CONVOY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 117, 20 May 1941, Page 8

CONVOY

NEW ZEALAND R.N.V.R.

MINESWEEPING ALSO

MEN TO BE PROUD OF

(0.C.) LONDON, May 1. Hundreds of New Zealanders have the right to the initials "R.N.V.R. (N.Z.)" after their, names, and as the months of war ' tick slowly by, the Dominion has ;. an ever-increasing reason to be [ proud of her men serving with this branch of the Navy. : In -the biggest battleships and the ; smallest motor-launches, New Zealand sailors are taking their place with sea- , men from all parts of the Empire. ; They are to be found in the King George V and the Prince of Wales, the Empire's latest warships, in cruisers, [ in destroyers, in minesweepers, and in corvettes.' ' : Appropriately, the first decoration! ; awarded to the men v of the R.N.V.R. I (N.Z.), were won by those ■ who were , among the first draft to leave New ' Zealand for Great Britain—-Commander ' R. Newman, of Christchurch (D.5.0.), ' Lieut-Commander P. G-. Connolly, of Dunedin (D.S.C.), Lieut.-Commander P. Phipps, of Wellington (D.S.C.), and ' Telegraphist J. L. Leckie, of Otago ■ (D.S.M.). Lieut. A. G. Newall (Auck- ! land) was mentioned in dispatches. MINESWEEPING SERVICE. ! The awards were not made for any ■ individual incidents, but for outstanding work over a period with mine- • sweepers which have kept the sea clear of mines in front of merchant coastal convoys, all through the autumn and long winter months. These awards reflect credit both on the men ] to whom they were made and also on those serving with.them. ■ -■ ■ ; A compliment was* paid to the , R.N.V.R. (N.Z.) when the first of its members arrived last year, for 14 of : its officers were placed in charge of ten minesweepers. All of them had been enthusiastic peacetime members, who made a hobby and recreation of seamanship in the pre-war days. Two of the ships have since been' lost by enemy action, and six of the 14 officers have now been transferred to carry out equally important work. In addition to those who were awarded decorations, Lieut-Command-ers-F. G. Tidswell (ChristchurcH), G. Bridson and J. Hilliard (Auckland), and Lieutenants C. G. Palmer and A. . G. Newall (Auckland) are now commanding minesweepers. Those transferred are Commander F. G.. Taylor (Wellington), Lieut-Commander J. A. Smyth (Wellington), and Lieutenants J. H. Seelye and J. E. Finch (Dunedin), and R. E. Harding (Auckland). CAPABLE COMMAND. Great credit is reflected on Commander Newman, who was formerly commander of the Canterbury. ' R.N.V.R., for his leadership of the minesweepers. In addition to the innumerable cares of organisation, he has also had the responsibility of navi--1 gating round coasts where currents and tides are variable, uncertain, and often vicious. The accuracy of his navigation, and that of the other officers in his ship, was proved on one occasion when after sailing 80 miles in. a thick fog he arrived at length within a mile of his course. For a period some of the minesweepers were transferred from convoying to clearing fields laid by the Germans. Lieut-Commander Tidswell, who is second in command to Commander Newman, was in charge of the ships, and his/ officers were Lieut. Palmer and Lieut. Harding. They cleared the mines and then returned to convoying. It has been a hard winter for the minesweepers, and, in addition to the weather, there have been the hazards of bombing, shelling, and E-bpat attacks. But there has been a lighter side to the rigorous life, and jokes about the "trips" are invariably more frequent than tales of the dangers. THE LIGHTER SIDE. There was the occasion when one of the ships lost its sweeping gear. The officer-in-charge made a signal to Commander Newman requesting permission to proceed, to port independently ahead of the convoy. A signal winked back, "Not approved." When the ships reached port the officer requested permission to come aboard the commander's ship. On arrival, tired and red-eyed with lack of sleep, he demanded indignantly to know why he had not been allowed to go on to port. He listened to the explanation and then declared that next morning he would communicate with his bank to discover the state of his financial resources with the intention of, returning to New Zealand! Commander Newman grinned and patted him on the back. ;. Nobody was more amused than this officer the following morning when, refreshed after a long sleep, bathed, fed, and rested, he listened to the chaffings on his decision to "volunteer out" of the service. .There are amusing undercurrents of competition between the various ships. One prides itself on its wardroom, and the comfort, on its cushions. This was immediately met by subtle improvement in the other wardrooms. Another has painted foam marks on its bows. A third has a tiki under the bridge. This tiki was at first the subject of much curiosity among the English crew, but they are how deeply attached to it. ■ WASHING A GOAT. Every ship has a pet, either a cat or a dog. • An innovation for a period was a goat! An Irish member of the cre.w, presented with £1 to buy a goat, made a bargain with a small boy and bought his father's goat for 2s Sd. He celebrated his triumphal return to the ship appropriately, the goat "maa'd" to the sentry's challenge, and proceeded to lick oil off the winches and eat the crew's clothing. • Immediately the goat came aboard, however,, it was apparent that his standard of cleanliness was not as high as. that of the R.N.V.R. In fact, he smelt. Peccadilloes were thereafter punished for a. day or two with the j order to wash the goat! Eventually the owner arrived, and the goat has returned to his normal life where i bathings and light-hearted sailors are unknown. . ADOPTION OF SHIPS. The' various ships have been "adopted" by various people, who supply comforts for the crews, and this adoption has been greatly, appreciated during the winter months. A . girls' school has taken this direct interest in ■ Lieut. Palmer's ship, and in return lie addressed the pupils with an account of convoy work. Inter-ship competitions include football, darts, and shove-ha'penny matches, and, as an added attraction, Lieut.-Commander Tidswell has improvised a deck tennis court-in his ship. ' Over.the activities of his ships, official and unofficial, Commander Newman, nicknamed the "Cardinal," keeps a watchful and humorous look-out1 The proof of his genial leadership, rigid at sea, lenient in port, is that every convoy led by his minesweepers has been safely and accurately guided and that merchandise valued at millions of pounds has reached its destination.