Fiji Sun

The capture of the German Sea Devil in Fiji in 1917?

- Fijisun.com.fj Jennis Naidu Digital Journalist jennis.naidu@fijisun.com.fj

The German Naval Officer Felix Graf von Luckner was captured in Wakaya in 1917.

Graf von Luckner was also known as Der Seeteuful (Sea Devil). He earned his nickname for his exploits as the captain of the German raider, SMS Seedler. He came from aristocrat­ic family and was known as a count. The Seedler sank 14 allied ships across the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans between January and July 1917, but in August 1917, the vessel ran aground on Maupelia atoll in the Society Islands.

After being stranded, Naval Officer Graf von Luckner with four of his crew sailed to Fiji using a salvaged open boat, Cecilie, in hopes of capturing another ship to return to Germany.

The stranded crew reached the northern Lau Group of Fiji, and stayed a night at an absent plantation owner’s home. Soon after they sailed to Wakaya Island, they sought shelter at an Englishmen’s residence.

A local grew suspicious of the crew being German and sailed off to Suva to raise the alarm. A two-masted schooner arrived on the island, and the Sea Devil arranged passage onboard with the expectatio­n of overtaking the crew once they were at sea.

While loading their gear onboard the schooner, a ship arrived from Suva with an armed officer and four soldiers.

The Germans surrendere­d on September 21,1917.

They were taken to Suva and imprisoned for six days before being sent by ship to New Zealand as Fiji did not have suitable accommodat­ion for the German prisoners.

Count Felix Graf von Luckner

Count Felix Graf von Luckner, born in Hamburg, Germany, belonged to an aristocrat­ic military family.

He was supposed to join his father’s cavalry regiment, but he ran away from home and joined a Russian sailing ship as a cabin boy.

Before the outbreak of World War I, he returned to Germany and joined the navy to become a naval Lieutenant.

About the Now and Then Fiji

‘Now and Then Fiji’ is a group on Facebook consisting of enthusiast­s of photograph­s of Fiji once upon a time and today.

Terry Hulme is the admin of the ‘Now and Then Fiji’ Facebook group. He has approved of the photos and informatio­n from his page.

These two pictures were featured in the Now and Then Fiji Facebook Group.

‘Now and Then’ Facebook group prompts members to respond on the spot and pass on their own experience­s of times and places gone by. If you have old photos in your physical or digital album and would like them to feature in our column, please email them to jennis.naidu@

 ??  ?? THE CAPTURED CREW ON THE SHIP SAILING FROM FIJI TO NEW ZEALAND (BACK: LUDEMANN, PERMIEN, ERDMANN, KRAUSE, FRONT: GRAF VON LUCKNER AND KIRCHEISS). PHOTO: MOTUIHE PROJECT
THE CAPTURED CREW ON THE SHIP SAILING FROM FIJI TO NEW ZEALAND (BACK: LUDEMANN, PERMIEN, ERDMANN, KRAUSE, FRONT: GRAF VON LUCKNER AND KIRCHEISS). PHOTO: MOTUIHE PROJECT
 ??  ?? GERMAN NAVAL OFfiCER FELIX GRAF VON LUCKNER (THIRD FROM LEFT) WITH HIS OFfiCERS AT SUVA PRISON AFTER THEIR CAPTURE IN WAKAYA IN SEPTEMBER 1917. PHOTO: FIJI MUSEUM
GERMAN NAVAL OFfiCER FELIX GRAF VON LUCKNER (THIRD FROM LEFT) WITH HIS OFfiCERS AT SUVA PRISON AFTER THEIR CAPTURE IN WAKAYA IN SEPTEMBER 1917. PHOTO: FIJI MUSEUM
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