Two More Frigates For N.Z.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 15056, 17 August 1949, Page 3

Two More Frigates For N.Z.

Nov/ At' Full Peacetime Establishment

Visit Paid To Canea In

Crete

(P.A.) Auckland, Today. Two further frigates for the Royal New Zealand Navy, H.M.N.Z.S. Rotoiti and H.M.N.Z.S. Tutira, will reach Auckland on August 25. They arrived at Cairns yesterday from Britain and the Mediterranean, and they will begin the last stage of 1 heir voyage to New Zealand on Friday. Both ships are manned largely bv former Royal Navy ra'ings, win reengaged for service in New Zealand. Similar lo the frigates already -eiving in the Dominion, the Rotoiti a-d the Tutira belong to the Loch,'dcss of escort vessels. They were rccommissJoned from the Reserve in Britain earlier this year and carried out working-up exercises in the Mediterranean on their way to New Zealand. The commanding officers for the passage to Auckland are Lieutenant-Com-mander A. M. Seymour, D.S.C., R.N., in the Rotoiti. and LieutenantCommander F. J. Rand, R.N., in the Tutjpn.

While in the Mediterranean the Rotoiti called at Canea, Crete, on behalf of the New Zealand Government. Messages of remembrance were delivered from the GovernorGeneral, Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., and the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. Representatives from the ship also visited the British war cemetery at Suda Bay, where 450 New Zealand soldiers arc buried. The arrival of the two frigates in Auckland will bring the Royal New Zealand Navy to its full peacetime establishment, except for a survey vessel. This ship is still to be brought from Australia to resume the long task of re-charting the Dominion coastline.