BRITISH SHIP TAKEN BY PIRATES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 111, 4 February 1935, Page 9

BRITISH SHIP TAKEN BY PIRATES

Seventy Children Aboard RAIDERS ABANDON VESSEL, ONE GUARD KILLED (Brlttsn Official Wireless.) (Received February 3, 7.30 p.m.) Rugby, February 1. The fears entertained for the safety of 70 children of British missionaries, merchants, officials and traders _in China, who were on board the missing steamship Tungchow, returning to the China. Inland Mission School at Chefoo after the Christmas holidays, were set at rest this afternoon. Anxiety was caused by the fact that the ship was 30 hours overdue, and had made no response to wireless messages. An act of piracy was suspected and the naval authorities sent out ships in search of the vessel. The warships engaged included the cruiser Suffolk and the aircraft-carrier Hermes. Prompt success rewarded the efforts of the searchers, who found that the Tungchow had been pirated and later abandoned. The pirates landed in Hong Lai Bay to the east of Hong-Kong. The Tungchow had marine guards on board, and Sergeant Thorovoff was killed. Second Engineer K. Macdonald has gunshot wounds in the chest. All the others are safe. ' The Tungchow’ reached Hong-Kong under naval escort, a Shanghai cable states. Scores of parents in dread awaited news of the fate of the vessel and its human freight throughout the day, while reports of the activity of British warships and aeroplanes and the aircraft-carrier Hermes failed to offer reassurance. A brief message: "The Tungchow located, abandoned by pirates,” proved little comfort, until a later wireless message reported that all the children were safe. It is surmised that the pirates made a mistake in believing that the vessel carried a large quantity of silver bullion which is being shipped at various ports at this time of the year in connection with the Chinese New’ Year settlements, but the Tungchow carried nothing of value. Prompt Naval Action. The prompt response of the naval authorities to join in the search undoubtedly compelled the pirates to abandon the vessel. They departed in junks when near Bias Bay. The pirates, disguised as passengers, seized the vessel a short distance from Shanghai and compelled the captain to proceed south after dismantling the wireless.

Among the British children aboard were the 12-year-old daughter and the younger son of the captive missionary, Mr. Hayman, the New Zealander who is at present in the hands of Communists, having been captured last August at Kweichow, together with the Swiss missionary, Mr. Bo&sha.rdt.

The children were in the pirates’ hands for three days, confined to the saloon. The pirates confiscated firearms, robbed the children, and looted the ship to the value of 250,000 dollars. They repainted the funnel and altered ’the name to Taoma.ru. Yesterday afternoon the pirates commandeered a junk and took their loot,, but were surprised by the aeroplanes of H.M.S. Hermes, which were cheered by the children who rushed on to the deck. Hostages were used to cover the pirates’ retreat, but were released and brought back to tiie ship by the ship’s boats. Schoolmaster’s Account. . .Mr. P. J. Duncan, a schoolmaster who was accompanying the children, stated that just after leaving the Yangtse there was a sudden commotion and be saw the Russian sergeant heroically resisting four men, obviously pirates. They were pumping bullets into him and he soon collapsed on the deck. The second engineer. Mr. K. Macdonald, was afterward shot in the chest. He had a revolver in his hand. Meanwhile Captain Smart, other officers and the Russian guards were overpowered and revolvers pressed into their ribs. Captain Smart then ordered resistance to cease.

Pandemonium prevailed, And tiie children screaming were taken into the saloon by Mr. Duncan. The pirate chief threatened to shoot all aboard and burn the ship if the captain did not prevent tiie British Navy interfering. Captain Smart managed with great tact to ensure that no harm was done. Miss K. Mac Nair, headmistress of the school, interviewed, said that after the first panic the children quickly made friends witli the pirates, and their chieftain playfully pelted the boys with fruit which he had taken from the storeroom. The children were all anxious to obtain souvenirs, and scoured the deck for cartridges. The chieftain’s pullover was found and the children tore it to pieces, each anxious to secure a souvenir from it. During meal times the pirates sat behind the women teachers with revolvers and prodded them into their backs. It was a terrifying experience. On other occasions some of the pirates seemed to go mad. brandishing revolvers, gesticulating and threatening to buteber everybody.

Tiie Tungchow is a vessel of 2104 tons and belongs to tiie China Navigation Company. The officers are British. The children had come mostly from Southern and Central China and are of ages ranging from six to 16. They had been on their Christmas holidays and were returning to school. In most cases they had been home to their parents who are missionaries in various parts of China. Others are children of-British merchants or officials.

This trip is made annually and is the children’s main holiday of the year, for tiie weather is at its best.