COUNT VON LUCKNER.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 April 1918, Page 5

COUNT VON LUCKNER.

"' ' OF MOTUIHI ESCAPE. ANTECEDENTS AND CAREER. Interest in the recent history of Motuihi Island will live in the history —and especially in the .war history — of New Zealand. Small matters relating to the dramatic attempted escape of the Germans prisoners continue to be revived, and, while some Of/ the stories cannot be given much credence, other particulars are at least 'sufficient to form free topics of conversation. Yesterday an Auckland "Star" reporter was 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, ah account of a conversation he had with von Luckner on the steamer which had recaptured '• theMoa "jvCount von LuekiJer /began 'ta talk freely of his antecedents amicareer.-* ' , .■ ••"-;

■ 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 dis-tant-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 rate 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 where he remained for a lengthy period. |While the Count proved himself an interesting conversationalist. Mr. Leyland got the impression that von Luckner was inclined to talk rather freely Mr. Leyland noticed that an ardent and keen man in the adventure was Lieut. Kirchiess, who probably had more to do with the escape than he was credited for. At the present time it is practically impossible to get direct information to vertify the Count's claim to connection with the Royal Family, but it is felt that the placing on record of his statements in the matter will be of public interest. —Auckland "Star."