Rogerson of the Aparima, 1874(?)-19/11/1917.

Photo: Auckland Museum.

SPECIAL EDITION. 

APARIMA TORPEDOED IN ENGLISH CHANNEL

LOSS OF LIFE FEARED. 

[Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, November 23. The Prime Minister has been advised that the Union Company's steamer Aparima was torpedoed in the English Channel. There was a severe explosion, and she sank in five minutes. It is feared there was loss of life. 

The vessel was bound from London to New York. 

LIST OF SAVED. 

WELLINGTON, November 23. The Prime Minister received the following cablegram from London this morning: — "I regret to advise you that the Aparima was torpedoed in the English Channel, and sank in five minutes. The following were safely landed:— Captain Doorly, the third officer (Mr Cooper), the wireless operator (Mr Vipan), the boatswain (Mr Johnson), Seamen McIntyre, Fox, Dwyer, McKinnon, Cadets Annandale, Clayton, Scantlebury, David, Williams, Sutherland, Murray, Bevan, Denholm, Adams, Davis, Shakespeare, Millward, the second engineer (W. B. Hirst), the third engineer (H. A. Gunn), the fourth engineer (H. H. Barrs), the 5th engineer (N. S. Fleming), the sixth engineer (J. J. McKeegan), the seventh engineer (H. H. Mays)." Thirty-one lascars were also saved, and as all the boats were accounted for in the cable it is feared that there is little hope of any further survivors. The ship was struck aft, and the explosion was so severe that it is believed it accounted for the majority of the casualties. There have been no changes in the personnel of the crew since the vessel left Auckland. The directors of the Union Company desire to express their deep sympathy with the relatives, officers, cadets, and crew who lost their lives by an act of the enemy. The Aparima was taken over by the British Admiralty some time ago. At the time, she was torpedoed she was on her way from London to New York. 

THE OFFICERS AND ENGINEERS. 

The following is a complete list of the officers and engineers:—Captain, J G G Doorly, R.N.R.; chief officer, Mr K. A. Daniel; second officer, Mr G. McDonald; third officer. Mr A. M. Cooper. Chief engineer, Mr T. Rogerson; second, Mr W. B. Hirst; third, Mr K. Gunn; fourth, Mr H. H. Barrs; fifth, Mr M. F. Fleming ; sixth, Mr J. J. McKeegan; seventh, Mr Mays. The wireless operators were Messrs A. F. Vipan and R. Millington, and Mr J. Mackie was chief steward. Mr Daniel, chief officer, was one of the best-known and capable officers in the Union Company's service. He was at one time instructor in navigation on board the Aparima. Mr C. McDonald, one of the cadets on board the ill-fated vessel is a son of Captain Coll McDonald, marine superintendent for the Union Steam Ship Company at Dunedin.

CADETS. 

The following New Zealand cadets were serving on board: — V. H. Annandale, W. H. Williams, W. R. Scantlebury, W F Williams, J. O. Every-Clavton, T. E. Bevan, J. J. Murray, J. K. Mackenzie, C. B. McDonald, L. J. Massey, R, J. Marshal, E. Sutherland, J. G. Smith. W. S. Shakespeare, A. B. M. Stacey, S. A. Newton, E. J. L. Adams, A. H. Marshall, A. H. Denholm, D. O. Hoare, A. M. Ramsay, P. M. M. Townsend, J. M. Proudfoot, W. H. C. Millward, W. J. Bannatyne. G. W Chalmers, G. R. Bargrove, W. Shaw, T. H. J. Davis.

BUILT ESPECIALLY FOR OVERSEA TRADE. 

The Aparima was one of the finest cargo vessels in the Union Company's extensive fleet. She was especially built for the company by Messrs W. Denny and Bros. at Dumbarton in 1902, for the Calcutta and oversea trade. She was of 5,704 tons gross register, and was fitted with refrigerating machinery and wireless. She was a twin-screw vessel, with a length of 4,355 ft, breadth 54.3 ft, and depth 28.5 ft. On her initial voyage the Aparima proceeded from Dumbarton to Fiume, on the Adriatic Sea, where she loaded horses for South Africa at the time of the Boer War. She then went to Delagoa Bay, where she loaded for Calcutta. At the Indian port she loaded eastern merchandise, and while en route to New Zealand a fire broke out amongst her cargo. The vessel put into Albany, where the fire was extinguished before any very serious damage had been done to the ship. Since that time she has been successfully employed in the Indian and oversea trade. For several successive years the Aparima loaded wheat cargoes at Melbourne for various European ports. On one occasion she discharged at Venice and Bari, and on another occasion at Barcelona and Naples. It was usual after these trips for the Aparima to proceed to Calcutta and load Eastern merchandise for New Zealand ports. For some time since the outbreak of war she has been engaged on a special service. When the ship Dartford was discontinued as a training ship the Union Company had the cadets placed on board the Aparima for training as officers. She was particularly adapted for this purpose, in view of her world-wide travels.  -Evening Star, 23/11/1917.

PERSONALS

Chief engineer Mr Thomas Rogerson, of the Aparima, reported missing, was educated in the Clutha district. He was apprenticed to the engineering trade in Dunedin, and later joined the U.S.S. Company and traded to the Islands. Subsequently he was engaged in the West Coast coal trade. He was transferred to the Aparima about 12 years ago, and was engaged in the Calcutta service, when the vessel was taken over by the Imperial authorities. Mr Rogerson was about 43 years of age, and unmarried.   -Sun, 27/12/1917.

SHIPPING

A motion of sympathy and condolence with the relatives of those who lost their lives in the recent sinking of the Aparima was carried in silence at the last executive meeting of the Wellington branch of the Institute of Marine Engineers.  -Evening Star, 1/12/1917.

ROGERSON. On November 22, as the result of the sinking of the s.s. Aparima in the English Channel, Thomas Rogerson, chief engineer, dearly-beloved eldest son of Mr S. Rogerson, Gore. Wellington and Auckland papers please copy.   -Otago Daily Times, 4/12/1917.

Mr S. Rogerson, "Mount Pleasant," Gore, has received a letter from the general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd., giving additional details of the torpedoing of the Aparima, by which Mr Rogerson’s eldest son, who was chief engineer, lost his life, says the Ensign. The letter is based on additional information received from the company’s London office and states; “At 0.52 a.m. on Monday, November 19, while the Aparima was on a voyage to a port in Wales, a violent explosion occurred in the after part of the ship. It was intensely dark at the time, the sky being heavily overcast, but the wind was light and there was only a slight sea. A thorough look-out in all sections of the ship was being kept at the time, but nothing could be seen. The stern was blown off, and the ship shook heavily with the concussion. The occupants in the vicinity could only have met with instant death. The water rushed in, and the vessel began to settle down by the stern. The crew were at the boat stations immediately, and four boats and a life raft were got away. As the vessel settled down the water advanced with great rapidity from the stern forward, and the vessel sank at 1 am., i.e., eight minutes after being struck. The lifeboats cruised about in the vicinity and were successful in rescuing three men.

. . . Your son got into the engine-room as soon as the explosion occurred. Mr Gunn (third engineer, and Mr McKeegan (sixth engineer), were with him trying to close the tunnel water-tight door. They got it half-closed when the water came through. Your son said, ‘You can do no more, lads; get on deck.’ He was seen to get up the ladder outside his cabin on to the boat deck and was last seen looking down into the engine-room skylight. The master of the vessel reports in the highest praise of his men, who under the most difficult conditions performed their duties faithfully to the end. He states that there was no sign of panic, and the fact that four boats were cleared away and lowered within five minutes on the darkest of nights with the ship sinking rapidly beneath them speaks more loudly than words can express, and also that those who were saved undoubtedly owe a debt of gratitude to the fine assistance rendered by those who have made the supreme sacrifice.”   -Southland Times, 12/2/1918.

A STORY OF THE SEA.

TORPEDOING OF THE APARIMA.

 AN ENGINEER'S EXPERIENCE. 

Mr C. Illingworth, of Mataura, has received a copy of the ‘Mount Morgan Chronicle,' containing an account of the torpedoing of the New Zealand transport and training-ship Aparima in the English Channel last November, written by his nephew, Mr Maurice Mayo, who was an engineer on the ship, to his parents, Mr and Mrs H. A. Mayo, of Mount Morgan, Queensland. Mr Mayo sen., was at one time conductor of the Gore Brass Band. The writer says: — 

We left London for a port the other side of England on Saturday, and were getting along nicely. On Sunday I put in both my watches and had just come up from below, and several of the boys came into my cabin for a yarn. About 13.45 a.m. I was talking to the fourth engineer (the other having left for bed) when all of a sudden there was a fearful crash, as if another boat had run into us. The poor old boat shook from stem to stern, I got into my uniform and picked up my handbag, in which I had my watch, tickets, papers and money. When I arrived at the engineroom everyone had come up, as the ship was filling rapidly. I asked the chief if there was anything I could do, but he was too excited to speak. The sixth engineer, who was on watch at the time, told me to come with him to a boat, as we could do nothing. We both got into the boat; the boat was level with the deck then; so you can see we had very little time to spare. We were no sooner in the boat when it capsized and all hands were tipped into the sea. My, the water was cold! — 54 degrees. I managed to free myself, and climbed on top but soon was rolled off again by the ship sinking. I sank some distance, and on coming to the top again found my boat just handy. Only a few were left, the second mate, a cadet, myself and some lascars. After a few minutes the mate called out to me that he could see the submarine. It took me some time to see it, when suddenly it appeared, carrying a red light on the port side and cruising round among us. I was too busy to watch it, as the poor cadet went mad and jumped overboard and about an hour afterwards the mate told me he was done, and fell back into the sea. I was then the only white left, and expected to go every minute. However, I plucked up and began to yell for help — this kept me warm. The poor lascars were very cold and were dying all around me; it was impossible to do anything to save them because if I moved the boat would roll over again. After the poor mate went I had 20 lascars with me, and at day light (six hours later) I had only six; the poor fellows were dying like flies, and their cries were most pitiful. Just after daylight, a steamer passed us. I waved them to go on as I did not think it would he wise for them to stop, the submarine being about. She sent for help, as the patrol boat soon arrived. Another boat was drifting near us, and I found out later it was one of ours. The men on the patrol-boat were very good to us — made us coffee and put me to bunk. We were then transferred to a steamer, where I met our second engineer, Mr W. Hirst, with four cadets and several lascars. They were all very wet and cold, but had not been capsized. I fared the worst of the lot, as our boat kept rolling over and over every time the sea caught her broadside on. We must have turned over two dozen times during the night. The steamer took us to Weymouth. I had to be carried about, as I had lost the use of my legs. The British and Foreign Institute took us over and gave us dry clothes and tea. We were then sent on to London and had to wait four hours on Paddington Station for someone to meet us. The ladies of the Soldiers’ Buffet were most kind and gave us hot milk, etc. They would not let the Institute, take me away, as I had lost the use of my legs and voice, they very kindly got a motor-car and drove me to a hospital. The nurses and doctors soon got to work, and next day I began to feel that I had a body left. I really had felt as though my body had gone and left just my head — I had been up to my neck in water for seven hours. My doctor is Sir John Broadbent, so you know I am in good hands. The Union Company has given us money and paid our board, so I am all right. We engineers have been very lucky. The only one to perish was our chief, Mr Rogerson. We carried three deck officers, and two were drowned. Our poor cadets suffered the worst. Just fancy, only eight survivors out of 80, and most of them between 10 and 20 years of age! I am feeling all right now, and hope to be out soon. I have been nine days in bed; the rest has done me good. We are to get a first-class passage on to New Zealand in a few weeks’ time: then I will have another rest and give some of the other fellows a chance to see what Fritz can do.”  -Mataura Ensign, 5/3/1918.

Clinton Cemetery.

Wyndham Cemetery.