COURT DESCRIBES ACTS OF GALLANTRY

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 48

COURT DESCRIBES ACTS OF GALLANTRY

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, December 13. Acts of gallantry and heroism involved in the rescue of survivors from the sinking inter-island steamer Wahine in Wellington Harbour on April 10 are accorded a brief but separate section in the report of the inquiry issued today.

The report said: “It is extraordinarily difficult to record details without having the uneasy feeling that other people whose deserts are great will be overlooked.

“It is proper, however, lhat the Court should record some examples which came to its notice.” Radio Officer Lyver, of the Wahine, not only left the impression that he rendered service with calm, unhurried efficiency throughout the events of the day but eventually finding himself on a raft on which there was an injured woman who could not at that stage be moved, refused to move from the raf‘ and elected to stay with the woman at a time when his prospects were very doubtful. It is good to be able to record that both were later saved. It also appears that a greaser on the Wahine, Mr Bill Lahina, also elected to stay with the radio officer and the injured woman on the! liferaft instead of taking the] opportunity of being taken I off to safety. Lost Life There was a steward named I Ross who also elected to stay j with an unconscious woman on a liferaft when others on the raft were rescued from it. Unhappily it appears that he lost his life. He returned to the raft from the side of the Tapuhi (Wellington Harbour Board tug), wearing no

lifejacket, to support the! woman concerned. A Fijian rendered great service to other people both' on the vessel at the abandonment and later by taking charge of a liferaft, distributing the people in it to best advantage, doing much to ensure its safe passage to the eastern shore, and then going back into the surf after reaching the shore to help another survivor. Able Seaman Dartford took charge of a lifeboat and brought it safely to shore. His behaviour did him credit. There was a steward who was described simply as being either an American or a Canadian who was commended for his conduct more than once by survivors in their answers to questions by the police. Two Officers Engineer Bennett, who took charge of a lifeboat, obviously acquitted himself well. Two officers of the M.V. California Star, Messrs Brown and Sayer, went out as crew members of the naval launch .Manga. In the course of picking up people from two life- | rafts these two men dived lover the side to help children out of one liferaft. Manga I was compelled to leave them there but they rendered considerable assistance, particularly to children and eventually were brought ashore as survivors themselves. A steward named Bannock was seen to jump across to a liferaft and render assistance when it was needed. Captain Galloway’s action

in boarding the Wahine at great personal risk has already been described. Captain Sword and the master (Captain Ohlsen) and the crew of Tapuhi deserve commendation for the work done, and the risks accepted by them, as do the crew of the Tiakina (another harbour tug). Act Of Courage When Chief Engineer Wareing and Mr Watson returned below at about 10 a.m. this was an act of courage. The

other members of the engineroom staff who thereafter returned there and worked also had to accept personal risk. The bursting of a steam pipe, or collapse of a bulkhead or a tank top at any time while they were below could have been disastrous for them.