COUNT VON LUCKNER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1815, 18 April 1918, Page 3

COUNT VON LUCKNER.

ANTECEDENTS AND CAREER,

An Auckland Star reporter has been given by Mr W. B. Leyland, who was interested in the escape of the Germans in so far as the capture of his firm’s boat, the Moa, was concerned, an account of a conversation he had with Von Luckner on the steamer, which had captured the Moa.

Count Von Luckner began to talk freely of his antecedents and career. He said his mother was an English woman, her name before she married Von Luckner’s father being Lady Barrington. He also said she was a distant relation of Queen Victoria. Von Luckner claimed to have been in the battle, of Heligoland, where he was wounded badly. In the latter action the H.M.S. New Zealand pumped shells at the ra,te of 15 in the same number' of seconds into his ship, which was blown clean out of the water, and then sank. After he was hurled into the sea a British destroyer hove to, obviously to pick him up, but, seeing a mine, sheered off, and Von Luckner had the luck to be rescued by a German destroyer shortly afterwards. He was removed to a hospital, jyhjep.e lie remained for a lengthy period. While the Count proved himself an interesting conversationalist, Mr Leyland got the impression that he was inclined , t 0 talk rather freely. Mr Leyland noticed jfhnt an ardent and keen man in the ad venture w/is Lieut. Kirehless, who probably had fo do with the escape than he ■WAS with.

At the presept time( adds the Star) it is practically impossible to get direct information to verity the Count’s claim to connection Avith tho Royal Family, but it is felt that the placing on record of his statements in the matter will he of public interact