LOSS OF THE APARIMA.
TORPEDOED JN ENGLISH CHANNEL.
FIFTY-EIGHT MEN MISSING.
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.
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, Penholm, Adams, Davis, Shakespeare, Millward, the second engineer (W. B. Hirst), the third engineer (H. A. Gunn), the fourth engineer (H. H. Barrs), the fifth 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 of the 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. The Union Company-states that the crew of the Aparima when she left New Zealand consisted of the master, four officers, seven engineers, 50 cadets, two wireless operators, seven able seamen, three stewards. In addition she carried two Chinese and two lascars on deck, 40 lascars in the stokehold, and 16 lascars as stewards, a grand total of 115. Of these, 26 Europeans and 31 lascars were saved, leaving 28 Europeans and 30 lascars missing.
PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT.
The Prime Minister stated regarding the Aparima, "I regret to have to announce that news has come through to the effect that the Aparima has been torpedoed in the English Channel and has been sunk. There were no passengers or troops on board. We feel, as the relatives are already being communicated with and the news of the sinking of the vessel has been made known, and as statements that all hands have been lost are already in circulation, it is better to publish the facts."
THE SHIP'S OFFICERS.
The following is a list of the ship's officers: Captain -J. G. S. Doorly, R.N.R.; chief officer, Mr H. 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, one of the Union Company's most capable officers, was formerly the navigation instructor on the Aparima.
LIST OF CADETS.
The following cadets were serving on the vessel: — V. H. Annandale, D. Williams, W. R. Scantlebury, W. H. Williams,, J. O. Every-Clayton, T. E. Bevan, J. J. Murray, J. K. Mackenzie, C. B. McDonald, L. J. Massey, R. J. Marshall, 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.
Mr C. B. McDonald, whose name does not appear amongst those cadets who were saved, was a son of Captain McDonald (marine superintendent for the company).
Mr W. J. Bannatyne, whose name does not appear amongst those saved, was an Otago High School boy. He stayed at the rectory, and left the school at the end of June to join the vessel as a cadet. He was a son of Mrs E. Bannatyne, Waikouaiti, and was in his 17th year.
THE VESSEL.
The Aparima was designed specially for the overseas trade, and was built in 1902 at Dumbarton by Messrs W. Denny and Bros. She was a twin-screw steamer of 5704 tons gross, and was fitted with wireless telegraphy and refrigerating machinery. Her principal dimensions were: Length 430.5ft, breadth 54.3ft, depth 28.5ft. On her maiden voyage the Aparima took a number of horses from Fiume, Austria, to South Africa for use in the Boer war. From Africa she went to Calcutta and while on her way to New Zealand a fire broke out, which was extinguished at Albany. Since then the vessel has been regularly employed in the overseas trade carrying wheat between Australia and Europe, where she visited Venice, Naples, and Barcelona among other ports. The Aparima was selected as the cadets' ship when the sailing vessel Dartford, which is again being refitted for the sea, was considered to have become unsuitable for the purpose.
(From Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, November 23
The Aparima was used as a troopship by the New Zealand Government for the first two years and a-half of the war, but it was then the opinion of the military authorities that the vessel was too slow for this work. When the Defence authorities had done with her she was loaded with New Zealand produce and sent to London. This cargo she discharged safely, but while she was in the port of London the Aparima was requisitioned by the Imperial authorities and despatched to a destination of which the New Zealand Government has not been advised. It was when outward bound on this voyage that the ship met her fate in the English Channel.
MISSING MEMBERS OF THE CREW.
In connection with the sinking of the Aparima by an enemy submarine, the names of those who have been saved were published yesterday. Following are the names of the European members of the crew who are missing: —
OFFICERS. Chief, H. A. Daniel, Newcastle, New South Wales. Second, G. McDonald, Stornoway, Scotland. Wireless, R. P. Millington, Auckland.
ENGINEERS. Chief, T. Rogerson, Gore.
STEWARDS. Chief, T. J. Mackie, Capetown. Second, W. Christian, Liverpool.
BOATSWAINS. F R. Perry, Barking, England. R. J. Ferris.
CADETS. W. H. Williams, Auckland. Colin B. McDonald, Dunedin. J. K. Mackenzie, Auckland. S. A. Newton, Melbourne. R. J. Marshall, Westport. L. J. Massey, Gisborne. J. G. Smith Waihiku. A. H. Marshall, Kaitangata. D. O. Hoare, Christchurch. A. M. Ramsay, Roslyn. P. M. M. Townsend, Mornington, Victoria. A. B. M. Stacey, Newton, Melbourne. W. J. Bannatyne, Waikouaiti. G. R. Bargrove, Christchurch.. J. M. Proudfoot, Christchurch. W. Shaw, Greymouth. G. W. Chalmers, Siayescourt. Tasmania.
In addition there are 30 Lascars not accounted for.
The first officer of the Aparima, Mr Harry Daniel, was 29 years of ago. He was born and educated at Kaitangata, where he was well known. His parents are dead, but a cousin, Mrs T. Johnston, resides at Wangaloa.
Adam Houliston Marshall, oldest son of Mr Donald Marshall, of Kaitangata, joined that vessel about two years ago as a cadet. He was 17 years of age, and was born at Alexandra. His parents removed to Kaitangata five years ago, and young Marshall was educated there. -Otago Witness, 28/11/1917.
Mr A. M. Ramsay, whose name does not appear among those cadets who were saved from the Aparima, was the eldest son of the late Mir Ramsay, inspector of machinery in Dunedin, and Mrs Ramsay, who lives in Bruce street, Roslyn. He was a cadet on the Amokura, and as a result of his fine work there was transferred to the Aparima. The missing lad was educated at the Arthur street School, Dunedin. -NZ Times, 28/11/1917.
IN MEMORIAM
FOR THE EMPIRE'S CAUSE
RAMSAY. — In loving memory of Alec. Ramsay (late cadet s.s. Aparima), who was killed through enemy action, November 19, 1917.
—Inserted by his mother, brothers, and sisters. -Otago Daily Times, 19/11/1919.
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