THE MERCHANT NAVY

Evening Star, Issue 22578, 20 February 1937, Page 22

THE MERCHANT NAVY

TRAINING YOUNG OFFICERS SEA CADETS ON DURHAM Of the 38 cadets on the motor vessel Durham, which is at present at Dunedin, five are New Zealanders (two from Dunedin) and five Australians. In the majority the boys have first a training period of two years on one of the British training ships, H.M.S. Worcester or H.M.S. Conway, or at the Pangbourne Nautical College, and they go from there to do a three-year course on board the Durham. There are others, however, who enter the Durham immediately, and l for these there is a four-year course. The results, it is stated, have proved excellent,’ and there is proof of this in the fact that the chief, second. third, and fourth officers of the Durham at present are men who were trained in this manner. When the idea of specialised training was first adopted by the company a number of years ago five vessels were appointed training ships. They were the Orari, Whakatane, Westmoreland, Devon, and Essex, and each of them carried 25 cadets as well as a crew. This was necessary at the time, as the cadets were all first-year trainees, and they had not sufficient knowledge of the working of a ship to carry out immediately the full duties of seamen. It was not found to be a successful system, however, as in some cases the regular crow did ■ all the specialised work, leaving for the boys only the rougher work. After a period of three vears the Whakatane was withdrawn and her complement of cadets transferred to other of the training ships, giving them a larger percentage of cadets. Gradually the number of training ships was reduced to three, the Devon, Westmoreland, and the Cornwall, and then to two, the Cornwall and the Northumberland, who carried a complete deck crew of cadets. SHIP’S PERSONNEL. All these vessels were converted merchantmen, but when the Durham was built two rears ago she was specially designed and fitted as a training ship. The depression had by then administered its blows to the shipping worfd as well as to industry generally, and ao there was not by then the same necessity for a large supply of officers, the Durham took over the whole work. She is under the command of Captain H. L. Upton, R.D., D.S.C., R.N.R.. who has been associated with the training work from its initiation, and he has under him a specially selected staff who train the boys in the various departments of their activities. The officers are Mr F. T. Rennv, first; Mr H. N. Lawson, second; Mr G. D. Baldwin, director of navigational studies ; Mr M. N. Young, third; Mr R. Eyrie Walker, fourth; Dr E. J. Emery; Mr F. Freeman, purser; and Mr j. V. Stockman, telegraphist. The engineers are Mr A. T. Cox chief; Mr M. Brash, second; Mr .1. Attfield, third;, Mr R. Davidson, fourth; Mr J. Downey, fifth; Mr G. Cowell, sixth; Mr A. M. Lachlan, seventh; Mr W. Armstrong, eighth; Mr G. Graham, ninth; Mr A. Floyder, tenth; Mr G. F. Bisson, chief refrigerating engineer; Mr J. Paterson, second refrigerating engineer; Mr A. Boyd, chief electrician; Mr H. Williamson, second; and Mr R. Halhdaj, third, PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION. In all except her classrooms and her cabin accommodation for officers and cadets, the Durham is a trading vessel, which regularly carries cargo on the run between London and Australia and New Zealand', and thus the cadets have every opportunity of learning every aspect of their profession. They do all the deck work of the vessel as they are fitted by their years of training, and, in addition, they have five hours a day of classroom work. This is under the charge of the schoolmaster, Mr Baldwin, and here the boys learn the theory and practice of navigation, seamanship, mathematics, nautical astronomy, chart work, and all the other essential subjects of a qualified ship’s officer. Gradually as the boys get to the senior stages they become junior officers on the ship, standing their regular watches on the bridge with the staff men. and doing, under guidance, all the other directing work on board. •Thus, when they pass their first Board of Trade examination as second officers, they are fully qualified to take an appointment to another vessel. In addition to the work of the vessel and their school work, the boys are given as many opportunities for sport as possible. The Durham has her own cutter-rigged sailing boat, and in this and in the ship’s whalers the cadets learn all details of small boat work. There is a swimming bath on board measuring 20ft by 20ft and Oft deep, and on the boat "decks cricket pitches are arranged. Officers and crew are divided up into cricket teams, and regular matches are played for the championship of the ship. Fencing, deck tennis, and other sports can also be played, and when the ship is at her various ports of call cricket, Rugby, or Association football matches are played against other teams. Vari‘ous fixtures have been arranged during the vessel’s stay in Dunedin. A whalers’ race was to be held this afternoon between two crews from the Durham, two from the local R.N.Y.R., and one from the Port Chalmers Sea Scouts. It is also hoped to play cricket matches on Monday and Tuesday. While most of the cadets on board the Durham are preparing to enter the profession, there are some whose parents have chosen this course as being the best for the training of their sons for whatever walk of life they may wish to enter. During their three or four years on board the boys, who enter mostly at the age of 16 or 17 years, see a great deal of the world, and in the meantime learn a great deal of general knowledge and discipline. They have, too. as a background the tradition of the British mercantile marine, which, four years ago, under the patronage of the then Prince of Wales, became the Royal Merchant Navy.