TRAGEDY OF HAMPSHIRE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 19 June 1926, Page 11

TRAGEDY OF HAMPSHIRE

WAS THERE OFFICIAL SLACKNESS ?

A LECTURER’S ALLEGATIONS.

nnHEi film entitled! “The Tragedy of the Hampshire,’’ produced' by the United' Films (Ltd.), was exhibited at the Cameo Picture Theatre in London. says the Home correspondent of a New" Zealand' contemporary. It is intended to be a reverent tribute- to the late Lord Kitchener, and the. 650 brave men who lost their lives through tho sinking of H.M.S. Hampshire on June 5, 1936, and it is pointed out that it is in no way connected, with any newspaper, political or other organisation. ’ > One cannot deny that the film is well put- together without any -attempt at fake. It has something to do with the later days of Lord Kitchener, ft shows him in his public capacity mooting French generals. It shows his birthplace, a humble cottage; and it shows the great house that- ,was presented to him by the nation. It gives an intimate presentation of the Orkneys, and Scapa. Flow within the group of islands. -By diagram it shows the passage of t-lie. .Hampshire on its last fatal journey, arid the point where it struck mines and went down. It shows the rock-bound coast 'and the various localities where the rafts carrying men of the Hampshire were washed up. In addition, there are pictures of a number of the survivors,, and of men and women of -the Orkneys who had something to do. with the survivors or made some effort, to rescue them. Finally, there is the picture of the cemetery on the Orkneys. where the bodies of the victims recovered from the waves were laid to rest. At the London presentation of. the picture, however, Mr Frank Power, who has written a great deal on the subject of the tragedy, and has pro-

tested against, the Admiralty’s silence on the matter, had. something -disturbing to., say. A postmistress who saw that tlie Hampshire was in distress telegraphed to headquarters. She waited for many hours throughout the night, Mr Power maintains, and tlieii got a reply, “What ship? ” The coxswain of a motor lifeboat 12 miles away was anxious to go out to the rescue, and lie was told by his -senior officer to mind his own business. Two civilians who went to the edge of the cliff overlooking’ the cove, where one of the rafts was washed up heard voices down below, but were unable to render assistance because, they had- no ropes or appliances. On the following day, when ropes and help were sent, a ,mau went down, and he found the raft, but of the- 45 men still attached to it by means of the netting every one was* dead. The body of a; man was found at the edge of the cliff. In spite of serious injuries to his arm and leg, he had by superhuman effort reached the top, but there lie had died. A message was sent through earlier in the night for the Vice-Admiral. The reply, according to the- lectiuAr, was: “Tlie \ice-Admiral must not be disturbed.”