NEW ZEALAND VICTORY

Evening Star, Issue 25172, 11 May 1944, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND VICTORY

MRS NASH CHRISTENS FREIGHTER NAMED IN TRIBUTE TO DOMINION (Special.) WILMINGTON (California). " May New Zealand Victory and her splendid crews always have God's blessing and protection! " With these words, Mrs Walter Nash, wife of New Zealand's Minster to Washington, recently christened a newly-huilt 10,500-ton Victory ship in honour of New Zealand, shortly before it slid down the ways of the California Shipbuilding Corporation here. Tha ship is the first Amcrican-4)uilt vessel to bear the name of New Zealand in this war.

In a colourful launching ceremony, witnessed by hundreds of shipyard workers and a small representative group of New' Zealanders, Mrs Nash' shattered a bottle of champagne against the ship's bow, and heard the voice of Mr Nash recorded prior to his departure last month for London, hid New Zealand Victory " good luck and fair weather," as she took her place in a line of vessels whose traditions, ho said, were " among the most inspiring in the annals of the sea."

"'This line of ships which bears the names of the United Nations, will carry to fighting fronts throughout the world the men and equipment which in evergrowing stream now pours out in every quarter of the globe. . . . New Zealand has always claimed to be among the front rank of the democracies in clinging fast to the principles of freedom, and in introducing new steps toward a fuller life for her people," Mr Nash said. " These principles and theso achievements will he symbolised whenever a Victory ship of the United Nations group sails into a foreign port." In the official party in addition to Mrs Nash, the sponsor, were Colonel and Mrs R. S. Halliwell, of San Francisco.

Mr and Mrs S. B. Pilcher. also of San Francisco, Mr J. V. Blood-Smyth. British Vice-consul at San Pedro, California, and Mr A. J. Barr-Brown. of Wellington Mrs Pilcher, wife of New Zealand's representative for Western America, and Mrs Halliwell, wife of the Dominion's liaison officer in charge of shipping on the AVest Coast, were matrons of honour, and, like the sponsor, received colourful corsages and huge bouquets of American Beauty roses from iMrs Dorothy McNary", launching hostess. Mrs Beauchamp, a New Zeailander, was accompanied by her American husband, who, as an employee of if lie shipyard, had worked on New Zealand Victory. Speaking on behalf of Mr John A. McCone, president of the California Shipbuilding Corporation, Mr Hugh iMacDonald, of the Calship yard staff. itemed the newly-completed ship' a symbol of teamwork. ADMIRAL BYRD'S MESSAGE.

Rear-Admiral Richard E. Byrd, longtime friend of New Zealandl and now on active duty in the ,ITnited States, navy, and Rear-Admiral E. S. Land, War Shipping Administrator, both sent messages which were read over the yard's public address system. Admiral Byrd said: " As one American among many who have come to know and love New Zealandl as .a great country in-

habited :by a great people, may I wish this ship Godspeed. New Zealanders have proved the gallantest of allies on the desert, in the air, and now in Italy, and ibeside our, own forces in the South Pacific. May S.S. New Zealand Victory exemplify the magnificent fighting spirit that we have come to associate with trie name of our ally ' Down Under.' "

The launching ceremony was brief. i Mr MacDonald, serving as master of j ceremonies, spoke for a few moments. j and then introduced Mr Nash's recorded address. He next brought Mrs Nash to the microphone. She was wearing a blue suit, .grey fur coat, and blue felt hut trimnued with a small tola elk veil. She spoke to the group as follows: " It is indeed a very great honour for me to launch this beautiful ship—fln honour I only wish I could share with all the women of New Zealand. And 1 know that if my husband wore not required to be in London to-night he would be here with me to thank, in person, those who have named this wonderful vessel in honour of New Zealand. May New Zealand Victory and her splendid crew always have God's blessing and protection." She paused, then turned to Mr MacDonald and presented him a New Zealand Ensign to be hung in the after cabin of the ship " as a token _ of the friendship which so happily exists between your own people and mine." THE LAUNCHING. By this time the ship was poised to go, and Mrs Nash received final instructions from her aide, Mr Luke Corzine. The vessel was held back only by two steel " burn off " plates, one on each side of the ship about 30ft or 40ft from the sponsor's platform. Each of the plates contained six numbered holes, and on signal workmen with acetylene torches burned through the -Jiu steel to each hole in succession. Some time between 5 and 6 Mrs Nash received her signal, and, swinging the bottle in a short arc, struck it against the steel. It broke at the first blow, and, as the champagne spurted across its bow, the towering grey shape wrested itself from the restraining plates and started down

the ways, sliding smoothly back and down into the darkness that shrouded the channel beyond.

One girl standing nearby pushed through the crowd to Mrs Nash. " I am from Australia," she breathed, wiping one hand across a tear-stained cheek. " I have worked so hard on that ship and was so glad when they named it for New Zealand. Oh, Mrs Nash, part of my heart went down the ways with that ship."

There is little time for sentiment in a war-time shipyard, however, and even as company towiboats nudged New Zealand Victory -toward her outfitting dock spidery cranes lowered a keel into position for the next ship on Cafehip's schedule. Five hours later another ship was under construction. New Zealand Victory, which will be ready for sea in less than a month, was built in- 55 days, her keel having been laid January 25. She is the' sixth of &4 Victory type vessels for which the Calship yards hold contracts, and the 340th ship launched from the yards during the present war. It has not yet been disclosed whether she will make her maidten run to the South Pacific and New Zealand, but yard officials indicated , that it was possible. The extent and direction of the first passage will depend upon the shipping firm to which she is allocated. At that time, too, her captain and the crew will he chosen.. *