MESSAGE FROM TROOPSHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23108, 6 February 1937, Page 14

MESSAGE FROM TROOPSHIP

THE SENDER IDENTIFIED STORY OF TRAGIC VOYAGE (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 5. The sender of the message in the bottle thrown from the troopship Tahiti and found at the Waikato Heads was Mr A. W. Brown, now assistant Crown Prosecutor at Christchurch. He and another man named Brown decided to evade the censorship and send a message in a bottle. \ When they were marching to tho ship in Wellington the parade passed a funeral, and this was taken as a bad omen for the voyage, which proved to be tragic, over 80 men dying before the ship reached England. This was due to influenza breaking out on board. The vessel carried nearly 1000 men. The voyage was ill-fated from the start, a terrific storm being encountered. The Tahiti joined a convoy at Freetown (Sierra Leone) on August 24, and in three days influenza had struck On September 1 men started to die, and in one day the deaths totalled 23. There were 11 nurses on board, and Mr Brown paid a tribute to the way in which they carried on amid a ship full of sick men. Two of the nurses died, and the deaths continued till the ship entered Plymouth Harbour. Some of the men were sent to France, but were too weak, and were returned to England. Brown's mother still lives in Colenso street. Sumner, and hopes to receive the message.