Naval Volunteers’ Memorial Unveiled At H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27753, 2 September 1955, Page 12

Naval Volunteers’ Memorial Unveiled At H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus

A memorial plaque to 30 men of the Canterbury Division of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve who lost their lives in World War II was unveiled at H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus, headquarters of the division in Christchurch, last evening. The plaque was unveiled by Captain R. R. Newman, C.8.E., D. 5.0., and Bar, V.R.D., R.N.Z.N.V.R. (Rtd.), a former commanding officer of the division. More than 200 relatives and friends attended. Quoting Captain Charles Upham, V.C. and Bar, when he said “the best soldiers never came back,” Lieutenant P. D. Hall, R.N.V.R. (Rtd.), who gave the address at last evening’s function, paid tribute to the 30 men whose names were carved on the plaque. “They were truly our comrades and friends,” he said. “Listening to the roll call, we might imagine ourselves back in time to the old reserve headquarters in St. Asaph street, listening to one of the weekly roll calls. I thought again of these men with whom we had all worked for so many years, and of their enthusiasm and of . their willingness to give up so much of their leisure for an ideal, and of the cheerful way they undertook irksome duties, ana above all, of the fact that they were volunteers,” he said. “I recalled, too, their immediate response when the emergency arose, and how they were scattered throughout the seven seas and how well they carried out the tasks they were set. They will be remembered as long as we are here. And now, with the erection of this plaque, we ensure that their memory is perpetuated, and that this record of their sacrifice will be an inspiration to those who pass through this headquarters in the future.” Growth Traced

Earlier in his address, Lieutenant Hall traced the growth of the headquarters from the time after World War I, when there was no volunteer

reserve in New Zealand, until today, when H.M.N.Z.S. Pegasus was recognised' as the biggest, best-equipped, and most up-to-date volunteer reserve establishment in the Commonwealth. Men to whom gratitude was owed for the formation of the reserve were Captain J. R. Middleton, a retired naval officer, who came to New Zealand to live and who decided to found the reserve in New Zealand, and Captain A. D. Boyle, R.N. (Rtd.), who gathered together a number of former officers of the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy to start the Canterbury Division. There were tremendous difficulties, but the new division was fortunate in having men of enthusiasm, said Lieutenant Hall. In Chief Petty Officer A. E. Urry, the division began with an instructor of great knowledge .and infinite patience. The difficulty

bf access to the sea was overcome by the Deveron and Lieutenant Commander Bert. Rhind, to whom it was solely due that the Deveron became available to the division.

“So it went on through the years until in 1939, after three full intakes had been through' their period of training, there were about 400 reservists on the supernumerary list,” said Lieutenant Hall. “We are proud that al-

most all of them served in the war. Most of them served in the Navy, but some who could not immediately be placed in that service transferred to the Army and the Air Force.

“Some of those who served throughout the war elected to make the Nav”their life work, and transferred to the R.N.Z.N.,” he said. “It is with much pride that we record that two of them who began their naval career in this division as ordinary seamen are now captains in the R.N.Z.N., and one (Captain Peter Phipps, D.S.C.) is about to become the first R.N.Z.N. officer to command our cruiser” “In Captain Newman, we had an officer who not only earned three high awards, but who also had the unique distinction of serving afloat as a captain R.N.V.R. In Petty Officer Alan Beck we had a rating whose citation for courageous devotion to duty during the evacuation of Crete might eas-

ily have won him a V.C.,” Lieutenant Hall said. “The men whose names were on the plaque laid down their lives for an ideal,” said Lieutenant Hall. “They died so that the world and this country and you and I could live in freedom and not in the tyranny of oppression. Let it be our fervent prayer that iii our lifetime thp nations of the world car. learn to live together in peace and harmony, and that the sacrifice our comrades made was not in vain.” Unveiling Service Tl.e unveiling service was opened and led by the chaplain, the Rev. J. Feron, R.N.V.R. The lesson was read by Chief Petty Officer M. M. Martin. R.N.V.R., and a wreath was laid by Leading Seaman R. M. Morten, R.N.V.R. Roll call was read bv Leading Seaman Morten. The Band of the Ist Canterbury Regiment sounded “Last Post,” the commemoration was read by Chief Petty Officer D. T. Stanton, R.N.V.R., and the band sounded “Reveille.” Commander J. N. Allan, V.R.D M R.N.Z.N.V.R., made the acknowledgement A lament was played by a piper. Writer M. McAlpine. The plaque, carved in oak by Mr L. Berry, bears the insignia of the old division, surmounted by an Admiralty crown, above which is a symbolic torch which will be kept alight in perpetuity. It was erected by former members of the division as a tribute to their shipmates. It bears the following names:— E. Appleyard, J. P. Ball. F. R. Barker, T 1 H. Bird, J. A. Birss. E. G. Boaz/ W W. Brown, E. Cameron. G. W. F. Carey, ' . R. Denton, W. D. Diehl. R. P. Dobbs, E. D. Doussett, N. J. Elstob, C. C. Haines. G. Hansen, L. E. Hubble, H. L. Hudson. S. L. Kingdon. F. W. J. Leigh, D. P. Munro, J. N. Murphy, G. Murray, F. L. Rees. I. K. Simpson, E. H. Templin, H. J. West, M. A. White, C. W. Whykes.