H.M.S. LEITH

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1934, Page 5

H.M.S. LEITH

NEW ZEALAND’S NEW SLOGP. [FEB PBESS ASSOdtA'i'iON.] AUCKLAND, November 13. The newest ship in the British Navy, H.M.S. Leith, which has replaced the Veronica on. the New Zealand station, arrived at Auckland from England at midday. The voyage which occupied three calendar months to-day was uneventful.

The Leith, which is classed as a convoy sloop was built at Devohport dockyard (England) and was. launched on September 9, 1933. The completion occupied nine mohths, and she was commissioned in July, after paying a visit to Scottish ports, after which she was named. She sailed f<j>r Auckland on August 13. The voyage to New Zealand was made at an average speed of only 10 knots, although the sloop is capable of logging up to 16.6 knots. Calls were made at Gibraltar, Malta, Port Said, Aden, Colombo, Singapore, Dutch East Indies ports, Thursday Island, and Brisbane. By reaching Auckland this morning, the Leith, which js now berthed at the training jetty, Devonport, arrived one day ahead of her original schedule. Although the Leith left England on the thirteenth day of the month, and arrived on the thirteenth of another month, the voyage was anything but unlucky. Generally, fine weather, was experienced, spray being taken on deck only on two occasions during the entire trip, and at all ports called at by the vessel, her officers and company were royally received. On arrival at Port Said, the new sloop fired a salute in honour of the flag of the country, and at Colombo she was in company for several days with H.M.S. Sussex, on which the Duke of Gloucester travelled to Australia.

Shortly after leaving Brisbane, where the Leith spent six highly enjoyable days the sloop rammed a whale. Two days before reaching Auckland, the vessel struck another whale, the impact being sufficient to awaken some of her company sleeping in the aftex- part of the vessel. On the second occasion, the whale which apparently was not seriously injured was seen to blow. As the Leith came into the harbour this morning, she passed the Royal Mail linex* Niagara, outward from Auckland to Vancouver, and courtesies were exchanged. The vessel has three mascots, a fox terrier dog, which rejoices in the name of Bonzo, and two cats. The ship’s complement totals 104, including Captain O. Bevir, and the following six officers: Lieut. C. H. C. Singleton, Lieut. C. A. C. Montgomery (navigating officer), SurgeonLieut. C. D. D. De Labilliere, SubLieut. N. Scott Elliott, Gunner B. H. Brett, and Warrant Engineer C. G. Kerswill. None of the officers has been on the New Zealand station before, but a number of the men have been here on othex* Imperial ships, and several of them had wives and children to greet them on arrival.