TRIBUTE TO SANDERS, V.C.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 200, 23 August 1919, Page 13

TRIBUTE TO SANDERS, V.C.

LORD JELLICGB'S PKAISE. a suixixx; HXA.Mii.;;. (By Telegraph. —Press Association.) . WKLLIXUTOX, this dar. j A fine tribute to Auckland';, naval V.C ..' li-icuteaanL-Comman.lor-SanJerr. ivaspaiil; to-day by Lord .I-ellit-oe. at a civil luncheon. '"The honour of the ::>-t\ i>! the mercantile marine," ho said, amidst applause, "will go down to hi-tory in clouds of .a'.ory. There had been on? ofiicer from the mercantile aiarint 1 from New Zealand who had been a example—Lieut. - Commander San.lens. (Applause). Tiiat oriicer ha-d been in com-] niand of n decoy which, after oiiiV' being in commissioii one week was attacked by an enemy submarLne. When the German cupta:c of that submarine I was brought to London aft<*r having been defeated by Lieut.-t'ommanUer and h:* offlfcre and (Tew of men from the mercantile marine, lie wae intorroyated u.~ u-uui i>y naval intelligence officers, aud what we got out of him was that he could not have believed that any navy intii« worM could produce men with puch spirit and discipline as to <tand the shelling that h-e li;::l jriven the Prize, Lieut.-Commander Sanders' ship, witliout making a ~\<sn o: returning Sre until the; submarine was so i-lrte that, the latteri Tvan in a hapeless position." (Applause).! Incidentally Lord Jellicoe mentioned! as an instance of the wonderful construe-j tion of the German submarine, that the! one dealt with by Lieut.-Commander Sunders, although its conning tower amlj guns were blown away, an.j its captain' limself wae under the impression that itj iiad sunk, managed to ho,m-e.