GRATITUDE FOR FOOD PARCELS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25362, 9 December 1947, Page 5

GRATITUDE FOR FOOD PARCELS

WELSHMAN’S GIFT OF SHIP MODELS

A novel way of expressing his gratitude for food parcels sent from New Zealand has been taken by Captain J. E. Owen, Swansea, Wales, who has sent to Mr and Mrs P. G. Clements, Riccarton, two models of well-known sailing vessels, the brig Honderklip and the barque Standard Bearer. Mr and Mrs Clements have been sending parcels regularly to Captain Owen, but had no idea he was sending any gift until the models, securely tied in axes, arrived several days ago. Captain Owen is a member of the Swansea Shiplovers’ Society, and makes -the models for exhibition and for sale. The Honderklip. which *was built at Swansea in 1870. became a total loss on the Goodwin Sands in February, 1894. when bound from Dublin to Ghent with phosphates. Fjve of the crew were lost. The Standard Bearer was built in 1871. It made one of the fastest voyages to the west coast of America in 1872. The outward passage from London to Valparaiso took 71 days, and the whole voyage was completed m seven months. On Christmas Day, 1880, the captain of the vessel shot the mate and a steward, and refused to surrender the shin to the crew. Distress signals were flown and the captain finally handed over his arms. He was subsequently tried at Bow street, and acquitted on the grounds of insanity. The barque was abandoned when leaking 250 miles south of Rio de Janeiro m 1881. and at a Board of Trade inquiry the captain was found not to be m default. The mate wds censured for not supporting the captain in his efforts to induce the crew to stay.