DEFENCE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 21993, 1 April 1935, Page 3

DEFENCE TOPICS

FROM QUARTERDECK TO PARADE GROUND [By Sam Bbownr.] THE GAZETTE ‘ New Zealand Gazette,’ No. IS, published on March 21, contains the following notifications; — THE OTAGO REGIMENT. Second-lieutenant (on probation) A. C. Logan, 2nd (Cadet) Battalion, resigns his commission. Dated February 22, 1935. George Bently Beath, to he second lieutenant (on probation), and is posted to the Ist (Cadet) Battalion. Dated February 7, 1935. NEW ZEALAND VETERINARY CORPS. Lieutenant C. V. Doyas, M.R., C.V.S., is attached to the Southern Artillery Group. Dated February 16, 1935. NEW AUSTRALIAN SLOOP H.M.A.S. YARRA An interesting ceremony was scheduled to take place at the Cockatoo Dockyards, Sydney, on Thursday, when the new war sloop H.M.A.S. Yarra, which was built there, was to bo launched. The ceremony was to bo performed by Mrs Parkhill, the wife of the Federal Minister for Defence (the Hon. R. A. Parkhill). The launching of the vessel will have a particular interest even outside Australia for, Mr Davis believes, it will be the first unit of the British Navy which has ever been built by private enterprise outside of Great Britain. Those war vessels which have been built at the Cockatoo Yards have all been constructed while the Australian Government had control of the concern, he said. The Yarra is the first war vessel built since the yards became privately owned and controlled. ANOTHER TO FOLLOW. Immediately the Yarra was launched another vessel of similar class—a convoy sloop—is to be laid down and work pushed ahead on its construction. The Yarra and the vessel to follow her would be practically sister ships to the convoy sloop H.M.S. Leith, now attached to the New Zealand station. They were known as Grimsby Class convoy sloops. The Yarra, with the exception of the armament—guns, etc. —had been constructed entirely at the Cockatoo Dockyards, and practically all the steel used was from Australian works. The- programme at the yards also includes the construction of aeroplanes for the Australian Government and for private work. MOUNTED RIFLES SIGNALLERS AND MACHINE CUMBERS The signallers and machine gunners jf the Otago Mounted Rifles will hold their first parade since the annual camp on April 8, at the Drill Hall. Subsequent parades will be held on April 15 and 29. Members of the machine' gun troop will complete their musketry course on April 27. COUNTRY SQUADRONS. C Squadron will hold a camp at Oam.iru about mid-May, while towards the end, of April B Squadron will hold a three-day week-end bivouac, probably at Kelso. • LiASOH SYSTEM INTERCHANGE OF DEFENCE OFFICERS An iutcrchance of officers between tlie defence forces of the Commonwealth and New Zealand is likely to bo a feature of the Federal Government's defence policy this year _ (states the Melbourne ‘ Age ’). Visiting Australia to study our practical defence methods, Major J. G. Goss, of the New Zealand staff corps, will be followed by other defence officers from the dominion, and it is expected that the exchange of views, resulting from their visits will systematise the working arrangement between the staff corps or both dominions. Army activities have increased considerably _ since the opinions of the British military expert. Sir Maurice Hankey, were obtained during his recent visit to Australia, and more intense! army , developments are expected in the near future, HISTORIC FLAG AN EARLY CORPS The death of Miss Georgina Runcinian at the age of ninety-two recalls a gift of particular historic interest, a flag which belonged to the Cambridge Cavalry Corps from 1871. to the time that .the corps was disbanded in 1883. The flag was made and presented to the corps by Miss Rumanian, and when the corps disbanded it was handed to the Cambridge Public Library. The motto on the flag is “ Our hearths and homes.” The corps was formed to protect the homes of early settlers against hostile Maoris.