An Unrewarded Feat

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1921, Page 4

An Unrewarded Feat

SYDNEY, Nov. 22 •Sub-inspector U. C. Hills, the man who captured, practically single-hand-ed. the notorious sea-raider Aon Lueklier, by one ot the biggest, bluffs on record in the war, is in Sydney ; ami in an article headed “A Neglected Hero,” tlie Sydney "Sunday Times” urges that generous recognition should be made of his plucky lent.

"We, as a nation, are curiously short of memory where our war heroes are concerned,” the “Times ’ says. Hills feat is one of the greatest epics ol the war, vet the hero of the incident to-day is without a job, down to Pis last shilling, ami lias been obstinately refused a |x>niiy-pieee of Hie TlffU prize-money which should lie his legal due. To plead his cause before tlie then Secretary of State for the Colonies, Loi il Mi 11 nor. Mills gave lip a Government job in New Zealand, and worked his way before the must to Loudon. There his ease was laid he foie the great man, who, whilst he would net see him (><■ is. >na 1 i\, .Icpun-.l lie iuivnt.secretary, Mr Jones, to inform him that the claim could not lie entertained because Hills was not a Civil Servant at the time of the exploit, and not a number ol either tlie Navy to Aim.,. Nul only lias Mr Mills, tin tlie milstaudiug service he rcndeied to LG country, received no reward in any shape or Tot in, hut lie "as for months completely stranded in London, and. tiinling himself penniless, was forced to ilia" the unemployment dole lor hG very existence. He lias worked his passage hack again to Australia on the Ban inline, and is off to New Zealand to trv and gig a job m his old Depaitnient- the Customs. Failing this, lie will try in New Guinea or Papua. There is something rotten in the selection ot oiii national honours il such a glaring instance of official ingratitude and meptitmle is to pass iinreinedied.”

Afttr narrating tlio einumstnneos ni the eaplure in Fiji, ulnae Hills was an olticial at tbe time, the article concludes; "A grateful country awarded Hills nothing for this exploit, and he accordingly tiled a claim lor prizemoney (.£1400) on June 27th, IMS, in the .Supreme Court of Fiji. Nothing came of this, and as he could not ulford to ask for a- Royal Commission, be characteristically chucked bis job and went to lieard the lion in his den in Loudon —with what result lias already 1,,.,.,, j,But everyone was not so callous. Hills has with him a heautiInllv engrossed and decorated testimonial 'n album form signed by most of New Zealand’s best known citizens, Tim man who is chiefly responsible for working up interest in this testimonial is Mr 11. E. Partridge, of Auckland, who was the lii st man—in spite of bis 75 vears of age— to lake up Mr Hills s case in New Zealand, and who secured for Hills this beautiful address, which iin pressed even \ iseoiiut .Milner when lII' was shown it. When we consider what Mi Hills’s exploit really meant, how probablv another million pounds worth of damage to shipping in Australian waters and commerce was prevented, it seems that the big interests in Australia might well concern themselves in this case. Von Luckner is regarded as a national hero in Hernia uy, and is enjoying wide popiilaiity and success on a lecture tour. V ith Hills, how different is the case. Ihe conqueror of Yon Luckner, unknown and unrecognised, is striving to get