Heaton goes on to say that "With one of Billmeir's most experienced masters aboard and a Spanish master to act as Pilot, the ship was quickly disguised as a Spanish merchantman and took a course which skirted the North African coast. An Italian aircraft flew over the ship, and the master, feeling that the pilot had been satisfied by the disguise, felt more confident. However on May 6 the ruse had been seen through by the Italian forces and the ship was bombed and sunk with the tragic loss of 30 of her brave crew. The survivors were picked up by a French (Vichy) seaplane and landed in French North Africa, were they were to spend many months incarcerated in very poor conditions. Eventually they were released, together with the crews of other unsuccessful ships making the attempt later under Billmeir's directions, and were repatriated. On arrival in Britain, Jack Billmeir, realising that they had suffered a terrible ordeal, paid out of his own pocket for each man to be fitted out with a new suit of clothes. A small, but well received token of his appreciation for what the men had been through".
(continues with the later attempts to get supplies to Malta under Billmeir's directions)