DEVOTION TO DUTY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 25 October 1941, Page 6

DEVOTION TO DUTY

WIRELESS OPERATORS COMMENDED ATTACKS ON RANGITANE AND KOMAT.Y Advice that Air N. Hallett. who was first radio operator of the Rangitane, has been officially commended for his conduct when the ship was attacked by German raiders on 27th November. 1940, off the coast of New Zealand, has been received by Mr C. M. Turicll, general manager of the New Zea land Shipping Company, Ltd., from Air C. J. Cowan, chairman of directors of the company in London (reported in yesterday’s issue of “The Mail"'. When the thi ee sighted at 3.40 in the morning. Caplain H. L. Upton ordered the wirelessroom to send out the “suspicious ves sol” message, and if the raiders opened fire, which he expected would hap pc-n as soon as the wireless was used, t* send the "raider” message. The Germans very soon opened fire on the Rangitane, causing considerable damage and some casualties. Nevertheless the wireless messages were got off. The complete messages reached New Zealand. Each was repealed. the first two or three times and the second six or seven times. The German shelling broke a valve or. the main transmitter and while the second and third operators got a new valve, the chief operator, Air N. Hallett, switched on to the emergency set, and then back to the main set when r. was repaired. When Captain Upton knew that the wireless messages had been sent he ordered the operators to cease sending and he stopped the ship. The Commission of Inquiry into the loss -of the Rangitane and other vessels by enemy action, in its report, said: “In our opinion the wireless operators of the Rangitane performed their important duties in a manner that deserves commendation/’ As was announced yesterday. Air Fdward Henry Ward, of Takapuna, Auckland, who was radio operator iri the Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Komata, which was sunk by the German raiders near Nauru Island on Bth December, has been officially commended for his brave action "in remaining at his post while under shellfire from an enemy raider.” When the raider signalled to the Komata to slop and not use her wireless, Captain W. Fish ordered the “suspicious vessel” message to be sent out. The signal was already coded, and the operator began to send it. While doing so, he realised that the message was being jammed, and immediately started making the distress message. It was about this time that the enemy opened fire, being not more than three-quarters of a mile away. One shell burst in the room immediately underneath the wireless-;oom, and put the transmitter out of action. Another carried away the main aerial. The wireless operator, Mr E. H. Ward, said the commission’s report, "‘appears to have discharged his duties in a commendable manner,” endeavoured to repair the damage, and put the transmitter into operation again. Meanwhile, Captain Fish, seeing that the aerials had been shot away, the wireless-room damaged, and the chief officer killed, stopped the ship to save further loss of life.