LAST OF H.M.S. FIJI
SUNK OFF CRETE
"END OF A FINE SHIP"
(0.C.)
LONDON, August 26,
Paymaster-Commander E. L. Totten? ham, R.N., who was secretary1 to the New Zealand Naval Division from 1935 to 1^39, was a survivor from H.M.S. Fiji which was sunk by German aircraft off Crete. An inquiry was made for his safety by the New Zealand Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones)..
Other Royal Naval officers who have served in New Zealand and who were also survivors were Captain William Powlett, who commanded H.M.S. Fiji, and was loaned to the New Zealand Naval Division from 1932 to 1935, and Commander G. V. Gladstone, who was in New Zealand from 1923 to 1931.
"It was a sad ending to a very splendid ship, which certainly played her part and had taken us to within half an hour of perfect safely," said Pay-master-Commander Tottenham.
"She had b,een badly knocked about by near-misses and then a very nearmiss aggravated damage already done to the extent of flooding the forward engine and boiler unit.
"That was the, beginning of the end —a couple of direct hits—the last attack of the day—shattered any hope we had of saving a splendid ship. We were fortunate to this extent that exactly two-thirds of the crew survived to be picked up some hours later."
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19410925.2.45
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 75, 25 September 1941, Page 8
Word Count
219LAST OF H.M.S. FIJI Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 75, 25 September 1941, Page 8
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in