CAPTAIN RETIRES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 954, 23 April 1930, Page 13

CAPTAIN RETIRES

30 YEARS WITH UNION COMPANY WAR-TIME REMINISCENCES When the trans-Pacilic cargo steamer Waiotapu, now at Auckland, reaches Wellington, its commander. Captain D. Todd, will retire after So years’ service with the Union Steam Ship Company. Captain Todd's reminiscences of war time, when the carrying of troops was a hazardous business, are highly interesting. In the Great War he had command of the Tahiti and the Tofua when they were employed as troopships. In the Tofua, men of the 6th. Sth, 10th and 32nd reinforcements were taken from New Zealand to Suez and men of the 13th, 18th and 25th reinforcements to England. In 1918. when the Tahiti was on its way to England with 1,200 New Zea landers, an influenza epidemic broke out after Sierra Leone had been cleared. Almost everyone on boaru suffered and Captain Todd, although he was ill too, remained on long watches because many of his staff were so severely affected that they could not take duty. The epidemic swept through the 13 steamers of the convoy and 30 died on the escorting warship. When the Tahiti brought American troops from New York to Liverpool, it was found that they were not required, as the Armistice was declared two days after they landed. The Tahiti was used to repatriate troops and she conveyed 1,600 Imperial men from Bombay to England. Captain Todd, who was boru in Dunedin, went to sea at 18. He served on overseas sailing vessels, including the Villalla, Star of the East, Handa Isle and Clansman. After joining the Union Compauy Captain Todd was officer on & num ber of intercolonial and coastal steamers. In 1895 he took command of the Wainui and later commanded the Te Anau, Talune. Wanaka, Navua. Poherua, Tofua and Tahiti. In 1922 at brought the new motor-ship Hauraki from Scotland to New Zealand and commanded it, as vrell as the Waihenm and the Waikawa, in the trans-Pacitb service.