KILLED BY SHELL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 October 1939, Page 5

KILLED BY SHELL

OWNER OF FISHING LAUNCH ENTERING LYTTELTON HARBOUR ~ WARNING SHOT INTENDED FROM BATTERY. EVIDENCE AS TO SIGNALS IN CONFLICT. ,(By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. October 12. Struck by a shot intended by the coastal defence battery in the Lyttelton Harbour to go across her bows, the fishing launch Dolphin sank this afternoon, carrying with her her master and owner. Air Janies Brasell. When the shell exploded, Air Brasell was severely injured, one leg being shot off. and he was unconscious when the launch sank.

The other occupant of the launch, Mr William Willman. Senr Exeter Street. Lyttelton, narrowly escaped drowning. Slightly injured in one leg and a poor swimmer, he clung to a lifebuoy when the Dolphin sank. He was picked up later by the examination steamer. Declaring that no warning of gunfire was given from Battery Point. Mr Willman, when interviewed at his home, where he was in bed suffering from shock, told a tragic story. 'The official statement by the military authorities was that the launch failed to stop when signalled. “The facts are simply these,” said Colonel P. H. Bell, officer commanding the Southern Military District: “The vessel came in and was signalled with both lamp and flag to stop, from the entrance to within 700 yards of the battery. In accordance with instructions,- a shot intended to go across her bows was fired. One man was unfortunately killed and the other occupant of the launch was rescued." “We saw no signal whatever,” Mr Willman reiterated, when the official report was referred to him in the evening.

Mr Brasell was one of the bestknown fishermen on the coast. He leaves a wife, two sons, and two daughters. One of his sons is Mr George Brasell. who won the Sanders Cup for Canterbury on several occasions. INJURED MAN’S COURAGE. ‘■Mr Brasell saved my life,” said Mr Willman, praising the courage of his shipmate. "One of his legs was blown off. and, while I was trying to stop the flow of blood, he told me to take off my own gumboots before I got into the water. "We had been fishing outside the Heads and were coming up the harbour at about eight knots between 2 and 3 o’clock. We could see no sign of the examination steamer and concluded that she had gone into port. Mr Brasell was in charge of the launch and I was steering. “He was always very apprehensive of being fired upon and would take no risks. He told me to steer for the shore battery, and said he would hail them and ask if we could go in. If the men at the battery refused permission, he. said, we would have to wait till the examination steamer came out again. We made toward the battery; we both watched carefully. I was using field glasses and could clearly see some men grouped round a gun and others running down to a little beach. We saw no signal of any kind. EXPLOSION ON BOARD. “We were quite close to the shore when a terrific explosion occurred on board. For a moment I thought that the engine had exploded, but Mr Brasell called: ‘Both my legs are broken.’ A shell had apparently struck between the two of us. "I started to cut away the gumboots from Jim’s legs, which were bleeding terribly. I worked at this for some time, when Mr Brasell pointed out to me that the boat was sinking by the bow. He said I had better take my own gumboots off. I did this, and when I next looked he was unconscious. I could do nothing then, and the launch was sinking under us. I can swim very little. “I called to the soldiers on shore for help and waved to them, but there was no response. As the launch sank the inrush of water carried Mr Brasell into the wheelhouse and engine-room. I stood by him till the launch sank under me, and I climbed the rigging as she went down.” Mr Willman said that after the launch sank he saw one of the lifebuoys floating a few feet to the leeward. There was a good jobble on the water,' and he had a terrible struggle to reach the buoy. He had no idea how long he clung to it till he saw the examination steamer alongside and was picked up. \

INQUIRY ORDERED

MINISTER’S EXPRESSION OF REGRE.T. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An announcement that an immediate inquiry would be held into the whole of the circumstances of the Lyttelton Harbour accident was made last night by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones. To assist at the inquiry Colonel O. H. Mead. D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C., Captain J. P. Joyce, D.C.M., R.N.Z.A., and Lieutenant-Commander E. K. H. St Aubyn, D.S.C., R.N., left for Lyttelton by last night’s steamer express. “This afternoon the examination battery in Lyttelton Harbour signalled to a fishing craft to heave to,” said Mr Jones, in referring to the accident. “Following the failure of the craft to respond to the signal, a shot was directed across her bows, but unfortunately the shot hit the' vessel and she sank. The. owner, Mr J. Brasell, was killed. The other member of the crew, a deck hand, was saved.” Mr Jones expressed his personal sympathy with the relatives of Mr Brasell and the regret of the Government and himself at the incident.