CAPT. BISSET SMITH, V.C.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16585, 26 July 1919, Page 9

CAPT. BISSET SMITH, V.C.

THE OTAKI'S FIGHT. A POSTHUMOUS AWARD. (FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, Juno 14. The posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Captain A. Bisset Smith, who commanded the Otaki in her fight with the German raider, is unique in more than one respect. Mrs 5 Bisset Smith is tho eldest daughter of Mr Joseph Powell, of Port Chalmers. Sho was summoned to Buckingham Palace last Saturday, and was accorded tho exceptional honour or a private audience with the King at the end of the investiture. His >lajesty expressed groat sympathy with Mrs Smith, and stated that the country and himself were also the losers by the death of/ such a man as her husband. The fight of the Otaki would stand out for all .xime, for, as tho Germans said, "it has} never hocn surpassed in naval history^" was born at Cults, December 19th, 1878. He wenjt to sea as a boy in the Aberdeen White Star Lino_ and after serving his went out to Now Zealand, which he had adopted as his own coHintrv. \ Ho commanded successively the Rnkaia, Hurunui, and Otaki. On tr previous voyage of the Otaki Captain Smith stood by the P. and'O. steamer Binalla when she was badly on fir», and rendered valuable assistance, which enabled her to get bn»lc into pprt, He was at the time of his v deathon the way to New Zealand, and would'have taken up the position of • Marine Superintendent for the New 'Zr.nland Shipping Company. At the time of the action Captain SniiW had on board with him his six-teen-year-old stepson (Mrs Smith's son Alfred, and two men. one on each side of him, were killed by German shell fire. "4^ w ' fl bed to remain on hoard when # the vessel went down. bu£ Captain Smith insisted on his being put in the boat. He was then taken prisoner by the Germans, and remained in Germany for twenty-one months. Durine the last eieht 'months he was on_ duty as a hospital orderly, and, on being released, he was in a yerv weak state of he»Hh. ' Ho is now working at the Admiralty.