WAR ANNIVERSARY

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 291, 4 September 1931, Page 11

WAR ANNIVERSARY

Torpedoing of Southland ASSOCIATION FORMED During the war tEere were two instances of transports carrying New Zealand troops being torpedoed by enemy submarines. One was the Marquette, which was sunk "on the way to Salonika, with the unfortunate result that several members of a New Zealand medical unit, including New Zealand nurses, were lost. The other was that of the transport Southland, carrying Ausfralian troops and a small draft of New* Zealand Artillery reinforcements from Egypt to Gallipoli. The Southland, which was formerly the German steamer Vaderland, was hit by an enemy submarine about twentyfive miles from the Island of Lemnos, in the Aegean "Sea. The submarine fired two torpedoes, the first smashing in the bows of the vessel, and the second just missing the stern by a few feet. Altogether, some fifty lives were Jost by explosion and drowning, including three New Zealanders. That the loss of life was comparatively light was due to the fact that the vessel did not sink immediately, but* was kept afloat long enough to beach at Mudros. The New Zealanders on board were some forty in number, under the command of Lieutenant V. P. Haughton, of Wellington. The cool behaviour and discipline on board and the gallantry of a number of the Australian troops in assisting to beach the vessel were the subject of a special’order from Army Headquarters at Anzac. The torpedoing took place on the morning of September 2, 1915, and last evening there was an interesting reunion of Wellington men who were aboard the vessel. It was decided to form a “Southland” association, and to this end those present, consisting of Major V. P. Haughton (chairman). T. Lomas, B. R. Wakelin, W. Coleman, R. H. Stout, J. F. McKenna and D. A. Herbert (honorary secretary), formed themselves into a committee for the purpose of getting into touch with Australian and New Zealand comrades and making the anniversary of the occurence the occasion of an annual gathering.