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Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33611, 13 August 1974, Page 14

Ruari Mae Neill, this year’s Otaki scholar, from Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, arrived in Christchurch yesterday for a three-day N-isit. He was met at the Chris’chureh Railway Station b- representatives of the Internal Affairs Department and his host school in Christchurch, St Andrew’s College. Mr L. W. Skerten. of the department, and prefects of the

i school are shown with , Ruari MacNelll. The scholarship, which ’ provides for a tour of New ’ Zealand commemorates the r sinking of the . New Zealand Shinning Come pany’s freighter. Otaki, . by the German raider f Moewe in March, 1917. - The raider sank the t Otaki. but not before she t was almost sunk by gunfire - from the 4.7 in gun on the - Otaki. Cantain Archibald e Bissett-Smith went down

with his shin after ordering the boats away and was later awarded the V.C. His family decided to remember his gallantry with an award to his old school (Robert Gordon's College) and when the New Zealand Shinning Company heard of this, it provided z free return passage to New Zealand for the recipient, and the Government decided to give free rail and service car transport within New Zealand.