Captor

Death Of Von Lugkner’S

MR. H. C. HILLS, who as a police officer stationed in Levuka, Fiji, was responsible for the capture of Count Von Luckner, during the 1914-1918 war died in Auckland on March 4 at the age of 65.

Von Luckner was in command of the German raider Seeadler, which was wrecked on an island in the Society Group. With five of his crew, he travelled more than 2,000 miles in the ship’s launch to Fiji. The narty reached Wakaya, where they were seen by Cap tain Kini Macpherson, of the cutter Eleaner A.

He reported to the authorities at Levuka that he was sure that the six men in the launch at Wakaya were Ger mans. He was told to go back to Wakaya to watch developments. Meanwhile the steamer Amra arrived from Taveuni, and Mr, Hills with a party of Fijian police went aboard and set out for Wakaya.

The Amra lay across the passage to prevent Von Luckner’s launch from get ting away, and Mr. Hills and his police men set out in the ship’s boat to inter cept Von Luckner and a companion who had been on shore when the Amra appeared. Von Luckner surrendered without opposition, but later was ex tremely annoyed when he found that Mr.

Hills’ revolver whs not loaded and that the Amra was not armed. He himself had a machine gun, thousands of rounds of ammunition, grenades and rifles on his launch.

He said afterwards that he thought that the square ports in the bows of the Amra were gun-ports. They were actually spaces left to give air to the cattle being carried on board.