SAILORS ASHORE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 202, 28 August 1933, Page 8

SAILORS ASHORE.

» WEEK-END AT RUSSELL FOUR WARSHIPS IN THE BAY. THROWN OPEN TO VISITORS. i ' (By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.) RUSSELL, this day I The battle of last week is being fought over again. On Sunday morning, after j church service aboard the Dunedin, Com- | j modore Burges Watson outlined the 3 action and touched on its lessons to < the parade assembled on the quarter- : deck. With blackboard and diagrams he illustrated fleet positions at various J j stages, giving the crews assembled a j ) concise idea of what was aimed at and - what was attained during the ' manoeuvres. f All who saw the action on Thursday t night when three vessels, steaming sealed - down and without lights, came into • close range are impressed with its vivid- ' ness. As the revealing star shells from ! the Dunedin and Diomede burst about \ the Australia and descended slowly I under their parachutes, the scene changed " magically from one of darkness and ! silence to one pf brightest illumination and deafening noise of the concussions. The Australia lay revealed in clearest I outline as within a mile were two ships ' with every available gun bearing upon > her and searchlights revealing any point - that the star shells failed to show. Tea Rooms Rushed. i The beach at Russell on Saturday ! afternoon was busy with the buzz of \ boats and noisy with the voices of men , on leave. Australian ratings formed f the larger proportion of the men on - shore lea»ve, and these Australians, quite I unaware that oyster picking was a ' Government monopoly, were soon ! swarming on the rocks on the point I leading to Mataavi Bay. Here an un- , consciously illegal oyster feast went on ' during the afternoon. The limited fc catering accommodation of the township was soon overtaxed as night drew near. Crowds of bluejackets filled the two • little tearooms to overflowing, and there '' was an ever-repeated demand for fresh ' fish. The visitors were astounded to I learn that in a place with the world- ! wide reputation as a fishing centre that j Russell has attained fish on the menu I was a rarity. A crayfish vendor would ! have reaped a wonderful harvest on Saturday, but no one had the foresight I to anticipate the call for the "cray." 3 Some of the officers crossed to the > beach at Waitangi, and the Fairey went aloft with Colonel Duigan as passenger j and a naval mail for Auckland. fc Local launch owners were early astir p preparing for the windfall of an antici--1 pated large influx by the special train from Whangarei, H.M.A.s. Canberra 7 and H.M.s. Dunedin being thrown open ' to visitors between 2 and 5 p.m. The 1 Rev. H. Isherwood, vicar of the Bay of > Islands, conducted morning service -' aboard the Dunedin, men from the Diomede also attom'.ing. Father von Rotter, parish priest at Kawakawa,' celebrated » Mass for the Roman Catholic crews on the Australia. I Visitors to the Fleet. > Unusual activity was witnessed on Sunday morning. Boats from adjacent bays brought the first visitors to view the fleet, and a special train from Wha- • ngarei discharged over 400 sightseers at Opua, where a fleet of eight launches transported , them to Russell. Each wayside station along the line had contributed its complement, to the excursion, many participants in which must have been / dubious from the previous evening, when the weather looked anything but. promising; But Sunday ' dawned fine with a fresh nor'-east breeze blowing into the' bay. The_ southern visitors quickly found visiting spots, ii either on the waterfront or across at 1 Mataavi Bay, which, sheltered from the ' breeze, offered far greater comfort and ' warmth to those desirous of getting out of the wind. The hotel, boardinghouses ! and refreshment rooms were soon well patronised by people in search of meals. The Fairey seaplane, which left the • bay at 9.32 with mail for Auckland, was , back with a return mail by 12.52. A fleet of launches did riot want for passengers when the "ships open" signal - flew'.from the two New Zealand cruisers and the Australian flagship. The Can- ! berra was the favourite choice, and almost every sightseeing boat made for her , lirst. The warship's complement did everything possible for their guests. It was announced to-day that owing to his indisposition Rear-Admiral Dalgleish would not accept any engage- ■ ments during the visit of the Australian warships to Auckland.