A NAVAL HERO.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 March 1918, Page 5

A NAVAL HERO.

NEW ZEALANDER WftO SANK STTjJ. ■• . MARINES. ' •' / (From Our Own Correspondent.)* Wellington,' March Lord Jcllicoo, in a speech reported by cablegram from London, stated that tho ''■■ late Lieiitenant-Gominniider Sanders, V.C., was (me of the great heroet. of the , -, war." Ho added tlmt the story of tjiis sailor's exploits had not. yet been written. He was Hcnding some information to New Zealand, where the gallant officer Belonged. Lieutenant-Commander William Edward Sunders, V.C., D.K.0., R.N.R, was born in Auckland, where hi* father now resided. He went to sea as a lad, served on the Wapuni, the Hincmoa and tho . Joseph Craig (in which he was wrecked ' on Kaipara bar), and then entered the ' ' service of the Union Steanwhip Company. He gained his first mate's eerti- ' -,< neate while in the employ o( the own. pany. When war bogan Sanders'immediately offered his service-, to the Adair- ' alty. Ho was not given naval employe ment at once, and in the meantime 'U served on ships engaged in tho transport .* of New Zealand troops. .[J In January, Iflle, Sanders was gum- '•'' '1 moned by tho Admiralty to Englan4,*nd ,■' in the following April ho was gwett, Us : commission as a sub-lieutenant of the Royal Naval Reserve. Hia career woe a . '.- onlliunt one, and little more, than a year - V later he was a lieutenant-commander in 'T, control of one of the "mystervsuiiiK* . ' that deal with the encttiv stibinarineg. ' He saw much fighting. Qn November ' », 1010, he wrote to his father: 'llhnce. >',; last writing I have been in action. I lad \- my first brush with the vmmy four days' *«' ago. We had four small engagements* ' and came through ill right. We an.-uut ' '■'■ in port for small repairs and wijl be ' ->■■ away again in three days I can give yw T no details, but you shall hear all about • '; it some day. I have been promoted . ■." lieutenant (acting), and am now second'' ";- in command of this. ship. The officer "' '•) commanding is a New Zralander." '' -i He had Home more to say about Ids ■>„ work in December, 1910, when he wrote: 1 '' l ' "We are now in port for icrnl ov«r- ,'' \ ' haul. The ship lam in u . .oecial rials i'fjjj for patrol work to find the .enemy. ;'•' *'/j are all volunteers on this fignthVg 4bk> -<.,t and picked men. For our last actiffll', '< our commander reccivbdHhc" D.sJo, two D.CM.'s for the crow, I have beta fo recommended twice for the Naval lut so far have not received it. I hate vjf ilso been recommended by our admiM.* .'-* i to have commajid of one of these sbfar, \ ' ii but I may be too young. Still, I bftM,;f' V f had a good innings, and have liad-«? ;,P-j satisfaction of meeting tho enemy twioe. t W»'/ Should our fleet ever get the a fair fight we shall finish them off. T-l U am confident of that. We should all like. ii'-.\ to have Christmas at home, but tie I K enemy must be smashed for all thjw. A'-'l' patched-uji peace is not wanted by Navy or the Army." ',' '*.* The New Zealai'ider's next step in *S'-, , 7j' motion came a little later, "I have beoii' M appointed to command a ship from' February 5, for good work on our last Jiip,"' 4 *'"' he -wrote on March D, 1017. tt X am thb.' f 'r J youngest in commarid of a,'slrip of tbif -*V sort. The enemy submarine w«r is nol' »'XI proving the success anticipated. PRMU .•.'.'& our point of view it has been a faihrres,' '• '>' It is true that they havo sunk fbanyofT *' our merchant, ships, but they haTe'-liwtii *j a large number of submarines," *'' .'-'■• On May 10, 1017, Lieut.-Comjnai«ler. ,*V Sanders wrote that he was in Liverpool ."' enjoyi-ig a rest, which he felt lie needed. "I .have been in another good scrap, atul :,hij| am still living to tell the>tale," he'tajd. ; ,' "I can give you no names, but it -will *'? i give you some idea when I tell you we '& were only t'O yards apart. We ware bad- ' v '. ly holed, and o\ir internal fittings all '.■' ;', smashed up, but the enemy is no more.''*'; Wc arc the victors. My first cokmawL' 1 ' 1 "' has been very successful, :uid it is SOW. '*%? I shall receive my decoration." Am a* pi matter of fact, he ,iiad been awarded' ?Jk the Victoria Cross for splendid gallantry. "."' «j Two months later the New iJcalani ■ '*■' sailor that he luid' beejj woun* ded, and that his woumU wt.it h-aiing ,3 well, "Did I tell you T had a sWord I J given me by all my fellow olfiecre Aji .' *2 the boat, and presented to me by our' • , « vice-admiral?" he wrote. "It is a Upton- ■ did piece of workmanship, all engMved. V}>j ■I should have gone to London on-the i?y| 21st of .this month, to receive the V.O. -'"} % from the King, but h.wo to go to sea, 4 ;-/,jjjj§ to-morrow, and they have consequently put it oif." ■!■**s He wont to sea on what proved to fevJitW his last voyage. A cablegram received/ 1 -'., 1 !* from the Admiralty by his father in. *■'£% j August, 1917, reported that-fie "killed in the North Sea." Just how ha U met his death doea not appear to be known, for the ship he commanded :w»a "jg sunk with all hands by an eflemy mW , M or tor|)e<lo. Tho deed which earned bija i-10 the Victoria Ctosh remains undeseribed ,'•% as far as the naval authorities are coifo" \.'\ eernod. The official statement is tht|(->: 'ffl particulars cannot be supplied until the' ond of the war. But. an indiwition' has) ..'{ been given in a London newspaper,-whteS' *% publislied the following statement- ' y'f'f "Lieuteoant-Commander .Smjlelru t, i, was in charge of an anti-subriarine '; \ craft, which was attacked by the en- '. $ cmy, the, vessel being riddled with shell "'.' and every member of the crew except " t " himslf wounded. Umlaunted, -he •'.; fought the submarine, handled a- gun ,-*' i personally, and eventually sank tbo V^ 1 enemy, in the process killing- thirteen- ffl of her crew and capturing four, Whom, -5-srX he brought prisoners into port. He was xf a also in charge of a vessel which Bant 'MS four V boats to the bottom, so he well earned the undying gratitude and aylmiration of all haters of niarino dsvll->, < '|f The father of tho hero has since' re*', 1 ''^ coived letters from the King, Lord Jelli- 1 -'« cue and the Lords of the Admiralty. The «.-w 'King sent tho following message, beat- j^iS ing his own signature: '.pM "Buckingham Palace, September IS,' $& 1917. It is a matter for sincere *egtet'-??25 to me that the death of Lifnt.-qoib»'' <m monder Williair. E. Sanders, V.C.: M D.5.0., R.N.R., me of, the * \'M pride of personally conferring upon,'*,^ him the Victoria Cross, the greatest of'* *M all rewards for valor and' devotion to' ' ddji duty. (Signed) George R. 1." , , ' , vfl Tho letter from Ixird J-jllicoe, diied,'*?™! August -20, 1917, read as follows: "Par/^ Sir,—Will you pU« fi( . m . Ppt ,„y *<fj sympathy a t the loss of your gallant '.,s son. T have greatly admired his bravery, *^ on tiie occasion of lib jirevious %fct • j& with tho enemy, and it was s>. pl.-sasure -'"^ to see him after that when he visited .^ Dho Admiralty. Although (hero is no 'l'| one living to tell the story, I have no ,'* doubt that ho and all those under bis . .v'. command died fighting with tho utmost .j$ gallantry, and all who arc aware of the' '-'^ cireumetances deptore tho Joes of such '*"£ a brave man. At the end of the v,«r I' f'| hope to send yon some photograpiis '{-I which I know will Ooe of interest to yea, *S and whioh I feel quite sure yon will keep ~ \ fts heirlooms in your family. With my ' "', ihcartfelt regret nt the loss of -o firav* t<j a man and so japd an officer, believe DMu '*£ yours sincerely, Joha.