NAVAL COLLEGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 130, 28 November 1940, Page 10

NAVAL COLLEGE

A QUICK TRAINING

MEN FROM NEW ZEALAND

"WILL BE USEFUL"

(By Air Mall-From "The Post's" London Representative.) LONDON, November 1. "They're an excellent type. We could do with a lot more like them. lam sure they will.do well," said the Commander of a Naval training "ship"—a shore establishment—concerning 19 young New Zealand ratings who arrived recently in England to train for commissions. Ranging in ages from 20 to 25, they have now embarked on an initial course of seamanship. ' t w . Ten weeks are to be spent at the "ship " after which they will go tp sea for three months. At the end of that time those recommended finally for commissions will be sent to a naval cadet college. The experiences of these men will be similar to those of a number of other New Zealanders who have been arriving in a steady stream in recent months to train for service in the Royal Navy. .All were enthusiastic about their new life when a visit was paid to the sta*"We consider ourselves very lucky to have been selected to come here," said Ordinary Seaman P. C. Stannard (Wellington). "It's, a grand life and everyone's settled down very well. The food is first class, too, much better than we expected it to be!" THE QUARTER DECK. The training ship resembles a ship only in the fact that it has a mast and a yard arm, and a quarter deck. The latter is actually a strip of roadway marked with a white line at either end, but it is . nevertheless saluted as rigidly as though it were part of a ship. Buildings are spreadeagled in every direction, and one officer keeps a small motor-cycle to save time in visiting the various sections. There are several picturesque tduches to the station. There are brightly-coloured figureheads from old ships, including one of Lord Nelson. While working the ratings wear long white canvas trousers and blue jerseys which recall, when seen for the first time, scenes of old naval paintings. Bomb scars can be seen in various sections of the station. The Germans actually claimed that they had sunk! this "ship," but as the bombs fell on land, and did not do the slightest damage, it was felt that the German claim was "just another exaggeration." THE DAILY ROUTINE. The New Zealanders, in common with the other men being trained, have their days mapped out for them from the time they get up at 5.45 a.m. until they turn in at 10.20 p.m. They are together in one big mess, together with a number of other men from all parts of the Upited Kingdom. Included among them is a Cambridge j don. The mess is referred to as a "class," and this particular class is regarded as one of the best now, being trained. ' v •■< ..; ■ 1

The routine of the day begins with a mug of cocoa before parade at 6.15 a.m. The mess then has to be swept, cleaned, and tidied before breakfast at 7.20. Just over an hour later there is assembly for "divisions." Each mess is inspected by the officer of the various divisions, and his assistants, and the parade is finally taken over by the commander. There is a short service, before instruction begins at 9 a.m.

With short breaks the classes continue until dinner at 1. p.m. There is a further parade at 2 p.m. before the early afternoon vis devoted to sport and recreation.' Evening quarters begin at 4.25 after tea, and there is further instruction until shortly before 6.p.m., Until 8 p.m. there are further facilities for recreation—the station has a cinema and the W.R.N.S. arrange, dances in aid of various funds. The course includes physical training, field training, instruction on ammunition, sea boats, anchors, splicing, boat pulling, soundingl (known as "heaving the lead"), compass and gunnery, and other subjects which will give them a good grounding in seamanship. NUMBER FROM WELLINGTON. "It's impossible to make a seaman of anyone in ten weeks. It takes years to do that," said one of the officers. "But we are able to turn them out so that they will be at home, and able to do a job of work when they get to sea. These New Zealand boys are getting1 on very well. They take to jit easily, for most of them were yachtsmen at home." Several of the New Zealanders play for the station's Rugby fifteen. Everyone has an opportunity of playing in one team or another. The New Zealanders being trained iat this station are: Ordinary Seaman ,T. W. Bush, W. C. Drake, P. C. Stan- | nard, R. J. Parsonson, E. F. Evans, B. ID. Jukes, D. R. Wallace, K. Coveny, R. T. Arkley, K. D. Gerard, J. W. Ballinger, E. L. Staples (all of Wellington), W. A. Bourke (Auckland), K. H. McKenzie and L. Holmes-Edge (Christchurch), W. E. Knewstuff (Dunedin), G. K. S. Monk (Gisborne), and JR. T. Mclndoe (Wanganui).