New Zealand

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 97, 30 March 1916, Page 5

New Zealand

H.M.S. PHILOMEL, j INTERESTING LETTERS FRCJJM THE COMMANDER. » Wellington, March 29* "The inspecting officer of t|je Navy has seen the ship, and - maw some quite complimentary remaris about her,? ? says Captain HallTThom|>son, commanding the Now ZealanH cruiser Philomel, in a letter to tie Minister for Defence. "He said thjjt she was remarkably clean and efficient for her ago, that the shipps company wore clean, smart, and welldressed, and they were a v6ry finr looking body of men. The ship angl her crew are a credit." Captain HalbThompson ' mention)* in a further letter, a very plucky a<|l performed by a member of the cref of the Philomel, able seaman /rank Kivell, who is a volunteer from Ncf Zealand. A cutter from the ship wa| attempting to communicate with t|?| shore at ——, in heavy weather, anfl was swamped. Kivell saved life iinf der conditions that called for exceji tional courage. , K | j Captain Hall-Thompson says: "Com| nuinication with the shore was ur| j gently necessary. The boat was tol| to anchor outside the surf and endeal vor to communicate by means of naf tive canoes. -Soon after - the anchored, in fourteen feet of water,,a succession of steep waves completely'' swamped her and the canoes coming 'off were upset. The majority of the i men were washed out of the boat and 'had to swim for the>hore ; in a heavy i breaking surf, A.B. Kivell being among the number; A.B. Anderson, jwho was attending to the anchor, is a (weak swimmer, and n? left in the .boat bnving been severely buffetted land washed right alcrg.to the stern of the boat. He had entirely lost his head, and states that-be. knows very little of what happened. Seeing this, when he got ashore,. Kivell at once started back. The heavy breakers made this a very hazardous proceeding which the strongest swimmers in the crew state they would; not have cared to nave undertaken; On to ,vav to the boai feell j ';f<«md A.B. Castell in difficuHifl, W * a ™g at " tempted to float afore * a mast and had got his foot entangled Ln the rope gear. Kivell dived and* cleared Castell's foot,\eing?|struck' by s»*>** on coming to the surface *otwith standing this he proceeded to the boat and rescued Anderson, who « helpless, and made things much more difficult by clutching Kivell by the neck and nearly drowmn* -him. Hoover, he successfully brought Andexson ashore, and I consider xt was entirelv due to this man's pluck and Lnces that no lives were los, lie ccmmend that his f -ices be Q nised bv the award of the Koyai Sumane Society's life-saving medal.

CASUALTY LIST. { ■ Results of Court of Inquiry ,fin<| J m fiikd in Mou4 j teTaifles?.. Troopers J. W, Hanging R Johnstone 1 : 3 " -<--—'- { Previously reported missing, now reasonable to suppose killed m action | -Otago Battalion: Private W. Jett ries H. S. Bruce, D. Burnett ■M. \ Sneoe A J. Gray, Corporals R. J. . S A MePherson, Privates F. T C RUev F S Sprott. C. K. Wiffia, T. Riley *. »• f e Davies , I HW. Dixon. R. B. toiims^, ' •, I F M.Jenkins, R.Tuiwey,G.Hende- , son, 3. Winters G. A. E | Murray, H. M.Currie, - Tnnes R- Johnstone, W. Monro, a. v. i RX^R.M^Kay^-^nson. CASUALTIES TODATE OVER 8000. , Wellington, March 29. j The total casualties of •*£**£ Zealand Expeditionary Force trtl March 27. was 351 officers and RW j. men, made up as follows:- • „ m D ; ad -Officer s 124 men 2000 Missing-Officer, 12, men 168 Prisoners-Officers ml, : men |% 1 Wounded-Qfficers 215. men <>2l2.