HIT BY SHELL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20067, 13 October 1939, Page 9

HIT BY SHELL

LAUNCH SUNK LYTTELTON TRAGEDY INTENDED WARNING MAN LOSES LIFE ESCAPE OF COMPANION (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Struck by a shot intended by a coastal defence battery in the Lyttelton harbour to go across her bows, the fishing launch Dolphin sank yesterday afternoon, carrying with her the master and owner, James Brassell. When the shell exploded Mr. Brassed was severely injured, one leg being shot off, and he was unconscious when the launch sank. The other occupant of the launch, William Willman, senior, of Exeter street, Lyttelton, narrowly escaped drowning. He was slightly injured in one leg. A poor swimmer, he clung to a lifebouy when the Dolphin sank. He was picked up later by the examination steamer. Declaring that no warning of gunfire was given from Battery Point, Mr. Willman, when interviewed' at his home where lie was in bed suffering from shock, told the tragic story. The official statement by the military authorities was that the launch failed to stop when signalled. “Tho facts are simply these: The vessel came in and was signalled with both lamp and flag to stop from the entrance to within 700 yards of the battery,” said Colonel P. H. Bell, the officer commanding the Southern Military District. "In accordance with instructions a shot intended to go across her bows was fired. One man was unfortunately killed and the other occupant of the launch was rescued.” “Saw No Signal” “We saw no signal whatever,” Mr. Willman reiterated when the official report was referred to him in the evening. Mr. Brassell was one of the best known fishermen on the coast. He leaves a wife, two sons and two daughters. One of his sons is Mr. George Brassell who won the Sanders Cup for Canterbury on several ocIcasions. The Dolphin was a well known trawler from Lyttelton, about 40ft. in length. “Mr. Brassell saved my life,” said Mr. Willman in praising the courage of his shipmate. “One of his legs was blown off and while I was trying to stop the flow of blood he told me to take off my own gumboots before I got into the water. We had been fishing outside the heads and were coming up the harbour at about eight knots between 2 and 3 o'clock. We could see no sign of the examination steamer and concluded that she had gone into port. “Mr. Brassell was in charge of the launch and I was steering. He was always very apprehensive of being fired upon and would take no risks. Plan to Hail Shore “He told aie to steer for the shore battery and said he would hail them and ask if we could go in. If the men at the battery refused permission, he said, we would have to wait until the examination steamer came out again. "As we made towards the battery, we both watched carefully. I was using field glasses and could clearly see some men grouped around a gun and others running down to the little beach. We saw no signal of any kind. “We were quite close to the shore when a terrific explosion occurred on board. For a moment I thought that the engine had exploded, but Mr. Brassell called: ‘Both my legs are broken.’ “A shell had apparently struck between the two of us. I started to cut away the gumboots from Jim’s legs, which were bleeding terribly. I worked at this for some time whenMr. Brassell pointed out to me that the boat was sinking by the bow. f Call for Help “He said I had better take my own gumboots off. I did this and when I next looked he was unconscious. “I could do nothing then and the launch was sinking under us. I can swim very little. “I called to the soldiers on shore for help and waved to them, but there was no response. “As the launch sank the inrush of water carried Mr. Brassell into the wheelhouse and the engine room. I stood by him until the launch sank under me and I climbed the rigging as she went down.” Mr. Willman said that after the launch sank he saw one of the lifebuoys floating a few feet to leeward. There was a good jobble on the water and he had a terrible struggle to reach the buoy. He had no idea how long he clung to it until he saw the examination steamer alongside and was picked up. The accident was reported in Wellington last evening to the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, who said that an immediate inquiry would ■be held into the whole of the circumstances. Mr. Jones expressed his personal sympathy with the relatives of' Mr, Brassell and the regret of the Government and himself at the incident. To i assist at the inquiry, Lieut. - Colonel O. 11. Mead, D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C., Captain J. P. Joyce, D.C.M., R.N.Z.A., and Lieut.-Commander E. K. H. St. Aufoyn, D.S.C., R.N., left Wellington for Lyttelton by last evening’s .steamer express.