March Past At Caroline Bay To Mark “Navy Day”

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 15

March Past At Caroline Bay To Mark “Navy Day”

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, January 13. Today was “Navy Day” in Timaru—highlighted by a march past in front of the Caroline Bay sound shell by men of H.M.S. Crane and the New Zealand Shiping Company’s vessel Otaio. Whaler races between crews of vessels in port were held in the afternoon, for the Centennial Cup. The cup for' the one-mile race was won by a crew from the Otaio, with H.M.S. Cfane second, and the Hinakura third. The Mayor of Timaru .(Mr R. E. White) presented the cup to the Otaio’s coxswain, H. S. Walshe. The crew consisted of Walshe, M. C. Cox, H. E. Simpson, p. H. Milburn, R. p. w. Ashton and R. K. Young. A “crash boat” from the Otaio acted as starter.

On the pilot launch Strathallan to watch the whaling and sailing races were the Chief Justice (Sir Harold Barrowclough), Mr White, and the chairman of the Timaru Harbour Board (Mr W. H. Hall). Open to Public H.M.S. Crane will be open to the public for inspection from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. today and Friday. The Royal Navy frigate from the Far East station berthed at Number One East wharf at 8 a.m. She is commanded by Commander R. K. N. Emden, D.S.C., who served in H.M.S Cumberland which was present at the scuttling of the Graf Spee. He served in destroyers during World War 11. first in Mackay (which took part in the Channel- action against Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, . and Prince Eugen), then as First Lieutenant of the former “fourstacker” Rockingham and finally as Commanding Officer of the new fleet destroyer, Verulam,/ which took part in several Russian convoys, fleet operations against the Tirpitz and the invasion of Normandy. Verulam, in 1945, took part in the sinking of the Japanese cruiser Hagure, off Penang. Promoted to commander in 1953, Commander Emden was Fleet Operations Officer of the Com-mander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, when he was appointed to command Crane; on her recommissioning in 1957. H.M.S. Crane was completed in 1943. She escorted a convoy to Algiers and continued on to the invasion of Sicily. She escorted Atlantic convoys, supported the Normandy landings, and sank two German U-boats. Crane joined the British Pacific fleet in 1945, and took part in the operations against Okinawa. She has a normal complement of 192 officers and men, but a party of Christchurch Sea Cadets voyaged from Lyttelton, and Dunedin Sea Cadets will join the ship for the trip to Dunedin on Sunday. Ceremonial Parade At about 11 a.m. practically the entire complement of H.M.S. Crane and cadets from the Otaio—a total of about 170—formed up on Num-

ber One wharf. The cadets, commanded by the Instruction Officers (Messrs J. R. G. Hannah and R. Hardy), were smartly uniformed and gloved. The Crane’s detachment was commanded by Lieutenant J. D. Caldecott, commander of the ceremonial guard. The guard ratings, who carried their rifles at the slope, with short bayonets fixed, were a disciplined and smart contingent. Their anklets, rifle slings, bayonet frogs, and web belts were a glittering white. Bearded ratings were in the minority, but a large number vyore service ribbons and medals. The weather was fine. On the saluting base were the Chief Justice and the Mayor of Timaru. With them were the commanders of the Otaio (Captain H. Owen) and H.M.S. Crane (Commander Emden).