KITCHENER’S DEATH-SHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22353, 29 August 1934, Page 16

KITCHENER’S DEATH-SHIP

STATEMENT BY DIVER ■ PRODUCTION OF GOLD RING “ The Admiralty must know that I have been down in the Hampshire,” recently said Mr Charles Courtney, who claimed to have blasted his way into the strongroom of; the ship-in. which, the late Lord Kitchener met his .doom in June, 1916. Last December.the Admiralty stated: “If salvage operations on ‘H.M.S. 'Hampshire are proved we will take action.” There was a dramatic development -on June 16 in the controversy caused by these claims and denials when Mr Courtney arrived in Britain, straightwayvisited the Admiralty, and laid before its officials what he considered absolute .proof of his descent, says the Sunday Chronicle. “I produced a gold ring, which'l recovered from a locked room in the hall of the wreck.” Mr Courtney said: “T asked the Admiralty to trace the relatives of its owner and they promised to do so.” An Admiralty official declared .that apart from the ring they were not aware of any other article that had been; recovered, but in his statement to the newspaper the diver said that he had been in possession of several things picked up when the German vessel was salvaging last year. “I am not at. liberty to say what these articles are or to whom they belonged. I feel that it would be a terrible breach of confidence on my part to do so,” said Mr Courtney. "All that I can tell you is that they have now all been returned to the relatives of their owners.”

Mr Courtney stated that he had come to Britain again with the avowed intention of returning to the wreck,, and raising the vast store of gold which he believes lies in the strongroom of the sunken Hampshire in the sea off Orkney Islands. “It is the gold we are after, of course,” Mr Courtney said recently. “There is £2,000,000 of it, and we are going to salve it regardless, of cost in life or money.”

“So far as we know there is no gold in the Hampshire at all,” was the reply to Mr Courtney’s statement given by Commander Richardson, of the Admiralty. “Even if there were, the difficulties of salvage, in. our opinion, are insurmountable, The ship lies, I believe, in about 360 ft of water with a racing tide._ It took three years to raise the Egypt in a far easier position.”

Asked if he had seen the report that the British authorities might attempt to claim the treasure if it were raised, Mr Courtney said: ‘‘The authorities are powerless to prevent the salvage. The Hampshire is lying outside their control. I have already taken legal advice about it, and am perfectly satisfied about my position. The Admiralty suggests that descent into the Hampshire is impossible, but what reply can I make to that when I have already been down myself, and have made a thorough examination .of the ship? ” Mr Courtney then-discussed his plans for the future. “ The international group of financier’s who are behind the venture are not worrying about time or expense,” he said. “ I expect to be travelling to the Orkney Islands within a few days. But I may first be compelled to go to Moscow. We believe there is a man.there who has information about the Hampshire which might bo of vital importance to us.” The greatest secrecy was observed by Mr Courtney on his arrival in London; On leaving the boat train he walked quickly through the crowd and into a waiting taxi. He gave the address of on 6 hotel to the driver, then changed his destination halfway and drove to another, Mr Courtney said he had not yet decided where the headquarters of the expedition will be established. “It might be Holland or Germany.”