A WAR EPIC INSPIRED THE GRANTING OF OTAKI SCHOLARSHIPS

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 287, 8 August 1957, Page 8

A WAR EPIC INSPIRED THE GRANTING OF OTAKI SCHOLARSHIPS

With the recent visit to Taupo of John Mowat, 1957 Otaki scholar, comes the question: What was the origin of the Otaki Scholarship? It stems from an epic of World War Oue, as toki by Hector Bywater in the London Daily Telegraph. On March 10, 1917, a heavily armed German raider, the "Moewe," commanded by Count Dohna-Scholdien, sighted the New Zealand Shipping Company's freighter "Otaki," commanded by Lieutenant Archibald Bis-sett-Smith, R.N.R. en route from London to New York. The "Moewe" signalled the "Otaki" to heave to, but Captain .Smith paid no attention. 1-Ie held to his course at his best speed, which was 15 knots. As the British ship ignored a shot fired across her bows, the '"Moewe" opened up on her with two six-inch guns and one four-inch gun. The "Otaki" instantly replied with her one small gun, the shell pitcliing short. Then the enemy's six-inch shell s began to drive home. Two pierced the ti it 1 1 below the gun, but it remaiued in actlon and soon scored a hit on the "Moewe's" waterline forward. This shot nearly sealed the raider's ioom, for the sea poured into the ship and slie took a list of 15 degrees to port, besides being down by the head. Her guns continued to flre and the "Otaki" was hit four times inore before she scored another hit on the "Moewe's" signal deck. She followed this by putting a shell into the raider's coal bunkers. A violent explosion followed and the fire in the bunkers could not be subdued. The "Otaki" went down with her ,'olours flying. Captain Smith, having ordered his men into the boats, remained. • He was awarded a postliumons Y.C., one of the only two Y.C's iwarded to the Merchant Service during the war. To commemorate this gallant actlon lie relatives of the late Captain Smith provided a fund to enable an annual iward to be made to the pupil of Robert GordOn's College (his old school) wbo proved pre-eminent in diaracter, leadersliip and atbletics. On hearing of this award, the New Zealand Shipping Company decided to add to the commemoration of the action of one of its sliips by providing the vvinner of the shield with a free return passage to New Zealand. When these facts hecame known to the New Zealand Government, it was decided that the winner of the Otaki Shield should be given free rail and service-car transport and accommodation at State hostels. This enables the winner to make a comprehensive tour of New Zealand while the ship is in New Zealand waters.

As a scholar is a partial guest of the Government, the Internal Affairs Department is responsible for the iteneray. One town that is always visited is Otaki, where a civic reception is held.