SERVICE NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 15, 19 January 1933, Page 20

SERVICE NOTES.

NAVAL ACTIVITIES.

MOVEMENTS AND PROMOTIONS

NEW SELECTION SCHEME. (By a Special Correspondent.) LONDON', December 8. On retiring from the Navy Commander G. F. W. Wilson, D.5.0., has been given the rank of captain. Captain Wilson, who left the Navy at liis own request, went to sea 41 years ago, served in the battleship Marlborough in the Grand Fleet, the first year of the war, and subsequently commanded the sloop Zinia. It was while in command of the Zinia that he won the D.5.0., for services in connection with operations against enemy submarines. He was promoted commander in 1920, commanded the sloop Clematis 111 the Red Sea for a year, was executive officer of the cruiser Brisbane, Australian Fleet, commanded the Rosemary in the Fishery Protection Flotilla, 192*8-30, and was latterly in command of the cruiser Canterbury ill the Nore reserve.

The admiralty lias notified the Fleet that in- accordance with the new scheme of training and selecting ratings for advancement in the Navy commissioned rank the option of qualifying educationally under the old or new schemes for selection by the Fleet Boards has ceased —the transitional period having passed —and that in future candidates will require to qualify under the new scheme. Up to date 20 men have been able to take advantage of the new order of things and reach the ward room without being in the intervening grade of mate — now abolished: The next higher educational tests will be held 011 the first four days of March, 1933, and March 0. The subjects to be taken are: General knowledge, English history, geography, navigation (1), military topography, navigation (II and III), practical mathematics, mechanics, magnetism and electricity. The examinations for the engineering branch of the service will be held 011 February 21 to 24 for the rank of sub-lieutenant (E).

It is said that the prospect of an agreement between France and Italy on naval armament is more likely than it has been for some month/5. The chief question now is France's superiority in obsolete warships. A parity between the two countries in modern vessels, demanded by Italy, already exists, but France, while agreeable, to parity in the Mediterranean, wishes to retain the 230,000 tons of old ships that she possesses in other waters in excess of the Italian Navy. She claims that she must look after her greater colonial communications.

The cruiser Curacoa, which is returning to Portsmouth from the Mediterranean—having been replaced by the Delhi as flagship of the Third Cruiser Squadron—will pay off into the Portsmouth Reserve with reduced complement till the middle of February, when she will ibe brought forward for trooping service to China. The Despatch is to be sent to the Mediterranean to take the place of another C cruiser in the Third Squadron. Captain the Hon. E. R. Drummond, M.V.0., has been appointed to the command of the Despatch as from January 2 next. Another command selection is that of Captain S. St. L«ger Moore, who will take over command of the battle cruiser Queen Elizabeth on January 3 next.

H.M.s. Hawkins, Captain T. S. V. Phillips, flagship of the Vice-Admiral M. E. Dunbar-Nasmith, V.C., Commander in Chief of the East Indies Station, is. cruising towards the Persian Gulf and should be in a useful position if the Shah of Persia persists in hie attitude in connection with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company concessions. The flagship is taking the place of the Effingham, which returned home recently, and is on her way to her station, which includes the Persian Gulf Division, on which we maintain four sloops for patrol and police duty and a special service ship for the senior naval officer of the division. The Hawkins will be well into the gulf before Christmas and will pass between December 21 and 28 off Basra; should visit Abadan from December 28 till January 2; she will visit Busliire— where on December 0, ISSC, our troops, including the Ist Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment and the 2nd Battalion Durham Light Infantry—had a fight with Persian troops, after tho Indian Marine had 'bombarded Busliire the day before, from the 7th to the 9th, and proceed from there to Colombo.