“Seaman J. T. Moreton was 25 years of age, and had seen about ten years service in the Navy. He transferred, into the Philomel from the Psyche in order to remain on the New Zealand station, as his people came to the Dominion in 1910. They reside at 22. Willow street, Oxford terrace, Christchurch. His father is a military pensioner of the 2nd Norfolks and saw service in India for about 30 years. A brother of the deceased was once in the Navy, but has resigned. Another brother, Mr F. W. Moreton, lives at 22 Willow street.” [The Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13700, 12 February 1915, p 5]
“Able Seaman William Edward Knowles became one of the first New Zealanders to die in the First World War as a result of enemy action, following an ambush by Ottoman forces outside Alexandretta (İskenderun) on 8 February 1915. … Knowles, a 38-year-old naval reservist from Lyttelton, was serving on New Zealand’s first warship, HMS Philomel, as it patrolled the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early 1915. At 4 p.m. on 8 February a landing party consisting of Knowles, 14 other ratings and two officers was sent ashore to intercept a mule caravan heading towards Alexandretta. As it moved inland, the landing party was fired upon by an Ottoman force of approximately 100 men who were waiting in ambush. In the ensuing skirmish, Knowles was badly wounded in the abdomen.
The landing party retreated back to the shore under covering fire from the Philomel, which sent more than 100 shells onto the Ottoman positions. During the retreat Able Seaman William Stanbury, an Englishman, was killed outright by Turkish rifle fire as he carried the wounded Knowles. The party took cover in a dry riverbed close to the shore until nightfall and then returned to the ship under cover of darkness. Knowles died of his wounds on board Philomel at 12.55 a.m. and was buried at sea.
Another New Zealand naval rating, Able Seaman John Moreton, died a few days later from wounds he had received in the 8 February skirmish.“ [Source: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/page/action-alexandretta-sees-nzs-first-death-... Accessed: 26/06/2023] [Bold added to text - NZWGT]
