NAVY'S GIFT OF DINGHY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14713, 3 July 1948, Page 3

NAVY'S GIFT OF DINGHY

PRESENT FOR ROYAL COUPLE

Now Ready For Despatch

Appreciation Of Princess

Elizabeth

(P.A.) Wellington, July 2. The 14ft sailing dinghy v/hich Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh arc to receive as a wedding present from the Royal New Zealand Navy is now ready for despatch to England. Officers, men and women of the Royal New Zealand Navy and civilian staffs of the Navy Office. Wellington, and the naval dockyard subscribed the cost, of the dinghy. It is built of kauri and pohutukawa. The boat and its suit of sails '"/ere made in the Devonport dockyard.

The Princess was informed of the gift through the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, and the following letter has been received by ihe Minister o f Defence, Mr Jones, from Her Royal Hte^ncss-

"Would you please thank the members of the Royal New Zealand Navy, on behalf of us both, for their kindness and generosity in giving 11 ■; a naval sailing dinghv as a wedding present. We greatly look forward to the pleasure of sailing it. We are particularly glad that it should be built of New Zealand timber, and that the sails should have been made in the Royal New Zealand Dockyard. It was indeed kind of the Navy, of the Women's Roval New Zealand Naval Service and of the civilian staff'at the Navy Office and dockyard to subscribe to give us such a delightful present, and we think it charming of them to have shown their good wishes for our happiness in this most acceptable form."