LAST VOYAGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23052, 1 June 1938, Page 14

LAST VOYAGE

ASHES OF MARINER CAPTAIN C. G. TURNER URN TO BE CAST IN SEA WAR SERVICE RECALLED [by TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] GREYMOUTH. Tuesday When the steamer James Cook left Grcymouth this morning for Melbourne, she carried an urn containing the ashes of the vessel's Into master, Captain C. G. Turner, whose death occurred at Eden, South Australia, on May 8. During the voyage across the Tasman, with which Captain Turner was so familiar, the vessel will be stopped, the crew assembled, and the urn cast into the sea. Captain Turner was in command of tho James Cook at the time of his death, but had traded across tho Tasman and to Groymoutli even before his association with that vessel. He was born in England and saw service during the war in the famous Dover Patrol with the rank of lieutenant. After tho Armistice, he was given the command of a squadron of mine-sweepers with orders to clear the Australian waters of mines. When his work was finished, Captain Turner returned to England, but returned to Australia in 1922 as mate of the Gabriella.

Deceased was later in command of the Inga and Kalingo, and was in the service of tho Union Steam Ship Company when the company took over those vessels. In 1933, ho left tho Union Company to take command of tho IT. C. Sleigh steamer, Abel Tasman, which subsequently met with disaster on the north breakwater at Grey mouth. Captain Turner not not on board at tho time of the wreck. Captain Turner's remains were cremated in Sydney after the departure of the James Cook for Dunedin, Lyttelton and Greymouth, but the ashes were forwarded by another vessel.

Captain J. W. D. Archibald, who took over the James Cook after Captain Turner's death, will read a short service before the ashes of his colleague are cast into the sea.