NAVAL VISIT TO LYTTELTON

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27498, 4 November 1954, Page 10

NAVAL VISIT TO LYTTELTON

BLACK PRINCE AND HAWEA SHIPS TO BE OPEN FOR INSPECTION The frigate Hawea, which is now at Lyttelton, and the cruiser Black Prince, which will be in port tomorrow, will be open for inspection by members of the public during the week-end. The Hawea will be open from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and the Black Prince from 1.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Black Prince, commanded by Captain J. F. Whitfeld, D.S.C., R.N., will berth at 10.30 a.m. tomorrow from the Hauraki Gulf, where she has been carrying out working-up exercises after completing a refit at Auckland. At 11.35 a.m., Captain Whitfeld and two of his officers will call on the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) and the Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Feast). Calls will also be made on the commander of the Southern Military District (Brigadier H. E. Gilbert, DJ5.0.), the Mayor of Lyttelton (Mr F. G. Briggs), the Town Clerk of Lyttelton (Mr J. Thompson), the commander of the Royal New Zealand Air Force station, Wigram (Group Captain F. R. Dix), the commanding officer of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus (Commander J. N. Allan), and the president of the Canterbury branch of the Navy League (Captain G. Dennistoun, D. 5.0., R.N., ret.).

Social Functions Arranged The captain and officers of the cruiser will be entertained at a cocktail party at H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus by the Navy League tomorrow evening, and a dance for the ship’s company will also be held. A cocktail party will be given by the Middle Watch of the league on Saturday evening, and the league’s junior branch will organise a bus drive for the ship’s company on Sunday. The cruiser will be host to invited guests at a cocktail party on Monday evening. A number of sports fixtures have been arranged. Matches against the Air Force at Wigram in tennis, cricket, softball, and golf will be held. It is expected that a surf life-saving team will attend the opening of the New Brighton Surf Club’s season on Sunday. A tennis match is being arranged with a Christ's College team, and swimming and water polo will be played with members of a Christchurch swimming club. Certain members of the crew will be the guests of the Banks Penin® sula Cruising Club during the weekend.

The ship will not be illuminated at night, nor will there be fireworks and searchlight displays to mark Guy Fawke’s Day. The Navy has decided to give such displays only in honour of special occasions. The Black Prince has a complement of 35 officers. 126 chief petty officers and petty officers, and 400 ratings. Among the ratings are 48 seaman boys aged about 16}. Departure for Dunedin At 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 9. the Black Prince will leave for Dunedin with 28 ratings from the Canterbury division of the R.N.Z.N.V.R. aboard. Three of the division’s officers —Surgeon-Lieutenant-Commander (D) J. R. D. Hefford, Lieutenant (E) E. R. Urhbom, and Surgeon-Lieutenant (D) P. D. O’Meegan—will accompany the ship. The Hawea, commanded by Lieu-tertsnt-Commander J. P. Tullock, will embark compulsory naval reservists on Saturday, and put to sea for training on Sunday morning. This will be the first time in the history of the Royal New Zealand Navy that a frigate has been used for training duties. The frigate will return to harbour on Friday, November 12, and will sail for the Chatham Islands on the next Monday. She is expected to return on November 21. and will leave Lyttelton for Dunedin on November 22.