It did not take long before traces of the war in Europe presented themselves at SCI's doors. On September 8, 1939, just five days after the German invasion of Poland, the British freighter WINKLEIGH was torpedoed by a German submarine. The crew, including several young boys serving as apprentices or messboys, was picked up by the Holland-America liner STATENDAM and brought to New York City where they were provided lodging at 25 South Street. The seamen, some of whom "still wore the dungarees, sweaters or old jackets they had on when the submarine captain ordered them to the lifeboats," were provided with new "proper outfits" courtesy of SCI's Slop Chest, a storehouse of affordable seamen's clothing. By November, the crews of four torpedoed ships in addition to the WINKLEIGH had been taken in at 25 South Street by SCI, including the OLIVEBANK, BLAIRLOGIE, HERONSPOOL, and the KAFISTAN. See The Lookout 1939 October (http://qcarchives.com/sci/items/show/1216) and The Lookout 1939 November (http://qcarchives.com/sci/items/show/1217)