ILLUSTRIOUS SON

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1932, Page 8

ILLUSTRIOUS SON

LIEUT.-COMMANDER SA XDERS. New ZEALAND-BORN. HEROIC AND RESOURCEFUL. It was with the object of perpetuating the name of one of the Dominion’s bravest sons that the Sanders Memorial contest, a competition for both Australian and .New Zealand yachtsmen, was inaugurated in 1921. The contests have been held each year from that date, and their popularity -has in no way waned, but it is a moot point whether the public, which takes such a keen interest in the races, knows anything of the man whose memory they commemorate.

it is now over fourteen years since Lieutenant-Commander VV. E. Sanders, V.U., D. 5.0., R.X.R., went down with Iris ship in the Atlantic on a dark and stormy night in August, 1917, and “left his name to be inscribed imperishably on the .same roil of naval history where stand the names of Blake and Nelson.” danders, Y.G., was honoured by his

Xing, his death deplored, and his deatu extolled by the greatest sailors on earth. There is little doubt that his fame will endure as long as the Umpire ei.vsts, and his name will be honoured by future generations. EARLY DAYS OX THE WAJTKMATA. Lieutenant-Commander Sanders was born at Takapuna, Auckland, and from the Waitemata Harbour received his first lessons in yachting and his great love for the sea. He wa s a modest, retiring boy, having no special advantages; for advancement. His career as a seaman commenced when he joined the Government steamer Hinemoa as an A. 8., and with her visited all the outlying castaway stations and lighthouses on and about the New Zealand coast. /At the age of 26 he gained his extra master’s ocean-going ticket.

In 1915 Rander s volunteered his services to the Royal Navy, but received no acknowledgment of his offer. He then worked his passage to England on t he Huddart, Parker steamer Hepburn, and while in London applied to the Admiralty for a job to serve his country. So doubt his youth and the qualifications he possessed attracted 'the attention of someone, for he was given the rank of sub lieutenant and sent to Falmouth to learn gunnery. He was an apt pupil, and eight months after receding his first commission was promoted 'to the rank ot lieutenant-com-mander, a very remarkable achievement due to outstanding ability.

WITH THE Q SHIPS. He was appointed second in command of 'H.M.'S. Sabina, and shortly afterward was given command ol H.M.S. Prize, with headquarters at the naval base at Milford Haven. The Prize was a decoy schooner, with auxiliary power, and her principal work was to sail, disguised as a merchant vessel, into that part of th. Atlantic where it was known that German submarines were carrying on the r deadly work. The object was to decoy the submarines into attacking tile schooner, allowing them to approach to point-blank range, 'then, uncovering masked guns, sinking them with a salvo,

On April 30, 1917, the Prize sighted a submarine about two miles o“ tile port beam at about 8.‘20 v p.m. r J he submarine, under the command of vo,. 'Spiegler, opened lire on the. Prize, which put her motor out «l action, wrecked the wireless room, and caused much external damage, besides letting a great deal of water into the ship. SU B.W AR I v SU IM '" Throughout thi;. v erriblo punishment 'Sanders and his liien remained tmdei cover at tluir eoneealed guns. Then, alien the submarine stopped tiring San tiers put some of his men overboard, and appeared to have abandon'd his ship in an attempt to decoy Hie Oermaii submarine alongside. With one or two of his officers. .Sanders hid himst'lf behind the guns. When the U-boat came witiiin a distance of 80 yards, Sanders unmasked the guns, and, with the first shot oi the for'ard gun, blow the conning Uiwei of the submarine overboard.,, fins was not before the submarine had firou both her guns and wounded t several more of the crew of the Prize. Sanders then sank the submarine, aim' rowed out, ill a canvas boat and took ■the (ionium commander prisoner along with the engineer.

The Prize, however, was sinking, but lev an ingenious method of shitting ,'evervthing that was o! any weight to the pii, l. side, Sanders managed to sail his little ship hark toward Queenstown ,'! ■■ Icmr. w her lie was sighted by ■two British destroyers, and taken safely to port.

VOX' SIM KOI.KB'S TPIBUTK. The commander of the submarine was so impressed with the comlncL of the icrew of the Prize that when examined afterward, lie said he did no, consider it any disgrace to lie beaten bv ithf Prize, and Ilia; lie could mil have believed il possible lor a ships rnmpanv to be imbued w ith su( li splendid discipline to stand the all I ling with which lie subjected i 1 >' schooner without making any sgii that would give away her line char cter. I.ieiitelialil ('uiiiiiiainler Sand' i s’.s ga! lanl i v on this occasion earned him the Victoria • Voss, an I many d lions were award'd [o I lie olliceis and crew of the Prize. By Ins leilow naval oflieor s ar. Millonl Haven lie was presented with a jewelled sword, and iji.i-. recognition w-j;• made by On; v iv c

HOW SANDERS DIED. During the afternoon of August 14, 1917, the Prize was again in action with an enemy submarine, but on this occasion she was not able to put the U-boat- out of effective action. Practicajly submerged, the submarine followed the Prize until nightfall, and then torpedoed her. All Hands went down with the gallant little sli p. It is thus fitting that Sanders's memory should be kept gi'ccii among the yachtsmen of New Zealand, are that the own r of the winning yaeh. each year may w ell be satisfied to .see the name of his craft engraved upon the beautiful memento of one ol N Zealand’s national furors.