DISASTER TO YACHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20650, 23 August 1930, Page 11

DISASTER TO YACHT.

WKECK OPE COItNWALL.

ALL ON BOARD DROWNED.

FORMER MINISTER LOST. VESSEL IN RAGING GALE. LIFEBOAT'S EFFORTS VAIN. Bv Telegraph—Press*Association—Copyright,. British Wireless. RUGBY. August 21. Commodore H. D. King, Conservative member of tho House of Commons for South Paddington, who had held a number of posts in the Conservative Government, has perished, with six other persons, in a yachting disaster off the coast of Cornwall. Commodore King chartered the yacht Islander for a holiday cruise and on board with him were ono of his daughters, Commander Soarle, of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Surgeon-Captain Brailey, medical officor of His Majesty's ship President, Captain Glazebrook, skipper, and two deck hands. A gale was raging and night was> falling when the yacht was driven on the rocks in Lanlivefc Bay, near Polperro. The Fowey lifeboat went out, but could not approach the vessel. A lifeline was fired over the yacht. Two men on board were seen desperately hanging on lo tho lifeline, but it gave way in tho terrific seas. A tidal wave caught tho vessel and altered its position and flung it against tho rocks. Ono man was seen to divo from the yacht and begin to swim to the shore; but he disappeared under tho water. The Fowey lifeboat strovo for two hours to get near the yacht, but the heavy seas and dangerous rocks proved too formidable. The yacht was pounded to destruction and all on board wero drowned.

A Press Association message says that when the heavy seas drove the yacht toward the cliff face tho coastguards descended and endeavoured vainly to get a rocket lifeline on board. They heard screams from a woman entrapped in tho cabin and saw a man come up on deck and dive off. lie was swallowed up immediately in the raging sea. None of the bodies has beea recovered. ,

Commodore King was one of tho most versatile men in the Conservative Party and was regarded as destined to hold a high place in some future Conservative Administration. He was 53 and still young as politicians go. He had been a Junior Lord of the Treasury, Financial Secretary to the War Office and in the last Conservative Administration was in charge of the Mines Department. Before he entered upon his Parliamentary career ho took part in tho defence of Antwerp, served in the Gallipoli campaign and was with the Royal Naval siege guns in Flanders. A later message states that Mrs. King says her daughter was not on board tho yacht.

Mr. Jlcnry Douglas King was made a commodore in 1927. Ho was born in 1877, and after leaving tho school training-ship Conway was in sailing ships until 1897, when he joined the P. and O. Service. He left the sea in 1899 and in 1905 was called to the English Bar. He entered Parliament as Conservative member for North Norfolk in 1918, and was first returned for South Paddington in 1922. He was elected unopposed at tho last general election. Ho was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Chief Secretary for Ireland, 1920-21, and a Conservative Whip. Commodore King was a midshipman in tho R.N.V.R. from 1893 to 1902. He was appinted to the Drake Division in 1914 on the outbreak of war and was at the siege of Antwerp. He landed on Gallipoli in April, 1915, and served there until *the evacuation. Later he served with the naval siege guns in Flanders. He was naval aide-de-camp to King George, 192225. In 1900 ho married Miss Margaret Elizabeth Swan, daughter of the lato Mr. W. R. Swan, of South Australia.