CAPTAIN TODD RETIRING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3972, 29 April 1930, Page 71

CAPTAIN TODD RETIRING.

AX INTERESTING CAREER

AUCKLAND, April 22. After 30 years in the service of the Union Steam Ship Company, Captain D. Todd, commander of the transpacific cargo steamer Waiotapu, which is now at Auckland, is to retire when the vessel reaches Wellington. . Captain Todd was born in Dunedin, and went to sea at the age of 18 years. His first service was in overseas sailing vessels, including the Liverpool barque Villalla. After sufficient sea service in sail he obtained a certificate, and was second mate on the sailing vessel Star of the East. Later he held positions in intercolonial sailing vessels, being second mate of the barquentine Handa Isle and mate of the schooner Clansman. Captain Todd joined the Union Company as third officer of the Rotorua, and afterwards he was an officer in a number of the company’s coastal and intercolonial steamers. In 1895 he was appointed master of the Wainui, and other steamers lie has commanded include the Te Anau, the Poherua. the Wanaka, the Talune, the Navua, the Tofua, and the Tahiti.

During the war Captain Todd was in command the Tofua and the Tahiti, carrying troops in the I ofua. He took portion of the 6th, the Bth. the 10th, and the 32nd Reinforcements from New Zealand to Suez and the 13th, the 18th, and the 25th Reinforcements to England. His worst experience during the war was when he was in command of the Tahiti, which took the 40th Reinforcements to England in 1918. On board the Tahiti were 1200 New Zealand troops, and after the vessel had called at Capeto-wn and had cleared Sierra Leone for Plymouth an epidemic of influenza broke out, and nearly everybody on board was suffering from the malady. In 10 days 68 soldiers and five members of the crew died, and the doctors, nurses, and other medical officials were all ill. One morning over 400 men attended “ sick parade.” Captain Todd was suffering from the complaint, but he had to remain on watch, because two of his four officers and five members of the crew were too ill to attend to their duties. There were 13 steamers in the convoy, and the epidemic swept through every troopship except one. On the warship which was escorting the convoy 30 of the crew died.