VICTIM OF A RAIDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16796, 12 March 1918, Page 6

VICTIM OF A RAIDER.

OFFICER OF THE WAIRUNA.

TORPEDOED ON PREVIOUS TRIP.

The first direct news received in Auckland ] from any member of the crew of the Wail'una, which was sunk in the Southern Pacific by the German raider Wolf, is contained in a cablegram just to hand from Mr. T. E. Rees, second officer of the vessel. Two of the crew of tlio Wainina, Mr. Rees and the ship's conk, were placed on hoard the Spanish steamer Igotz Mcndi, which was captured by the Wolf. The Igotz Mendi was stranded off Jutland, and Mr. Rees and the cook were landed in Denmirk. The cablegram, which was sent from Skagen, Denmark, was addressed to Mrs. Braid wood, Wangartui Avenue, Tonsonby. The message reads: " Landed safely, writing later; tell Douglas. Iv R*es." The " Douglas mentioned in the message is Mr. Rees'9 brother, who is third officer of the Union Company's steamer Kaiapoi. This is tho second occasion on which Mr. Rees has suffered at the hands of the enemy. He was second officer on the steamer Ash burton when she was torpedoed in the Bay of Biscay, while on a voyage from Wellington to London, in 1916, laden with wool and jute. On Aonl 1, when the Ashburton was 150 miles off tho land, a German submarine was sighted. The commander ordered the master of the Ashburton to abandon his .ship as speedily as possible, and practically simultaneously lie opened fire. The wireless aerial was brought down with one shot, but not before tho wireless operator had despatched the S.O.S. signal. Two lifeboats on the Ashburton's deck were smashed by gunfire, and five of the crew were wounded during the firing. The submarine closed to within 100 yards of the British ship, and the Germans were asked by means of signals to attend to the wounded. The only answer was the shifting of the submarine to the port side and the firing of a torpedo, which struck the vessel at No. 4 hatch. She steadily settled down and sank about 8.45 a.m. Tho ship's company had to scramble hurriedly into the boats, and one lifeboat was lost in the launching. All that Mr. Rees saved was his camera. The boat in which he left the ship contained 29 people. The Germans made no effort to rescue the men in the boats, and the submarine was submerged. The crew of the Ashburton were afloat in one large steel lifeboat and a small boat. The holes in tho lifeboat were plugged with clothing, and the boat kept afloat by continuous bailing. A supply of fresh water had been part of the boat's equipment, but the receptacle in which it was contained had been perforated by the shot and the water lost. • The only food in the lifeboat consisted of biscuits, The two boats were tied together, and were kept head ion to tho seas by using a large sheep-pen as a sea-anchor. After drifting all day the survivors were picked up by a British destroyer about nine o'clock at night, by which time all hands were suffering severely from cold and exposure. The following morning the crew were landed at Plymouth.