ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 53, 4 March 1925, Page 10

ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE.

PROGRESS IN AUCKLAND.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECRUIT.

A further step has been taken towards the formation of the Auckland Division of the Naval Reserve, by appointing the following commissioned officers: —

Lieutenant C. H. T. Palmer (acting Lieut.-Commander), divisional staff officer; Lieutenant G. V. Connolly, (acting Lieut-Commander), company commander; Lieutenant R. P. Nisbet, •D.S.C. (acting Lieut. -Commander), company commander; Lieutenant G. W. Horaley, company officer; Lieutenant M. S. Kirkwood, D.S.C, company officer; Lieutenant W. T. Edney, company officer: Lieutenant G. E. L. Alderton, company officer; Lieutenant R. P. H. Mays, company officer; Lieutenant E. C. Alexander, company oSker; Lieutenant C. C. Harrison-Smith, general duty; Lieutenant W. J. Connors, general duty; Lieutenant R. E. Fry, general duty; Lieutenant P. P. Crawford, general duty; Lieutenant A. G. Carnahan, general duty; Lieutenant O. W. Carter, general duty; Paymaster-Lieutenant J. C Hewson, accountant officer.

All these officers saw active service in the Imperial Navy during the war, and the practical experience gained in gunner.v, navigation, mine-sweeping, etc., will be of the greatest possible value in training the new recruits. The officers appointed for general duty have all been selected to act as instructors in special subjects, such as mine-sweeping, gignalling. etc., in which they have had special training. The Auckland Division, as a whole, will be under the command of Commander J. R. Middleton, D.5.0., R.N.V.R., whose appointment was gazetted in November last.

A call for recruits to the division was issued in a recent "Gazette" notice. Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 30, be physically suitable, and of pure British descent on both sides. Preference will be given to those who have yachting experience.

The training will be on similar lines to the Territorial training as regards number of drills, etc., but the courses of instruction, etc., will be almost entirely on nautical matters. They will comprise 4in gun drill, small arm drill, mine-sweeping, signals, knotting, and splicing, pilotage, boat work, etc. All men selected for the R.N.R. (class D) will be entirely free from all obligatory military service, so long as they icarry out the necessary number of drills. In the event of hostilities this naval reserve will be used to provide gun crews for our merchant ships, for mine-sweeping, and for local defence. The first call is for 120 men, and there should be no difficulty in obtaining that number from the younger yachtsmen of Auckland. Auckland has been selected for the formation of the first division of the reserve on account of this being the naval base. Until the necessary experience has been gained, H.M.S. 'Philomel will be able to assist most materially by lending the instructors, stores, etc