OTAKI SHIELD WINNER

Chronicle (Levin), 2 August 1947, Page 2

OTAKI SHIELD WINNER

Warm Welcome On Visit To Otaki

In bright sunshine and the presence of the Deputy-Mayor, Major-General R. Young, members of the Otaki Borough Council, masters and boys of the Waterloo and Otaki Schools, representatives of the Maori race and returned servicemen, Mr. Peter B. Cruickshank, this year's winner of the Otaki Shield, was welcomed m Otaki on Thursday. The shield was presented to the Robert Gordon College, Aberdeen, by the relatives of the late Captaih Archibald Bisset Smith, V.C. Mr. Cruickshank arrived in New Zealand recently. An apology was received from the Mayor (Mr. C. F. Atmore) who was absent on Land Court business in Levin and Dr. Atmore. Arrangements were left in the hands of the town clerk, Mr. Alex Wilson, who carried them out in an able manner. On arrival in the town Mr. Cruickshank, who possesses a fine personaiity, and Mr. Beresford, representing the Internal Affairs Department, were met and welcomed in true Otaki manner, after which the party proceeded to the Maori Church, where the Rev. Paora Temuera extended a warm welcome to the visitors, and at the same time stated that he was pleased to welcome also Mr. W. Adams, headmaster of the Waterloo School, and scholars, who had visited Otaki for a football match. Historic Church Visited In the church Mr. Temuera gave a very interesting address on the building, telling of its history and how it was built by Maoris, who had no tools in those days, while « horses and cattle were also unknown. Much of the huge timber, would not now be procurable any where in New Zealand, or the work so successfully carried out at the present time. He explained the history of the carved altar rail, of the altar cloth presented by Queen Victoria, and the manner of worship before the church had been modernised. Mr. Temuera also pointed out that in the old mission grounds adjoining were ancient trees in the form of an oak and a kauri. He said that Rangiatea was the shrine to where the Maori gathered and paid homage to the mighty and sacred Io-matua-tekorei, the Supreme Being. When the Maori left his island home of the Pacific he brought with him the soil from underneath the sacred altar, Rangiatea. It was first deposited at Kawhia, where the Tainui, the canoe that eonveyed the sacred soil to Aotearoa landed. There it was first deposited and an altar erected" over it. j Later, the descendants of the | crew went inland, the sacred soil going with them. One portion of the people settled at Pirongia, the other going to Mahungatautari (Cambridge) .

In 1820 Te Rauparaha came from Mahungatautari, said Mr Temuera, and making a dash along the west coast, from Kawhai through Taranaki, finally settled in Horowhenua. After having subdued the original people of these parts he went to Sydney as a guest of the 'Government. He spent two years there, visiting all places of interest. At a church service in the cathedral he asked his guide what God the people were worshipping. He told them Iharoa Jehovah. To him it sounded very much like Io, the God that his father worshipped back in the ancient Hawaiki. Io-matua-te koia; he had often heard the old folks talk of Him, and of Rangiatea in their boyhood days. He too, remembered the sacred soil in the possession of his people. When he returned to New Zealand he met his people, who were then living at Rangiuru. After the speeches of welcome to him he stood up to reply. First he unsheathed the sword presented to him by Sir George Grey, the then Go vernon of New Zealand, and thrust it into the ground. He then beckoned Paora Pohotiraha, a chief of the sub-tribe, Ngati Wehiwehi, of Manakau, to come and take possession. "Tikina mai te mea nei kiia mautai taku ruri ki te whenua kua rure, au ki te-- rangi, Hangara he wharekarakia mo tatou." (Come, take possession of this, I no more seek honour on earth, I seek honour in heaven, go to and build us a church) . When all the timbers required were assembled and ready to be erected, the sacred soil from the ancient Rangiatea was deposited, and the church was built over it and dedicated in that name to the glory and worship of Almighty God. After all had made an inspection of the historic church and Mr. Cruickshank and Mr. Beresford had signed the visitors' book, an adjournment was made to the

Council Chambers, where Mrs. Royal had prepared an appetising afternoon tea. The floral decorations by Mrs. Alex. Wilson were very effective. Among those present were several ladies. Speeches of Welcome General Young in the course of his address of welcome, outlined the history of the Otaki Shield, stating that Otaki had already welcomed four winners of it. The shield had been presented by. the relatives of Captain Smiih, who had lost his life in a fight with the German ship, Moewe. It was a

running fight lasting three hours, and the odds were very much against the New Zealand vessel, which had small guns compared with the many big ones of the German warship. As a resulb of his scholastic abilities Mr. Cruickshank, who was also captain of his cricket and football teams, had won the shield, enabling him to make a tour of New Zealand. He had only recently arrived, but would have a month in this country. On behalf of the ciiizens of Otaki, General Young stated that it gave him pleasure to extend a welcome, and expressed regret that on account of a Maori bereavement ihe Native part of the function had to be abandoned. Thanks to Mr. Hass, the Borough Council was to be presented with a photograph of Captain Smith. Mr. Hass had been a friend of Captain Smith's and was with him iri 1902. (Applause) . Mr. Hass paid a tribute to the late Captain Smith, whom he described as a friend one coYild be proud of. (Applause) . Mr. Utiku Hapeta, who spoke in Maori, interpreted by Mr. Bunny Carkeek,' thanked the Deputy-

Mayor and councillors for the invitation to be present. On such an auspicious occasion Mr. Hapeta stated that- he was delighted to greet such a talented young man from overseas, but regretted that one of those who had previously visited Otaki on a similar mission had passed away. He regretted that on account of the death of a Maori it had been impossible to give the distinguished visitor the usual Maori greeting, but on behalf of his people he had pleasure in offering congratulations to Mr. Cruickshank. He felt it an honour to speak on'behalf of his people and to congratulate him on his great achievement. Mr. Hapeta then gave the history of the Ngati - Raukawa tribe, which he repre■sented, and stated that it was usual with the Maoris lo bestow a name on distinguished visitors. On this occasion the name would be "Mai Otaki," which made their visitor a member of the Ngati-Raukawa

tribe. ('Applause). He said the doings of the visitor would • be wa.ched with interest by members of the tribe, and trusted that on a future occasion the young man would pay another visit to Otaki when he could be assured of a warm welcome. (Applause) . Mr. Cruickshank, on rising to reply, was greeted with warm applause. He said that he fully appreciated the hearty welcome, and stated that Mrs. Anderson, parent of one of the boys who had won the Otaki Shield some time ago, sent her best wishes to the folks of New Zealand. Personally, stated the visitor, he had been delighted with his stay in New Zealand and the many kind people and receptions accorded him. Already he had seen a good deal of the country and admired it, while on his return to his home he would carry pleasant recollections of his visit. (Applause) . The happy gathering, after wish-

ing Mr. Cruickshank further successes and-a pleasant time during his stay in New Zealand, dispersed. A Brief History The following report of the fight between the German raider and .he Otaki has been made available by Mr. Hass: How a British merchantman, mounting a 4.7 in. gun of old pattern, fought and all but destroyed a heavily-armoured Ger- ' man raider, has been told for the first time from the German point of view, writes Hector Bywater, in the Daily Telegraph. The raider was the Moewe. Her then gunnery officer, Lieutenant Commander Herman Jung, writes in a German naval monthly of his ship's fierce duel with the steamer Otaki, owned by the N.Z. Shipping Co. On March 10, 1917, the Moewe, ! commanded by Count Dohna- 1 Schlodien, was 'returning from a three-months' raiding cruise. She was a converted merchantman and | carried four 5.9 in., one 4.1 in.,-and{ two 22 pdr. guns, besides torpedoj tubes. When 300 miles east of St. I Miguel in the Azores the Moewe : sighted the Otaki, a freighter of j some 9000 tons in ballast, from j London to New York. She was com- j manded bv " Lieutenant Archibald j i Bisset Smith, R.N.R., and had a; lcrew of 71. The only naval rating on board was a Royal Fleet Reservist. The Moewe signalled the Otaki j to heave to, but Captain Smith . j paid no attention. He held on his j j course at his best speed, which wes | 1 15. knots. The 4.7 in. gun at the i I stern was cleared away, fire parties i | were mustered, and everything ; I made ready for a desperate resist- j ance. As the British ship ignored ; a shot fired across her bows, the i Moewe opened up on her with two j 6 in. and one 4 in. guns, served by picked gunlayers of the German navy. The Otaki instantly replied with her one small gun, the shell pitching short. Then the enemy's sixinch shells began to drive home. Two pierced the hull below the gun, but it remained in action and soon seored a hic on the Moewe's water - line forward. The shell burst well inside, killing two men and blowing large holes in the hull under water. This shot nearly sealed the raider's doom, for the sea poured into the ship and she took a list of 15 degrees to port, besides being down by the head. The sea was rough and for a time she was well in danger of floundering on the spot, but her guns continued' to fire and the Otaki was hit four more times before she scored another hit on the Moewe's signal deck. She followed this by putiing a shell into the raider's coal bunkers. A violent explosion followed and the fire in the bunkers could not be subdued. All that night the radier lay helpless.

Commander Jung writes: "Atevery moment we expected either" to sink or to blow up. The deck beneath our feet grew hot, and the bulkheads and part of the hull plating glowed with fierce heat. Our position was desperate. It took us two days to extinguish the fire and stop the leaks. In spite of our three-to-one superiority in armament (actually 6 to one), the Otaki had come within a hair's breadth of putting an- end to our career." The Otaki went down with her colours flying, Captain Smith, having ordered his men into the boats, remained. He was awarded a posthumous V.C.— One of the only two V.C.'s awarded |to the Merchanrt Service during the wai'.