Loss Of John Williams V

THE 200-tons London Missionary Society’s auxiliary schooner, “John Williams V” was lost off Savaii, Western Samoa, on December 24. She was shortly to be sold, following the com missioning of “John Williams VI,” now on her maiden Islands voyage.

The schooner went ashore at 2 a.m. on Christmas Eve. The officers and men abandoned ship and spent 24 hours in the lifeboats before being picked up by the Apia harbourmaster, who had gone out in one of O. P. Nelson and Co.’s tugs.

It is believed that “John Williams V” hit a reef off Savaii. Master of schooner was Captain Stanton Page who piloted the American landing at Tarawa, during the war, because of his intimate knowledge of the Gilbert Islands. “John Williams V” cost only £15,000 when she was launched in 1930 but was worth more than that to the LMS to-day, “John Williams VI,” launched last August, cost £74,000.

Mr, A. L. Ethell, formerly of the Papua Administrative Service, and more recently a planter in the Milne Bay district, has gone to Western Australia to take up the position of Superintendent of the Moore River Aboriginal Station, about 100 miles from Perth. He will be under the direc tion of Mr. S. G. Middleton, who is now Commissioner of Native Affairs, in West ern Australia, but who formerly was a valued member of the Papuan Public Service. Another former member of the Papuan Service who has joined Mr Middleton is Mr. Saunders, who was a member of District Services in Port Moresby.