H.M.S. VERONICA.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16847, 29 May 1920, Page 9

H.M.S. VERONICA.

SOME OF HER OFFICERS. ECHOES OF THE WAR. (TROII OUR OW>" COERr.SrONDENT.") LONDON. April 10. The sloop Veronica is still in Pembroke Dock preparatory to her departure for New Zealand, whither she will sail in charge of Commander F. E. L. Lewin, having with him tho following R.N. officers: Lieutenant Charles V. S. } J. Man-den. Lieutenant H. H. MarI riott, Sub -Li ent en an t A. B. Ferguson, | Surgeon-Lieu tenant-Commander T. J. : O'Riordan, and Gunner Idwal Griffiths. FALKLAND AND JUTLAND. Lieutenant C. V. S. J. Mar?don, the navigating officer, joined H.M.!">. Conway (training ship for cadets) in J?' 1 "" i arv, 1910, and then wont to 11.-.Lis. j Vincent in De.-embov, 1913. as mid-, nip-! nusn, remaining in her until January, | lslo, when ho joined H.M.S. Mact?I donia, an armed merchant cruiser pro- | reeding on service in the South Atlantic ! Ocean 7 After some months in the ■ South Atlantic, on arrival at Port StanI ley, Falkland Islands, in June, 1915, he i wns left- in command of a prizo crew ! consisting of the men left behind by ! rur ships after the battle of Falkland ' Islands, to bring to Sierra Leone the ! merchant shi»> Bangor (a supp:y ship for t-he Dresden, v/hi'li had been captured some months before in tho Straits of Magellan by H.M.S. Bristol). After that he was promoted to acting-sub-'ieutenanl.. On arrival at Sierra Leone in August, he had orders to return to England, bringing with him the prize crew .and the crew of tho Bangor, who were kept under arrest. Ho was then stationed at Devonport until November as despatch carrier between Plymouth, London, and the AYevt of Kngand. In November, 1915, ho did a signal course, and was appointed to H.M.S. Southampton in December. He remained in this ship during tho battlo of Jutland, being on the bridge during the action, and it was during the night action that ho was wounded. On arrival in harbour on May 2nd ho was sent to hospital, where ho remained until October 10th, when ho rejoined H.M.S. Southampton. Promotion to sub-lieutenant came in February, 1910. In June, 191S, this ship took a Naval Mission to North Russia, remaining there until the end of July, when she returned to Home waters. In the middle of 1917 he was promoted to actinglieutenant, and later was confirmed as a lieutenant, with seniority dated August 3rd, 1917. After the armistice, Lieutenant Marsden went to Cambridge 1 from February to July, 1919, for liis courses, and then joined H.M.S. Ches- ' ter in the Nore Reserve as first lieutenant until the end of August, when hi went to Portsmouth for gunnery, tor- > pedo, and navigation courses. > On February 20th, 1920, lie "was appointed to H.M.S. Veronica as lieuten- > ant for navigating duties. He says: ''I am looking forward with , the greatest interest to the cruise oi , this ship, and am sure that I shall ref turn homo after rny two years, only I sorry that tho end has come sc

quickly." THE DARDANELLES AND ANTISUBMARINES. Lieutenant H. H. Marriott entered Osborne College in May, 1910, and went to Dartmouth two years later. Whon war broke out he was sent to H.M.S. Prince of Wales as midshipman Sho was employed in the Channel Fleet for the first three months of lue war, and then proceeded to the Dardanelles, taking part in tho bombardment of March 18th, 1915 and also iri the landing on April 25th. He was landed with the first detachment of Anzacs, and remained ashore as one of the beach party for three weeks. On account of the appoaranco of enemy submarines the ship left the Dardanelles about the end of May, and joined the Italian Fleet at Taranto. Lieutenant Marsden was promoted to Acting-sub-lieutonant in September, 1916, and was appelated to H.M.S. Azalea, a sloop employed in the Eastern Mediterranean escorting convoys, until June, 1917, when the vessel struck a mine 15 miles off Malta. The ship was towed into the beach, where she sank into the mud, eventually being pumped out and taken to Valetta. The ship was then paid off. and Lieutenant Marsden was appointod to H.M.S. Narwhal, a destroyer belonging to tho 12th Flotilla, based at Scapa Flow, and he worked with the Grand Fleet. In May, 1918, ho was promoted to acting-lieutenant, and appointed to tho destroyer Brisk, going out to the Mediterranean to join the sth Flotilla at Brindisi. The Brisk was fitted with special livdrophono apparatus, and 36 depth charges for use against submarines. She worked on what was commonly known as the Otranto Barrage. between Brindisi and Corfu. It was claimed that very few submarines ever got through this barrage, and the Brisk accounted for at least one of those that tried. The vessel was at Athens refitting when the armistice was signed, and was sent up to Constantinople to make known the news. The Brisk was sent round to the south coast of the Black Sea to tho isolated villages situated there, to tell the people the war was over. In December, 1918, Lieutenant Marsden was appointed homo for the Cambridge "University course, and then did somo courses at Plvmonth until December, 1919. On December POth last ho was appointed to H.M.S. Veronica, and is looking forward to what he is "sure will be the most enjoyable time lie is ever likely to spend in the British Navy." A NEW ZEALAND OFFICER. Sub-lientenant A. B. Ferguson (Aucklanrtl came Home from New Zealand in February, 1914. and went .through tho Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth. On leaving Dartmouth in May, 1917, ho joined H.M.S. Renown as a midshipman, remaining in her until January, 1920. when he was appointed to H.M.iS. Veronica for her cruise in Now Zealand waters. He was, of course, in tho Renown for tho Prince of Wales's trip to America and Canada. THWARTING A GERMAN GUNRUNNER.. Snrgeon-Lieutenant-Conrmander T. J. o''Riordtn joined the Royal Navy in April, 1914, and served for two months in the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, going thence to Haslar Hospital, where he remained till the outbreak of tho war, when he was appointed to H.M.S Vengeance, which ship was doing duty as Enlish Channel patrol until October, 1914. Towards the end of August, 1914. his ship landed Royal Marines at Ostend to ston the German rush to the const; stood I>y fcrr a week, then took them off and "returned with them to England. In Ocrtober, 1914, the Vcngeanco went down the TVest Coash of Africa. Arriving at Gibraltar in February, 1915. she became flagship of Admiral de Robe-k, and went to the Dardanelles, thus being the first battleship to arrive in the -®gean Sea. The ship was present in all the naval scraps previous to the army landing, and for some time afterwards assisted the army._ Commander O'Riordnn !i'V l "d in England at the end of July, o, and nfter leave and a short epell in the Naval Barracks at Dovonport, was appointod to H.M.S. Bluebell for "submarine strafing" on the South and West Coast of Ireland, until June, 1916. Tho Bluebell captured tho German raider associated with the Casement 3tunt when she was trying to land arms in Ireland. During the Irish rebellion of Easter, 1916. Commander O'Ritirdan was medical officer to Royal Marines in tho West of Irol<"vl (Garwny), He was appointed to H.M.S. Gunbcat Britomart (Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) in August, 1916, and served twelve months ir the Persian Gulf and on the Tigris, being transferred temporarily medical offi-

ccr of H.M.S. Juno, in the Gulf and Indian Groan, 110 arrived England in January, 15)18, and after a short spoil with the U.N.A.S., SciH.V Isles, lie was appointed to the Plymouth Division, Royal Marine Light Infantry, on 23th February, 191S, where lie has served for two vears. Ho was appointed to H.M.S. Veronica on March 23rd. 1920, for New Zealand station, and is anticipating a very pleasant commission. AT SEA THROUGH THE WAIL Gunner Idwal Griffiths joined Royal Navy in January, 1902, at "T" age of 17. and served in various ships of H.M. Navy in different parts of the. world nn to January, 19" 3. His most interesting trip previous to. the war was to the Pacific Ocean, whore ho served in f ho Algorino, based at Esquimalt, i:i British Columbia. Another trip which he immensely enjoyed was in the Balmoral Cnstle to South Africa, when the Duke of Connr.ught opened the South African Parliament. In January, 191', he came home to take his courses for aunner. and wns promoted after r. IS months' study in O?tohor, 1911. During the war he served mostly in destroyers and torpedo-boo is. though !, e nut. in two years in H.M.S. Honvioi , runninq convoys from theUnhed St-iNy. of America to England. and then r>::;--c to T.B.D.'s, where the fun and excitement was, naturally, more pronounced, while everlastingly hunting U-hoats. Except for four months from December, I 191-t, to March, lPlo, when he mounted ' a large number of naval puns on somo rocks in the Firth of Forth, Gunner Griffiths served at sea right- through the war.