N.Z. NAVAL DIVISION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 210, 5 September 1930, Page 8

N.Z. NAVAL DIVISION.

report; on operations.

DOMINION RATINGS TOTAL 380

ARDUOUS WORK IN SAMOA

(By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday,

, A report compiled in an extremely formal manner, covering in bare detail the activities of the New Zealand Naval Forces, was presented to Parliament to-day..

There .are 380 ratings on the active list who have been recruited in New Zealand, ,and 289 of these are serving in ships of the New Zealand Division, 45 are undergoing training in Eng'nnd and 46 are serving jn ships of the iiperial Navy in Home waters, awaiting the return of H.M.s. Diomede to New Zealand. .The Volunteer Naval Reserve : comprises 924 officers and men.

Bare reference is made to the visit to Western Samoa of H.M.s. Duuedin in connection with the Mail disturbances last January. The Dunedin arrived at Apia on Sunday, January 12, and a conference was immediately held on shore, the result of which was that two seamen platoons and a Royal Marine platoon were landed.- The seaman platoons remained ashore until the conclusion of operations on March 12, and the Royal Marino platoon remained after the departure of the Dunedin on March 13. During the whole of that period the conduct of the 150 men on shore was excellent, and they all worked under most .trying conditions, both night and day, with most willing cheerfulness. On the whole the health of the ship's company was good, except for a large number of cases of septic bites and sunburn, which occurred among. men on shore, and several cases of influenzal catarrh and debility on board, as the result of lack of exercise, no leave being possible under the circumstances. • The Dunedin sailed from Apia on Thursday, March 13, and carried out a full power trial on the passage, attaining an average of 27.7 knots, after ten months out of dock.