SHIPS AND THE SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 13, 15 July 1939, Page 24

SHIPS AND THE SEA

Of all the old vessels which, having passed their prime, are now scattered around 'the New Zealand coast doing their last duties in calm harbour waters, probably the bravest is the old sloop Philomel. It is nearly fifty years since H.M.S. Philomel left the stocks at Devonport, England, and now. at another Devonport, in New Zealand, she is completing her service to King and country as the non-seagoing depot ship and training establishment for the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.

Obsolete as a ship of war, she became

a floating barracks for the Dominion's naval recruits after the war, and has served as such ever since. From time to time there has been talk of doing away with her and erecting a barracks ashore, but in the end the old Philomel has been left at Devonport to dream her dreams and recall the glorious days of her youth. She is the fifth Philomel to carry the White Ensign. The first took the water in 1806. A sloop of 384 tons, she sailed the seas during the French war and helped in her little way to put a shot in "Boney's" locker. The next, launched in 1823, was smaller still, but also a sloop. Her succcessor appeared in 1842. She was a brig, and j a smart one. The fourth, of 1867, was! described as a screw gun vessel, which had a displacement of 664 tons. Then came the ship which lies at Calliope, hiding beneath a smart coat of grey the aching heart of all ships which have come to their last harbour. SERVICE IN MANY SEAS. But she has had her day and, if it Is not just a pleasing fancy that ships have souls, one can imagine the kind of reverie she often has as she lies in the sun, with half an eye upon the doings of the young recruits bound for ships of a new order. On an English summer's day in 1890 «he was launched, and the memory of that day fills her with pride. There was nearly 2600 tons of her, she had 7500 horse-power in her engines, which meant a speed of 19 knots, and one of her four guns was a six-incher. She had a nice coat of armour, and if there were no torpedo tubes, that was of small account in the nineties. Her crew-numbered 220 and there wasn't a wireles operator among them. And so she went into "commission. She took a hand in all tßair-was going —the Bohenie Greek expedition in 1894, for instance, and two years later she helped to bombard the palace of the Sultan of Zanzibar, because the British Government, which had been concerned in the suppression of slavery, disapproved of the efforts of one Sayyid Khalid to seize the rather empty throne of the protectorate. Khalid fled and the rightful successor began to reign with a nice pension and, apparently, no serious responsibility Quite significant is the fact that soon after the legal status of slavery was abolished. GREAT WAR DUTY. By that time, however, H.M.S. Philomel was deeply interested in the affairs of Benin, on the west coast of Africa, helping to land an expedition and to bring some necessary order in that hot locality. When the South African War broke out the Philomel was on hand as usual, and her captain commanded a naval brigade which took guns to places where they were needed. The outbreak of the Great War found her associated with two other P class vessels—the Pyramus and Psyche—in these waters, and she holds the honour of helping to convoy the troops which occupied Samoa and also the Main

(By "Helmsman.")

THE OLD PHILOMEL

A COLOURFUL HISTORY

Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. What would have happened if she had run across th. German cruisers then abroad in southern waters is obvious—she would have been shelled from far beyond the range of her guns and would have "died with her boots on." However, she would have done her best, and Auckland will not forget the departure of its Main Body transports with H.M.S. Philomel and her sisters in charge.

A wise discretion, however, caused the transports to be recalled until warships fit to deal with the Germans

arrived. The P ships proceeded ahead, and after passing the time of day with the convoys at Albany, took their share in the search for the Emden until the raider was located at Cocos Island and destroyed by HJVLA.S. Sydney. NUMEROUS ACTIONS. The Philomel eventually arrived at Port Said, and on Christmas Day, 1914, was actually escorting a large convoy of Indian troopships bound for France. She obtained an extensive refit at Malta, getting additional machine-guns and larger tops on her masts, thus providing for the subsequent Suez Canal operations. In her extensive work in the Red Sea, Mediterranean, Aden, and Persian Gulf minor actions occurred with casualties. . The first New Zealander killed in the war met his death at Alexandretta, which nestles in the north-east corner of the Mediterranean, where a landing party was ambushed. The party was able to return on board, bringing both dead and wounded. The loss inflicted on the Turks was subsequently stated to be about 150 killed and wounded. They were Turkish gendarmes. The Philomel took active part m the Aden operations and in the Persian Gull. In the Persian Gulf she was in familiar waters, and with 12 or 14 knots still ir her engines she dealt with gun-run-ning dhows, and, at Bushire and other places, landed parties for the good of the common cause. History does not record the doings of vessels on this duty, but it is probably colourful. It may not have been the Philomel but one such ship in the Persian Gulf had an interesting experience with Arab ingenuity. One dhow was believed to carry rifles and it was searched without result. Still convinced the rifles were somewhere, the Navy caused her to be beached, and when the tide went out cases of rifles were found screwed on to the hull below the waterline. BACK TO NEW ZEALAND. Reaching Basra at Christmas, 1916, she was ordered to return to New Zealand, and in April, 1917, she arrived at Wellington. The ship's company was paid "off and returned to the United Kingdom, being j distributed to other ships. Her guns were put on the sterns troopships and others for defensive purposes. One or two of the ships when not carrying troops were torpedoed and sunk, carrying the famous 4.7 guns with them. The Philomel, however, remained at the wharf at Wellington acting as a depot ship for local naval requirements. In 1920 she made a last voyage to Auckland, and there she was tied up to become the home of young sailors. In spite of what a bluejacket contemptuously calls "buildings" that have been erected on her upper deck, she still looks like a ship, and she still can turn out sailors, before whose eyes in brass letters on the huge steering wheel is the famous message of Nelson, "England expects that every man will do his duty," and above it the motto, "Fear God and Honour the King."