The Taking Of The

Komet

Men of 20 Years Ago

By Henry Dexter

IN the September number of the P.I.M.* “Auna-Auna” says that Tommy Powles was present during the dispute that ended, later, in the death of “Handsome Harry,” at Port Moresby.

This is not correct; but it recalls an in teresting story.

Tommy was in the employ of partner and self at the outbreak of war. We were all three employed on the destroyers for a period, but Tommy remained on board when the others left.

Thomas Mariner Powles, to give him his full name, had been on the coast for some years. He and a partner (Hector Wales) at one time owned the Niue and Lotus, two useful coasting ketches. This venture ended in the stores closing down on the vessels, caused by too-hospitable treatment of visitors and passengers.

Tommy 'took part in the capture of the small German war-vessel Komet. A store keeper named Whitehead was also con cerned in this adventure; though neither are mentioned in the very condensed record given of the capture in the Govern ment Gazette, dated October 15, 1914. The paragraph runs as follows: —

Capture Of The “Komet.”

“The expedition, which was despatched by the Administrator, under the command of Lieut.-Commander J. M. Jackson, R.N., on board H.M.A.S. Nusa on the Bth of October, with instructions to search the North Coast (of New Guinea) and cap ture the Komet, which vessel was believed to be in that vicinity, returned to Rabaul on the 13th idem., having met with com plete success. The Komet was located and surprised early on the morning of the 11th, and was captured without opposition, having on board one Q.F. gun, and a com plete wireless outfit. The prisoners in cluded the Captain, 4 German officers, and a native crew of 52 persons. A detachment of Infantry, with one machine gun, under Lieut.-Col, Paton, accompanied the ex pedition. The Komet is now in Simpson hafen, flying the British Naval Ensign.”

Doubtless, among the readers of the P.1.M., some can dot the i’s and cross the t’s of the story. At the time, we heard that the final discovery of the Komet was made by a few Europeans, in a small steam pinnace.

Suddenly rounding a bend in the river, they saw the German vessel close to them.

There were a few native sailors on her deck. To turn the pinnace would mean that the German Commander would be aware that his hiding place had been dis covered, and he would quickly scuttle the smaller boat.

It must have been a dramatic moment when the pinnace quietly ran alongside.

The native crew were locked in the for’castle and their caps were placed on the heads of the native crew of the pinnace.

The German Commander was found, standing in front of a mirror in his cabin, shaving. He turned, to find himself look ing into the barrel of a revolver.

In answer to a question, he said his officers were ashore shooting pigeons.

When they returned unsuspectingly, with empty guns on their shoulders, it was a simple matter to secure them.

Steam was raised, and the vessel brought down the river, A very filthy white ensign, taken from the pinnace, was flown at the masthead, over the German eagle.

Tommy’s services were rewarded with a commission, and he was made second in command of the vessel, which was re named the Una. I saw her recently; she is doing her bit in the pilot service at Mel bourne.

With regard to Tommy’s further adven tures, one would like to write something on the lines of “From Powdermonkey to Admiral” but it would be fiction.

At Samarai, Tommy landed in all the glory of gold braid, with short naval sword.

Lovey Clunn, who will be recalled by all oldtimers, asked him, “What he was doing with the scrub knife!”

In Samarai, Tommy engaged unwisely in festivities. He offended similarly at the next port. A third reprimand carried with it his retirement from the service.

Some time later, I had a letter from the late John MacDonald, who told me that Tommy was harbourmaster at one of the Queensland ports, and had settled down as a highly esteemed citizen.

The Nusa is now the property of Steam

ships Trading Co., and is running on the N.E. coast of Papua.

Hector Wales found gold-digging in the Mandated Territory much more profitable than running the Lotus Lovey Clunn is the young lady who was shown a picture of Lord Nelson, portrayed with the empty sleeve. When asked if she knew who it was, she replied: “Oh, some silly old chap who has been shooting fish, I suppose.’’

“Auna-Auna” writes: “Those were the days! The men they’ve got now are not the men they had.”

I wonder! Surely, while we have young men of the quality of those who have re cently made Southern readers “Islands conscious,” we need not fear to compare them with men of the past.