HOME AGAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 190, 14 August 1933, Page 9

HOME AGAIN.

FLAGSHIP RETURNS.

DUNEDIN'S ISLAND CRUISE.

SHORT STAY IN PORT.

With band playing, H.M.s. Dunedin, flagship of tho New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, returned to Auckland this afternoon and berthed at Devonport. The cruiser, with Commodore F. Burgos Watson on board, had been absent from the port since June 15.

"Wo had good weather and a fine time," said one of tho offcers. The Dunedin left Auckland on June 15, and called at Norfolk Island on her way to Noumea. A stay of three days 'was made at Vila and the ship then went to Hog Harbour. The next ports of call were. Ocean Island and Funafuti. It had originally been arranged that the cruiser should go from Funafuti to Rotumah, but instead she next proceeded to Tarawa, Rotumah being eliminated from her schedule.

At Suva, the next port of call, a stay of 10 days was made. There the ship played a friendly match with the New South Wales ladies' hockey team, which passed through Auckland recently. Soccer, tennis, golf and polo matches were also played, and the stay passed all too quickly. From Suva the flagship went to Wakaj'a instead of to Yosawu, as originally arranged. At Wakaya the officers enjoyed some excellent deer stalking. A stay of one week at Apia followed, and the cruiser then took tho Administrator of Western Samoa, General Hart, to Fago Pago, and returned. Nukualofa was the final port of call before the cruiser headed for Auckland. By returning this afternoon, the flagship came home a day ahead of her original schedule. The cruise was uneventful. Signalman Barker, a Now Zealander, was loft at Apia recovering from an operation for appendicitis. Otherwise the health of all on board was good. Exercises in the North. Tho Dunedin will have only a short stay in port. On August 22, in company with H.M.s. Diomede, she will sail for the North and will first call at Russell. On August 24 and 25 the New Zealand warships will co-operate with the Australian cruisers, Canberra and Australia, off the northern coast, where a mock battle will be staged. All the ships, will put into Russell on August 20, where pulling and sailing races will bo held. They will arrive at Auckland on August 31 and will remain in port until September 0. During the Australian cruisers' stay here an inter-squadron sports tourney will be staged, the programme including Rugby,, Soccer, hockey, boxing, golf and squash racquet matches.

The warships will Sail on September 6 and for three days will carry out exercises in the Hauraki Gulf. The Australian ships will then proceed to Wellington, and the Dunedin will commence a southern cruise, which will keep her away from Auckland until November 18.

Tho Dunedin is at present the only ono of tho Dominion's four fighting ships in port, the Diomede being in the Hauraki Gulf and the sloops, Veronica and Laburnum, away on Island cruises.