Monkey Will Not Get Shore Leave In N.Z,

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28793, 14 January 1959, Page 7

Monkey Will Not Get Shore Leave In N.Z,

(From Our Own Reporter)

TIMARU, January 13. Pip, christened as such, but more familiarly known as “The Monk,” will not be granted shore leave as long as H.M.S. Crane is in New Zealand waters. Laws peculiar to . the disembarkation of monkeys govern his stay on the frigate, but they did not prevent his display of bonhomie towards members of the ship’s complement when they disembarked this morning for a march past in conjunction with cadets from the New Zealand Shipping Company’s cadet ship Otaio. A young male Indian monkey, Pip is owned jointly by Able Seamen G. W. Phillips and D. C. Newington, who joined, the Crane when she was decommissioned in 1957. The monkey was bought at Singapore in June of last year and since then it has won the hearts of the ship’s complement, almost to the extent of excluding Fawn Ming, a female Chow dog, which was formerly mascot number one. Fawn Ming is owned by the coxswain, Chief Petty Officer D. Brooks. Pip lives in a box on the boom deck, but he feels the cold and spends most of his time over the engine-room ventilators. Fresh from the. Jungle when he was obtained In Singapore, Pip soon became timid, and was provided with a woollen jacket which he discarded. He is not permitted to wander at will over the ship, and it has been found advisable to lead him. He is being taught elementary navigation and the intricacies of radar. Pip is no respector of persons, and is not rank-conscious. He was a most difficult monkey when he first stepped aboard ship, and apart from exhausting the Crane’s supplies of fresh bananas, of which he is particularly fond, he played truant in Hong Kong and went for a stroll up and down the jetty, returning some hours later wet to the skin. No charges were laid. The monkey is on trial, and as long as it behaves it may soon have a mate. H.M.S. Crane will be returning to Singapore in February, and will be recommit sioned in April. It is possible that Pip will De

flown to England in a British Overseas Airways Corporation aircraft—together with another parcel of monkeys. When Pip was taken from the jungle, he had a loop of wire around his neck. This was substituted for a nylon watch strap about his waist, but Pip removed it, and since then he has been equipped with a proper harness. The monkey likes sugar, sweets, and chocolate. He drinks beer, turns his nose up at apples, and drinks gallons of water. He was in disgrace at Auckland during the Christmas holidays, when he was “under the weather.” When the detachment returned to the ship after the march past today, Pip ran up and down the extended arms of various ratings. He later entertained a large crowd on the wharf when he showed his capabilities as gunnery officer.