H.M.N.Z.S. MANUKA

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 225, 23 September 1941, Page 5

H.M.N.Z.S. MANUKA

addition to fleet _|r - JEW MINESWEEPER AFLOAI ; *^ a huaina nei e ahau te ingoa c m anuao ko te Manuka; ms fet? 03 k° e hei manaaki mengß '"v'koe"* 3 k atoa e mahi ana i runga is these words—"l name this Kx anuka ; ma y God bless her anc serve in her"—the lates Majesty's Royal New Navy slid down the skidf }™sinornmg and took to the watei Hnn S n s Ba y» the third of hei 10 do so in less than a month tH»SiL» c 5 r l stenln ß ceremony was Sw «!S, r, y , Mrs. Paikea, wife o: th* Paikea, member ol SIiSS5 utive Council representinf on r fce, who was also presen PaiJr!« £.u the Government. Mrs v ' IfcSrt ' i • 0 was wearing the ran by a />h- r Wa mat —donned onlj ttonlai « or . chieftainess on cere sentM • SS^srons—was later pre token a sa Phng manuka as i The ia»« r t,? art in the ceremony. ' ' from tha sing's ing ' which took plac< ' : :-LowA^tJ a e ds of the builders, W. G Street n > Limited, Beaumon thff P. er haps a less joyou! tk^aw? 1 18 usually the cas< re ® ent death in Dunedii to* tfrwi£ one of the contract G £ or ? e Ma son, o > {.piny ei i s Engineering Com their' s P ea kers expressec : WfiS^ pat J? y Wlth the family an( workmen engaged ii >wore black arm Dands » Bo *? *° the Sea In Ships Jhe ReTr ? ras conducted b] orirJf«.Tu Robs °n, naval chap the firS the officiaf naming, anc silence in present stood ii «hin e to early morning sun safety of Tu ar Payers for the futun and the ? p and her compan: of the appropriate word; to tiS Psa m: "They that g< ThaT sea in ships . . ." 11131 traditions ttebowß aLf of wine acros hig moment of th<

For a moment it seemed as if thei .'Manuka was loath to enter her new< element, but with a little gentle per-; suasion she began to move, inch by: inch at first, and then foot by foot as she gathered way to enter the i tide stern-first, with cheers breaking 1 out spontaneously from all sides. 1 Forest Giants Felled < Addressing the gathering immedi- < ately afterwards, Mr. Paikea said he 1 was proud, as representative of the Maori race, to participate in the function of christening and starting 1 1 on her mission, the stoutly-built ship. 1 l "The forest giants have been felled," 1 , he said, "and, in the hands of skilled workmen they have been fashioned 1 and shaped into a canoe that is a I great advance on the seven canoes 1 of the Maori migration, in which my i intrepid forefathers faced the watery 1 wflstss. "I can, and most sincerely do express the hope that this ship will be as successful in its adventuring j as were those canoes which brought the Maoris to Ao-tea-roa. as < we send the Manuka to join her sister ships the Hinau and the Rimu, ' we do so, confident in the knowledge 1 t that she will accomplish that task which destiny has allotted her—-the clearing of the water wastes from the menace of mines." Mr. Paikea referred to the fact that the famous clipper Thermopylae was, as is the Manuka, a composite vessel, and in the long history of the Maori race, Thermopylae stood preeminent in imperishable glory. Both pakeha and Maori had added a new lustre to the name—a lustre which would be for ever an inspiration to both races. f Dominion War Effort In a brief review of the Dominion's 1 war effort, Mr. Paikea said that over i 36,000 men had proceeded overseas l with the Expeditionary Force; over . 73,000 men had been given three months' continuous training; 7000 national reservists had been trained t and courses of instruction provided * for 6864 officers and other ranks at 1 army schools. Some 30,000 men had i enlisted with the Air Fores. The - Home Guard had now a membership 3 of 100,000 and the women s auxilir aries and the E.P.S. were rendering 3 magnificent service. 3 "Let us work, give, fight, strive to the utmost to hold fast to liberty," 1 he concluded. "Our heritage is in 3 danger of being filched from us. Our s ideals are being challenged. But, assisted by America* inspired by the

jlopy of Malemi, Suda Bay, Candia, Dlympus, Thermopylae, and encouriged by the heroic stand of the Russians, we will win. "We will retain for ourselves, and -estore to the nations now crushed jut not broken, a world where all s'ill live in peace, happiness, amity md concord —an era in which the sermon on the Mount will be practical politics and not only an idea to which we give lip service." On behalf of the builders, Mr. T. Lowe replied briefly, and paid a ribute to the way in which tne men lad worked. Although they had seen held up for some time through lack of materials, little time had seen lost. Later in the morning, guests at he ceremony, including representa;ives of the three services, local Dodies and the judiciary, were enter:ained at morning tea at the yards. The Papakura Camp Band assisted in the proceedings, and, as a mark of respect to the late Mr. Mason, played 'Abide With Me" at the conclusion Df the ceremony.