£40,935 IN PRIZE BOUNTY

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3021, 7 March 1917, Page 6

£40,935 IN PRIZE BOUNTY

MONEY TALES OF THE NAVY'S SILENT WORK. Between March 27 and December 31 claims for bounty were heard in the Prize Court for tho destruction of 23 enemy ships. The total bounty awarded was .£40,935, awards ranging from to The total awarded indicated SlB7 officers and men on board the enemy vessels at the beginning of the engagements in which they were cither captured or destroyed. The highest award was ,£12,160 in respect of the sinking of four German warships in tho Falkland Islands battle.

Not the least of the daring submarine exploits to come before the Court was the destruction in the Sea of Marmora and tho Dardanelles of three Turkish warships by E 11. with a loss of 866 men to the enemy. Tho bounty awarded was .£4330, and by the scale of sharing tho commander (Captain Eric Nusiiuth. who received the V.C. for his exploits) received ,£SBO lis. Other officers each received .£306 6s. 6d.. and each able seaman ,£76 Is. Gd. This was one of tho largest share-outs of bounty dnrinj the year to individual crews. Whon"in6n lose their lives in the capture or destruction of enemy warships the bounty award is given to the next-of-kin.

In comparison with these modern awards it is interesting to recall that after the Battle of Trafalgar, Nelson received .£18,517 13s. 6d. as his share of bounty, and that his four subordinate admirals (Collingwood, Northesk, John Knfcht, and Thomas Louis) each received .£'1629 Bs. 4d. But Parliament thought; the prize bounty insufficient recompense and voted i£300,000 lor the Fleet.