Naval A Area, Row 1, Plot 14 - a photo on Flickriver

BOAT FOUND.
LOCATED BY 'PLANE.
THREE SEAMEN DROWNED.
FIVE OTHERS RESCUED.
Floating practically submerged, the galley in which three seamen from H.M.S. Leander were drowned yesterday afternoon was located this morning by an aeroplane from the Leander six miles past Rangitoto. It is to be towed back to the base.
The bodies have not yet been found, though a wide area has been covered by motor boat. Police from the Howick. Ellerslie, Wailieke, Queen's wharf and Kohimarama stations have been instructed to keep a look-out. but no actual search party has been organised by the police.
The men drowned were:
Leading Seaman William Forbes, aged 23. single, of Strabane, Northern Ireland.
Able Seaman Alexander M. Paterson, aged 21. single, of Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
Ordinary Seaman Ille C. Tasker, aged 19, of Levin.
Where Galley Capsized.
The capsize took place about ¾ of a mile off Karaka Bay, near Tamaki, during the sailing of the 20 mile race for the Diomede Cup. All but the three men who were drowned were rescued by two men, who had to row a 10ft dinghy three miles in a raging sea, and whose boat, when they had dragged aboard the live men, had a bare 5” of freeboard.
The story of the rescue is best told in the words of Mr. H. H. Partridge. He said he was working in the gully below his house when about 2 p.m. his wife, with the aid of field glasses, saw the upturned boat in the water. By that time Mr. C. E. Tilby had arrived, having come in from the road outside. He, Mr. Partridge and the Rev. H. M. Smyth, who lives nearby, went down to Mr. Partridge's boatshed and pulled out the dinghy.
"The dinghy is fitted with an outboard, Mr. Partridge continued, "but it would not go properly. I ran it until I cracked a cylinder, and then it 'konked out.' That was only about 100 yds from the shore. Then we had to use the oars, and that was no easy job in the sea that was running. As a matter of fact, it was so high that we could not see the men and the naval boat at all. The out going-tide had taken them down towards the East Tamaki head, as it was taking us. We could see nothing until by good luck we saw a gunwale strake.
First Man Rescued.
"Shortly after that we caught sight of the boat itself with the men clinging to it. By the time we got near one of them had let go and was striking out for the shore. We managed to haul him into the dinghy just in time. He was 'all in.' We took him ashore and there left the useless motor."
By the time they had pulled back to the galley one of the men had let go his hold and had disappeared. Numbed with the cold his grip had loosened and he had drowned.
"Even when we were near them it was hard to get them into our small boat." Mr. Partridge added. "In the heavy sea we had to keep to the leeward and to drag them over the broadside of the dinghy, a dangerous practice even in still water. However, we managed to do it.
By the time they had dragged the remaining four aboard their small boat had only 5” freeboard, said Mr. Partridge, and they themselves were in danger of capsizing.
When shore was eventually reached beyond the East Tamaki Head, the men in the dinghy had literally to be dragged out. They were barely conscious. Water was in their lungs. so that when they breathed they made a hoarse, throaty gurgle.
Mr. Tilby Goes for Help.
Mr. Tilby, he said, had gone for help; and in the meantime Mr. Partridge did what he could to get the water out of the men's lungs. Then he shifted them one by one to a more sheltered position, out of the wind. One of the men he said, was in such an exhausted condition that Mr. Partridge thought he would die.
While Mr. Partridge and Mr. Tilby had been rowing out to find the galley. Mrs. Partridge had telephoned land Harbour Board telling them what had happened and impressing on them the gravity of the situation.
When Mr. Partridge had done what he could, be waded round the rocks, up to his waist in water, to a place which could be seen from the direction in which help was likely to come, and there managed to light a fire. Guided by the blaze the Harbour Board's launch Waitemata came as close in as possible, launched its own small dinghy, and the seamen were taken aboard. There, wrapped in rugs and given hot tea to drink, they soon began to revive. Then the Waitemata. with Mr. Partridge on board, and towing Mr. Partridges dinghy made the trip hack to the Naval Base and put the men ashore there.
Position of the Naval Vessels.
Mr. Smyth, interviewed this morning, said that the cutter which capsized was the last in the race to pass across Kanaka Bay.
He had seen it making the long leg into the bay and then when he looked again, it had disappeared. He said he saw the arrival of the Waitemata about 4.30 p.m. but the vessels from the Naval Base did not come anywhere near the scene of the accident. One of them came down a little past Brown's Island and then went back again and rejoined the other. They seemed to hold some sort of a conference and then away they went back up the harbour.
But by that time the rescue work had been done well down past the eastern point of the bay.
Two St. John ambulances were sent to Buckland's Beach. After finding that the rescued men were aboard the Waitemata, the ambulance men picked up the seaman who was the first to be taken ashore and carried him in a stretcher to the ambulance, which took him to the naval base.
The harbourmaster, Captain H. H. Sergeant, referring to the capsize, said this morning that as soon as he received the message from Mrs. Partridge he passed the information on to the naval base and continued to do so whenever he received anything fresh from Mrs. Partridge, who kept in close contact with him.
Then, when the Waitemata was free from pilot duties, and when it could be located, he dispatched the vessel to the scene. That would be about 3.30. or perhaps nearer 3.40. Further, he kept in communication with the launch by means of wireless from Mount Victoria.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19371001.2.94

THREE DROWN
NAVAL TRAGEDY
LEANDER RATINGS
CAPSIZE OF CUTTERS
OTHER CREW ESCAPES Three naval ratings were drowned and 13 others had narrow escapes when boisterous weather on the harbour yesterday afternoon capsized two naval cutters, from H.M.S. Leander and H.M.S. Achilles, taking part in the annual 20 miles sailing race for the Diomede Cup. The conditions were so bad that the race had to be abandoned. Those who were drowned were:—
Leading Seaman William Forbes, aged 23, single, of Strabane, Northern Ireland.
Able Seaman Alexander M. Paterson, aged 21, single, of Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
Ordinary Seaman Ille C. Tasker, aged 19, single, of Levin.
Leading Seaman Forbes and Able Seaman Paterson are both Imperial ratings and have no relatives in New Zealand. Both Seaman Tasker's parents are dead, but he has a sister in Auckland. All three men were members of the crew of H.M.S. Leander.
Launch Sent To Rescue
Both cutters were capsized within half an hour of each other during sudden squalls. The cutter from the Leander capsized and was swamped about three-quarters of a mile from Karaka Bay, near Tamaki, about two o'clock. Watchers on the shore observed the crew clinging to the overturned boat and word was sent to the naval base, the Auckland Harbour Board's launch Waitemata being despatched from Devonport.
No Sign Of Victims
In the meantime Messrs. H. H. Partridge and C. C. Tilby put out in a 10ft. dinghy from Karaka Bay. They saw five men clinging to the upturned cutter, but by the time they reached it Able-Seaman Sergeant had been washed adrift and was striking out for the shore. A warrant officer and four men were picked up and taken to the Waitemata, which had arrived in the meantime, and the dinghy was then put about to rescue the man swimming ashore. Unfortunately, there was no sign of the three remaining members of the crew who had been obliged to loosen their hold on the boat. The four men on the Waitemata were taken to the sick bay on the Leander, and their condition is giving no cause for concern.
Second Mishap Occurs
Two St. John ambulances were sent to Buckland's Beach, but were able to get only within half a mile of the spot where Seaman Sergeant was taken ashore. Stretcher-bearers clambered over the rocks to Karaka Bay only to find that the men had been rescued and were on the Waitemata. They picked up Seaman Sergeant and carried him to one of the waiting ambulances, which took him to the Devonport Naval Base.
About half an hour later another cutter, from H.M.S. Achilles, capsized while tacking off Bastion Point and the crew of eight was thrown into the water. There was a high sea running and the men had great difficulty in clinging to the boat. Several times the wind caught the sail of the boat, forcing them to swim clear. The strong flood-tide and the high wind forced the boat toward the shore.
Suffering From Exposure
By the time a naval whaler reached the men they were barely more than 100 yards from the Tamaki Yacht Club's slipway. All the men were suffering from exposure and were immediately taken to the casualty department of the Auckland Hospital in St. John ambulances. They were given hot drinks and a change of clothes and were then taken to Devonport. Although still suffering from exposure, none was in a serious condition last night. Conditions were so boisterous that the race was abandoned and six of the 16 boats competing in the race had to be towed back to the naval base. The cutter which was swamped off Bastion Point was taken ashore and made fast between the Tamaki Yacht Club's boathouse and the Mission Bay wharf, but no trace was seen of the*, other craft which capsized. Other boats had meanwhile put out from Devonport to take part in the search for the bodies of the three men who were drowned. The search was continued until dusk, but without success.
Boat Ashore on Bean Rock
While returning to Devonport after tho search had been abandoned, one of the pinnaces went ashore off Bean Rock at about 8.15 last night, but was not damaged. Another boat came to its aid and stood by. It was anticipated that the stranded craft would be refloated and would be back at the base at an early hour this morning. Naval boats will resume the search for the bodies to-day.
CONDITIONS ON HARBOUR
STRONG WESTERLY GUSTS
SUDDEN RISE OF WIND
Rising in the late morning a strong and boisterous wind from the west swept down the Waitemata during the day. Seas were not heavy, but a difficult chop made conditions trying and tho squalls and gusts general with westerlies whipped sudden flurries over the harbour. Karaka Bay was exposed to the full force of the wind coming from one of the most searching quarters experienced on the Waitemata. Yachtsmen familiar with the harbour regard a westerly as probably the most treacherous wind with which they have to contend. Late yesterday afternoon conditions had not eased and continued to hamper search parties. The course of the annual race for the Diomede Cup was from the Devonport Naval Base, round Motuihi and Brown's Island and back to the starting line. The crew of the ill-fated cutter at the time of the mishap were tacking off Karaka Bay on their homeward journey in the face of the westerly wind. The weather was fairly boisterous at the start of tho race at nine o'clock yesterday morning, but the comparatively sudden rise in the strength of the wind caught the cutters when the contest was on its last stage.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19371001.2.39

HARBOUR TRAGEDY
NO TRACE OF BODIES
EXTENSIVE SEARCH MADE
CAPSIZED BOAT LOCATED
SIGHTED BY AEROPLANE
No trace was found yesterday of the bodies of the three naval ratings who were drowned when a cutter from H M.S. Leander capsized in the harbour while participating in a naval race on Thursday afternoon. The tragedy has cast a gloom over the naval base. Apart from the activities of the Auckland Harbour Board's launch Waitemata, an extensive search was conducted by four craft from the naval base as soon as word of the accident was received on Thursday. There were four motor-boats engaged in the search, two from H.M.S. Leander, one from H.M.S. Achilles and the Admiral's barge. All these craft were out between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Thursday and their efforts were abandoned only when conditions were such that it was futile to continue.
Men's Heroic Efforts
With the reticence characteristic of the Navy, those who were involved in the mishap had little to say yesterday as to what transpired, but it is known that heroic efforts were made to recover the men by their comrades at great risk to their own safety and every avenue was exploited by the searchers later.
At 9 a.m. yesterday a motor-boat left H.M.S. Leander in search of the lost men and the missing boat. It was led to the upturned boat at Karaka Bay by the seaplane from H.M.S. Leander. which had located the craft. The floating wreckage was taken in tow and was brought to the naval base at Devonport about 2 p.m. yesterday. It was found that most of the gear had been lost in the severe buffeting.
Efficient Ratings
The three victims were popular with the men and were efficient ratings. Seaman Ille Tasker, who came from Levin, was considered a very capable member of the service. A tragic feature of his death is that he contributed to the support and education of his sisters, as his mother died some years
ago. The police department is co-operating in the search for the bodies and constables at Howick. Kohimarama and Waiheke are keeping a look-out. Assistance is also being rendered by the harbourmaster's office and the Marine Department.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19371002.2.64

4/10/1937
NAVAL FATALITY
BODIES NOT YET FOUND
GEAR WASHED ASHORE
MEMORIAL SERVICE AT SEA
Although parts of the gear and fittings from the boat have been washed up on beaches, no trace has been found of the bodies of the three naval ratings who were drowned when a cutter from H.M.S. Leander capsized in the harbour while participating in a naval race on Thursday afternoon.
Searching by launch has been discontinued, but police at Waiheke Island, Howick and Kohimarama, assisted by local residents, are keeping a close watch on the beaches. One of the cutter's oars was found at Awaroa Bay, Waiheke, on Friday, while later the same day a boom, sail and rudder were washed ashore at Ostend, five miles from the scene of the accident. A sailor's cap was found on Surfdale Beach late on Saturday afternoon.
A naval Court of inquiry was held on the Leander on Saturday under the presidency of Commander C. B. Tinley, officer in charge of the Devonport naval base. Other members of the Court were Lieutenant-Commander D. L. Johnston, of H.M.S. Achilles and Lieutenant C. A. C. Duckworth, of H.M.S. Leith. The Court's finding will be forwarded to Rear-Admiral the Hon. E. R. Drumniond, commodore commanding the New Zealand Station.
The Leander will leave for Napier at eight o'clock this morning, and, at approximately 10 o'clock, when the warship is in the Hauraki Gulf, a memorial service will be conducted by the squadron chaplain, the Rev. C. B. Ellis, of the Leander.
The loss of the New Zealand rating, Ordinary-Seaman N. C. Tasker, was deeply felt by officials and children of the Dingwall Presbyterian Orphanage at Pnpatoetoe, where he had lived for over five years prior to entering the Navy. Three of his sisters and one brother are still at the orphanage. "He was a fine lad, with many fine characteristics," said the superintendent of the orphanage, Mr. V. French, yesterday. Tasker was one of the first batch of children to enter the orphanage when it was opened in 1930. He was educated at the Otahuhu Technical High School and early in 1935 worked on a farm in the Albany district. He joined the Navy as a seaman-boy in September, 1935.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19371004.2.123

14/10/1937
RECENT NAVAL TRAGEDY
ONE BODY RECOVERED
FOUND ON BROWN'S ISLAND
The body of Able Seaman Alexander M. Patterson, who was one of the three naval ratings drowned off Karaka Bay, near Tamaki, during the Diomede Cup race on September 30, was found on the western shore of Brown's Island yesterday' morning. An inquest will be held this afternoon, and the naval authorities expect the funeral will take place to-morrow.
Mr. A. G. Patterson, caretaker on the island, was making his rounds when at about 10 o'clock he came across the body. Shortly after that the Northern Steamship Company's ferry boat Hauiti passed, and Mr. Patterson hailed the master and asked him to report the discovery to the police.
As soon as the police received the information they communicated with the Naval Base at Devonport, and in due course a naval launch was sent to recover the body. The launch arrived back shortly after three o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Able Seaman Patterson was an Imperial rating, and had no relatives in New Zealand. He and the two other men, Leading Seaman W. Forbes and Ordinary Seaman Ilie C. Tasker, who were drowned when their cutter capsized, were members of the crew of H.M.S. Leander.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19371014.2.101

NAVAL FUNERAL
HARBOUR TRAGEDY
ABLE-SEAMAN PATTERSON
A naval funeral for Able-Seaman Alexander M. Patterson, one of the three ratings drowned off Karaka Bay, near Tamaki, during the Diomede Cup race on September 30, was hold at Waikumete Cemetery yesterday morning. Able-Seaman Patterson's body was found on the western shore of Brown's Island on Wednesday morning.
Prior to the graveside ceremony a service was conducted by the port chaplain, the Rev. H. K. Vickery, in the Mariners' Chapel at the Flying Angel Missions to Seamen, where Able Seaman Patterson's body had rested overnight. At the cemetery the service was conducted by the senior chaplain at the naval base, the Rev. G. T. Robson, of H.M.S. Philomel. There was a large attendance, and many wreaths had been sent.
Bluejackets from various ships lined the entrance to the cemetery and, after the cortege had passed, marched with their officers to the graveside. Following the service, volleys were fired by a party from H.M.S. Achilles, and the Last Post was sounded.
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19371016.2.156

THREE LOST.
HARBOUR VICTIMS.
CAPSIZE OF CUTTER.
STORY TOLD AT INQUEST.
HEROIC RESCUE EFFORTS.
Tragedy on the Waitemata Harbour on September 30 was recalled at an inquest held at the Devonport Naval Base thie afternoon, when the story was told to the city coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, of the drowning of three seamen from H.M.S. Leander as a result of the capsize of a naval cutter near Karaka Bay.
The victims were Leading Seaman William Forbes, aged 23, single, of Strabane, Northern Ireland; Able Seaman Alexander M. Paterson, aged 21, single, of Dumfriesshire, Scotland; and Ordinary Seaman Neville C. Tasker, aged 19, of Levin.
The harbour was in turbulent mood on the afternoon of September 30, the occasion of the sailing of a 20-mile race for the Diomede Cup. Two of the cutters overturned one near Bastion Point and the other between Karaka Bay and Brown's Island, off the mouth of the Tamaki River. It was the latter capsize which ended in tragedy.
Splendid rescue efforts, which were recognised last week by the award of Royal Humane Society bronze medals, were made Mr. H. Partridge and Mr. C. E. Tilby, who went out through the rough seas in a 10-foot dinghy and succeeded in rescuing five of the cutter's crew of eight.
Three of the seamen disappeared, however, and it was nearly a fortnight before the body of one, Able Seaman Peterson, wae found on Brown's Island. On October l9 the body of Seaman Tasker was found near Buckland's Beach, while the third body, that of Leading Seaman Forbes, was discovered on November 7 near Islington Bay, Rangitoto.
Inquest in Gunroom.
The inquest was held before Mr. Hunt in the gunroom of the Leander, which is at present in the Calliope dock. Senior Sergeant Dunsford represented the police, Mr. Hubble the naval authorities and Mr. E. Jenkins relatives of Seaman Tasker.
Lieutenant C. L. M. Scott, who was in charge of the Leander's cutter, said about I6 boats were competing in the race. There were no lifebelts or lifebuoys in the galley, he told Mr. Jenkins. The regulations did not require them to be carried at that time, and at present they were usually carried only in very stormy weather.
Cold Water and Rough Sea
Mr. Jenkins: Don't you think it was the cold water that caused the men to lose their lives more than any inefficiency in swimming?
Witness: The cold and the rough sea.
Mr. Jenkins: Had a launch been among the fleet the risk of loss of life would have been minimised?—l think that is so.
Does a launch ever accompany boats in any such race on the Auckland Harbour?— Not to my knowledge.
To Mr. Hunt witness said it was not usual to take lifebelts in boats which could float when they were swamped.
Lifebelts, he added, were unpleasant things to swim in and they would tend to cause exhaustion sooner. He did not think they would have been of much effect on this occasion. He had had a lot of experience in boats. (Proceeding.)
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19371209.2.97

DEATH OF NAVAL RATINGS
AUCKLAND TRAGEDY INVESTIGATED
SURVIVORS ACCOUNT OF CAPSIZE
CORONER'S COMMENT AT INQUIRY
"There is little doubt that if any more of these races are held quite early in the season a better look-out will be kept," said the Coroner, Mr F. K. Hunt, at the inquest which was held on H.M.S. Leander into the deaths of three naval ratings who were drowned when a galley from the Leander, competing in the annual Diomede Cup race, capsized in the Waitemata Harbour on September 30. A verdict was returned of accidental death.
The victims of the tragedy, which occurred off Karaka Bay, were Leading Seaman William Forbes, aged 23, Able Seaman Alexander Montgomery Paterson, aged 21, and Ordinary Seaman Neville Clutha Tasker, aged 19. At the inquest Senior-Sergeant Dunford represented the police, Mr V. N. Hubble appeared for the naval authorities, and Mr Jenkins for the relatives of Tasker.
Lieutenant Scott, of the Leander, who was in charge of the galley which capsized, said the sea was perfectly calm when they left the Philomel at the start of the race at 9.53 a.m. After the turn they were separated from the rest of the boats, and he was delayed by having to reeve a new main-sheet. When well to the windward of Brown's Island passage a squall hit them, and the seas increased considerably. On the port tack the boat took in several seas over the lee gunwale.
Lieutenant Scott said he gave orders to lower both sails, and with the oars put out smartly they pulled so as to present the boat's quarter to the sea. Although the water now reached to the thwarts, the oarsmen pulled strongly until the galley was pooped by a great wave, and the boat slowly turned over, lying in the trough of the seas.
Boat Rolled Over
"Without great difficulty I got all the crew on to the boat, and we attempted to swing it to the south," witness continued. "When the mast had fallen out, however, the boat rolled over and over, and although this could be controlled between squalls, during the worst gusts, which must have occurred every 10 minutes, it was impossible to see or, in my case, to hold on at all. When men were washed away by the squalls they were brought back by the united efforts of the others."
Lieutenant Scott described how Paterson and Forbes disappeared in heavy seas, and said that at East Tamaki Head he allowed another member of the crew, Able Seaman Sergeant, to attempt to swim to the shore, as there did not appear to be much other hope. When he was 100 yards away he was picked up by two men in a dinghy, and very wisely they returned to land with him, while witness and the remaining members of the crew struggled against the fiercest seas of the day. In returning to pick them up, the men in the dinghy showed exemplary seamanship, and great presence of mind.
Answering Mr Jenkins, Lieutenant Scott said neither lifebelts nor lifebuoys were in the galley, and the regulations did not require them to be carried. They were taken only in very bad weather. To his knowledge it was not customary for a launch to accompany sailing boats taking part in a race. A man in a launch with a telescope could have seen the capsized galley at no greater range than 50 yards.
Mr Jenkins: The man at the tiller of the launch could have moved about continuously, and have kept the boats under observation.
Witness: It would have been a big job for one launch, although he could have sighted them from time to time.
Answering the Coroner, Lieutenant Scott said it was not usual to take lifebelts in boats that floated when they were swamped. He thought he was in the water for about an hour and a half before being saved, and had it not been for the timely arrival of the dinghy, the loss of life would most certainly have been greater.
Similar evidence was given by other members of the galley's crew.
Rescue by Dinghy
The steps taken to rescue the surviving members of the galley's crew by the launching of a dinghy from St. Heliers were described by Charles Edward Tilby, of Ellerslie. end Harold Henry Partridge, of St. Heliers. They said that after seeing that the boat was in difficulties, they took out a dinghy, fitted with an outboard motor, but when 200 yards from the shore the engine ceased to function, and they had a hard row of 25 minutes before picking up Sergeant. Returning to the shore, they removed the motor, and rowed back to the overturned galley to assist the remaining survivors.
Partridge said his wife, when she saw the galley had overturned, telephoned the Auckland Harbour Board office, and asked them to send a boat.
The Coroner: Has anyone heard anything about this?
Mr Jenkins: A launch did go down, but very much later.
Mr Hubble: The first intimation received by the naval authorities was very much later. Apparently some confusion was caused by the fact that another boat had capsized near the Tamaki Yacht Club's premises.
Signalman on Watch
Lieutenant-Commander Lloyd said a leading signalman had been stationed at Mount Victoria throughout the day to keep an eye on the boats, and a power-boat was held in readiness for any emergency. It was not the practice to carry lifebelts in galleys, nor to send launches to follow a race. The signalman had reported the capsize off the Tamaki Yacht Club's premises, and two emergency boats were immediately sent down there; but the fatal mishap he had not reported.
The Coroner: He could not see it
Witness said he would not like to say that. However, after glancing at the chart he said he could see no reason why he should not have seen the mishap.
The first news of the capsize was received from the harbourmaster, and two power-boats were immediately dispatched, being followed by the third when it returned from its earlier trip.
After hearing evidence relating to the finding of the three bodies, the Coroner said there was little doubt that if any more races were held quite early in the season, a better look-out would be kept. He commended the efforts of the members of the crew to assist their comrades after the capsize, also complimenting Tilby and Partridge on the bravery and spirit they had shown. Their courage, he said, had already been publicly recognised.
A verdict was returned that the deaths of the three ratings were due to drowning, caused by the accidental swamping of the galley.

Plot 14: Alexander Montgomery Paterson (21) 1937
A.B.
A. M. PATERSON
H.M.S. Leander
died (anchor) aged
30.9.1937 19 yrs

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