In comparison with other naval officers who have served on the China Station, Captain J, Wolfe-Murray, whose death was announced yesterday, was probably not special ly well-known here, As Flag-' Captain he had important duties to perform, and these he conducted admirably, but ill-health prevented his frequent appearance in public. His service, however, during the war was notable, He was gunnery, officer of H.M.S. Cornwall, which was part of Admiral Sturdee's squadron which went in search of ral von Spee, and on that memorable day, December 8, 1914, was in the fire control station of his cruiser from about 9 a.m,, until 12 hours later. The German squadron got off with a two-hour start—the British cruisers being in the process of coaling at the time and then had to raise steam—and when the British ships were able to leave the Falkland Islands the Germans were mere specks on the horizon. H.M.S. Cornwall's job was to tackle the Leipzig, and under the direction' of Lieut, "Wolfe-Murray, as he then was, the Cornwall fired over 1,000 shells, and the sur vivors of the Leipzig confessed that an enormous number of the shots took effect. The Leipzig was not sunk until 12 hours after the British men-of-war-had gone in pursuit of her, and one may well imagine the strain there was. upon the man
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.