Fingerprints taken of Achilles crew

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 1

Fingerprints taken of Achilles crew

Detectives of the Auckland homicide squad, assisted by the Fijian police and officers of H.M.S. Achilles, took fingerprints of 200 officers and ratings on board the frigate in Suva Harbour yesterday.

The fingerprinting began soon after the arrival of three detectives who flew from Auckland to investigate the death of a Canadian, Ross Russell Hawley, aged 51, in a flat in Mount Eden on or about August 24.

In a telephone interview late yesterday, the duty officer on board the Achilles told “The Press” that the fingerprinting had been carried out to. help the police in their inquiries.

r The duty officer, who , wished not to be named, said ' that the Achilles arrived in ■ Suva Harbour from Nelson at t 9 a,m. All the crew had to > remain on board while the ' fingerprinting was carried ’ out. Naval officers had made » other inquiries on board be--1 fore the arrival of the police, [■ he said. SEVEN WARSHIPS Seven, British naval ships

were in New. Zealand ports on or about August 24, those at Auckland .being the Achilles, Danae, Reliant, and Olna. The police officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Inspector B. W. James, said yesterday that there was a specific reason for sending detectives to make inquiries aboard the Achilles, and also a detective to Fremantle to inquire aboard the Royal Navy fleet auxiliary Reliant—but declined to say what the reason was, according to a Press Association message from Auckland.

The Achilles duty officer said that if the men the police sought were aboard the Achilles, the fingerprints would identify them, as prints of the wanted men were held by the police in Auckland. The officer said that the captain of the Achilles wanted the matter cleared up as soon as possible. CIVILIAN ATTIRE

Several other warships were in Auckland Harbour at the time of Mr Hawley’s death, he added. He confirmed that members of the Achilles crew had been permitted to go ashore in civilian attire during the period of leave in Auckland. Normal leave had been granted to all officers and ratings. A percentage of the entire crew had to remain on board all the time. On the day of sailing, more than 50 per cent of the crew would have been aboard. The duty officer said that the Achilles sailed from Auckland for Nelson on August 26, five days before the discovery of Mr Hawley’s body.

All crew aboard the Achilles belonged to the British Isles. POLICE SEARCH

The police search involves investigations into all shipping in Auckland at the time of Mr Hawley’s death.

Mr Hawley was last seen alive when a taxi-driver took him and two Englishmen in modish clothes from a bar in the South Pacific Hotel to Mr Hawley’s flat in Mount Eden about 8.45 p.m. on August 24. Wortanates found Mr Hawley’s battered body when they entered his flat six days later. Mr Hawley was employed as a clerk in an Auckland dairy company. The police said he frequently took men from.hotel bars back to his flat.