COMMODORE BLAKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 223, 20 September 1929, Page 8

COMMODORE BLAKE.

TAKES OVER THE SQUADRON.

DISTINGUISH!! OFFICER.

SURE HE WILL LIKE NEW ZEALAND

Punctuality, in addition to being the politeness of princes, is also a habit in the Navy and the Dunedin arrived in the harbour this morning precisely at halfpast nine—the schedule time. Commodore Geoffrey Blake, D.5.0., was on board, arriving in command of the New Zealand Squadron of the Royal Navy, having taken over in Wellington from Commodore Swabey on September 10. It was an ideal morning for anyone to make the acquaintance of Auckland, fine bright weather, with the Waitemata living up to its name.

As the flagship drew level with Devonport eleven guns boomed out from the saluting battery at the Calliope dockyard, and the flagship replied. The smoke had hardly been blown away by the westerly breeze before the Dunedin was alongside the Sheerlegs wharf, and was tied up with the smartness one always associates with the Navy. As she passed the Philomel alongside the pier the crews of both ships were at quarters, marines drawn up in (line, sailors at their posts, bugles sounded, and then the flagship's band struck up a lively tune.

The flagship had a remarkably smooth run up from Wellington. At this time of the year, getting near the period of the equinox, sailors expect dirty weather in spite of the fact that meteorological people say there is no connection whatever, but there was hardly a breath of wind the whole way up the coast.

Commodore Blake received a call this morning, shortly after the ship berthed, from Commander Nelson Clover, H.M.s. Philomel. This afternoon the commodore is making his first official calls on the Primate (His Grace Archbisnop Averill), the Mayor of Auckland (Mr. Ceorpre Baildon), and the chairman of ' '*(* Auckland Harbour Board (Mr. M. H. Wvnyard), which will be duly returned.

New Zealand has been very fortunate in the officers who have commanded the squadron. Lord Jollicoe, it will be remembered, was Governor when the scheme was launched, and since its inception it has been under men with distinguished naval careers. Commodore Blake lias been looking forward to coming to New Zealand because he has heard so much about it from Lord Jollicoe. He was with the great admiral in the Tron Luke as gunnery commander from 1914 to 1017. and since Lord Jellicoe's return to England has seen a good deal of him. Commodore Blake said this morning that Lord Jollicoe was still tremendously interested in the Dominion, and was still remarkably active and busy. "From what Lord Jollicoe told me I knew I should like Now Zealand." said the commodore, "and from the little I have seen, I am sure of it."

The commodore entered the Navy in 1597, and after serving as gunnery commander in the Tron Duke, lie was in the Queen Elizabeth, from 1017 to 1019. From 1919 to 1921 he was Naval Attache to the U.S.A.. and his most recent office was that of Director of the Royal Naval Staff College.