is the sinking of the

SS Tillawa, an ocean steamship, sometimes called the Indian Titanic.

On the 23rd of November 1942, in the middle of the Second World War, the ship was carrying

more than 950 passengers and crew from India to East Africa, when disasters struck.

It was a full moon, saw the boat sinking, and from the boats, a lot of people also died

and fall in the water, and they were floating, you know, bodies.

In the moonlight, the claws and everything was spreading around like a flower.

Hundreds died, families were torn apart, I've been speaking to the last two known survivors.

Well, my name is Arvin Johnny, and my age is 83 and a half, but don't tell anybody please.

And could you tell me why in 1942, you were on board the SS Tillawa?

My father was in Africa, I was only 3 and a half, and I was with my mother.

She was very friendly woman.

She would help anybody in the neighborhood or anytime in the kitchen.

Another passenger on board was a young girl called Taj Prakash Mangat.

Every four years, we went to India, three brothers, mother and father, and myself.

And how old were your brothers and yourself?

My brother, the youngest was 7 years old, the eldest, two brothers, 12 and 14, I was 9 years old.

It's the early hours of the 23rd of November.

The Tillawa is chugging through the Indian Ocean.

It's a peaceful night, and the moonlight is shimmering brightly on the water.

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