MESSAGE TO FLEET

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 146, 23 June 1938, Page 9

MESSAGE TO FLEET

KING'S PLEASURE INSPECTION TOUR ENDS (British Official wtrrteu.) (Received June 23,11.25 am* "RUGBY, June «• At the conclusion of his visit to th« Home Fleet the King sent the following message to the Commander-ta-Chief of the Home Fleet and to the captain in charge at Portland:--"My short visit to the Home Fleet has afforded me the greatest pleasure and also has been full of interest for me. I congratulate all ranks and ratings both afloat and ashore on their high standard of efficiency and the marked progress which I can ( see is being made in every direction. The King spent this morning inspecting the shore establishments, at Portland Dockyard, He devoted considerable time at the anti-submarine school seeing the newest devices for detecting and dealing with submarines. He later toured the cruiser Southampton while many phases of modern sea battle were actively rehearsed. At the moment of the King's arrival a gas attack by enemy aircraft was supposed to be imminent, and officers and ratings, all in gas masks, were ready to defend the ship. IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY. As the King went-forward along the quarterdeck anti-aircraft guns were firing at imaginary enemy planes and suddenly a Walrus amphibian aircraft was catapulted across the flight deck at terrific stfeed and soared up to try to engage the raiders. The aircraftmen, ghostly figures in gas masks and protective clothes, rushed to the hangar and brought out a second walrus, hoisted it on to the catapult machine, and in remarkably short time it was in the air. It was a triumph of organisation and an impressive display of the cruiser's air defence forces. A Royal salute was fire* as the King left for shore, and holiday crowds and townsfolk lined the streets of Weymouth and cheered his Majesty enthusiastically as he drove to the sta» tion and entrained for London.