CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24614, 10 July 1945, Page 4

CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF

ARRIVAL IN NEW ZEALAND COMMODORE G. H. FAULKNER (P.A.) AUCKLAND. July 8The new Chief of the Naval Staff. Commodore G. H. Faulkngr, D.S.C., R.N., arrived at Auckland to-day from England. He succeeds Commodore Sir Atwell Lake, C.8., C.B.E. Commodore Faulkner is accompanied by Mrs Faulkner. Commodore Faulkner was last in New Zealand as an officer of H.M.S. Hood when that ship visited the Dominion as flagship of the special service squadron under Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field. Throughout the wax of 1914-18 Commodore Faulkner served in destroyers of the Harwich, force as a sub-lieutenant. .He had joined the Laertes shortly before the outbreak ol war. He gained early promotion to

COMMODORE G. H, FAULKNER

lieutenant for his good service in action off the Heligoland bight on August 28, 1914, when the Laertes was badly hit by a full salvo from the German cruiser Mainz, and he was wounded. Later Commodore Faulkner served in the destroyers Red Gauntlet and Nimrod, and from April, 1918, he successively commanded the Mystic and the Thruster, being appointed to the latter ship in December, 1918. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1917 for his good service in ships of the Harwich force. In 1922 Commodore Faulkner was advanced to the rank of lieutenant-com-mander, and later he graduated at the staff college. In 1923 he was appointed to the staff of Vice-Admiral Field. Commodore Faulkner was promoted commander in 1928, when he was fn Command of the destroyer Voyager in the Mediterranean. In this rank he served in several ships, including the Comus, in the reserve fleet in 1931-33, and the Dauntless in the. Mediterranean. He was promoted captain from the Dauntless at the end of 1935, and was later employed on base defence in the Mediterranean. After that he attended a war course at the staff college. In 1937 Commodore Faulkner was appointed to command the sloop Bideford in the Persian Gulf, and for several months in 1938 he was acting senior naval officer in the area in the sloop Shoreham. Returning to England early in 1939, Commodore Faulkner attended a senior officers’ war course at Greenwich, and in June of the same year he was appointed to the cruiser Caledon as senior officer of the reserve fleet at the Nore. At that : time there were about 28 vessels in reserve commission, and all were fully manned for war service shortly afterwards, From September. 1939, to March, 1941, Commodore Faulkner was on the staff of the Com-mander-in-Chief, The Nore, and in May. 1941. he was appointed to command the cruiser Berwick, He remained in that ship until February. 11943, and in the following April was appointed chief of staff to the Comman-der-in-Chief. South Atlantic, and orincinal sea transport officer for South J Africa. He was advanced to the rank of commodore RJnd class), and had his I headquarters at Simonstown. He reUnqulshed this appointment recently.