BELGIAN RELIEF. LIEUTENANT VON TIRPITZ.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16289, 23 January 1915, Page 10

BELGIAN RELIEF.

LIEUTENANT VON TIRPITZ.

A purebred Holstein bull, donated by Mr J. Hamilton, Kaitangata, was 6old by auction at the Balolutha stock sale yesterday, and realised £11 10s, the proceeds going to the Belgian Relief P\ind. 'lhe competition was not quite as keen as was expected.

HIS LIFE AS PRISONER OF WAR. HOW THE MAINZ WENT DOWN. (Fbom Ocb Own Correspondents.) LONDON, December 8. A thrilling account of the sinking of the German ligiit cruiser Mainz during tho llebgoland naval action is given by Lieutenant von Tirpitz, the son of Admiral von Tirpitz, who controls the Kaiser's navy. The young officer is now a prisoner of war in this country, audi ho declares himself to bo absolutely fit. In tho camp, he says, everything is done for their comfort, convenience, and happiness compatible with their surroundings. During the visit of the American Committee interested in the welfare of prisoners of war in the various warrihg countries von Tirpitz was asked whether he was aware that Mr Winston Churchill had; promptly telegraphed to Grand Admiral von Tnpitz advising him of his son's safety. " Yes," he replied, "my parents wrote me about that in grateful terms. I know Mr and Mrs Winston Churchill quite well. I played tennis with Mrs Churchill at the Queen's Club last summer, and lunched with them both."

Going on to speak of the Heligoland battle, he said: "It was my baptism of fire. My chief recollection ot the engagement in general is that we were very heavily outnumbered. I think I must have counted at 25 British men-of-war from my place in tho crow's nest of the Mainz boforo 1 was brought down. "It is only by a miracle that I was spared. The 'officer on duty alongside mo in the crow's nest was torn clean through the waistline by shell fire, while I remained untouched. Tne poor fellow was too far gone to 6wim, as I did, after we wero swept from our lofty perch and dashed into what, seemed certain death in the sea. I think I stayed in the ship as long as it was humanly possible. I certainly had no other thought than to go down with her. I assuredly did not expect to come through the awful experience with my life; but, you see, I had not reckoned fully with tho knightliness of our foe. I swam for about 20 minutes in full uniform, except for cap and sword, and with some half-burnt lifebelts to help me, when I was picked up by one of the cutters of the cruiser Liverpool. Cutters from that and other ships were now busily sconrng tho sea in all directions making the utmost efforts to save German sailors from drowning. All of us were treated exactly as if we were comrades, not enemies. I am quite sure Admiral Beatty's sailors made every possible effort to rescue our fellows. It was not the Britishers' fault that more of us were not saved.

"I hadn't been in England long before I began to get convincing evidence that, though these people are at war with us, they remember that, as far as many .relationships in the two navies are concerned, they aro fighting old friends. At lOcJ, in the last week of June, we had' a fine English squadron visiting us. I was often in the Southampton and tho Birmingham— tho latter was to help sink us at Heligoland nine weeks later! —and I became well acquainted with Vice-admiral Sir George Warrender and one of his flag officers. Lieutenant Buxton. Among the first letters I received in Enaland, after mv capture, were somo from Vice-admiral Warrender and Lieutenant Buxton offering to send me money, clothes, or anything else I needed. But my allowance here is quite sufficient to take care of all my urgent needs."