22 YEARS’ NAVAL SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26944, 21 January 1953, Page 10

22 YEARS’ NAVAL SERVICE

COMMANDER SEELYE RETIRES Commander J. H. Seelye, V.R.D., R.N.Z.N., has retired after 22 years’ service with the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve. His appointment of senior officer, reserve fleet, will be taken over by acting-Com-mander P. J. Stoner, D.S.C., R.N.Z.N., who was formerly staff officer responsible for instruction with the Wellington division, R.N.Z.N.V.R. Commander Seelye was appointed a sub-lieutenant in the Otago division of the volunteer reserve in 1930, and was promoted lieutenant in October, 1935. He went overseas in April, 1940, first serving with H.M.S. Deodar, a minesweeper employed in escorting English Channel convoys. In April, 1951, he was appointed to command H.M.S. Lorinda, and group officer in charge of four minesweepers steaming to Singapore. His ship was lost off Freetown, West Africa, and Lieutenant Seelye then served for 15 months on the staff of the flag officer commanding Freetown. He was subsequently promoted to lieutenant-commander, and after returning to England was appointed to command H.M.S. Lion, and later H.M.NuZ.S. Arabus, one of the two Flower class corvettes presented to New Zealand by Britain. He brought the Arabus to New Zealand in August. 1944. He was then appointed naval officer in charge at Dunedin in Sep- • tember. x , In March, 1946, he was granted a , short-service commission, and appointed staff officer operations at Navy ’ Office, Wellington. In January, 1948, . he was appointed staff officer to the 1 naval officer in charge at Auckland, • and in 1950 appointed senior officer : reserve fleet.