H.M.S. LEANDER

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 December 1938, Page 11

H.M.S. LEANDER

PACIFIC ISLANDS VISITED. [PE2 PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, December 13. Returning to port as flagship of the New Zealand Squadron, H.M.S. Leander reached Auckland from Nukualofa late yesterday afternoon, after a five weeks’ cruise in the Pacific. She was in command of Commodore J. W. Rivett-Carnac, who took over the post of Commodore of the New Zealand Squadi’on! from Commodore I. G. Glennie at Suva.

Passengers who returned by the Leander were Commodore H. E Horan, Chief of the Naval Staff and First Naval Member of the New Zealand Naval Board, Major-General J. E. Duigan, Chief of the General Staff, Group Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrane, Chief of the Air Staff, and Lieu-tenant-Commander T. Ellis, of the Navy Office, Wellington. Leaving Auckland on November 8. the Leander went to Suva and left there on a cruise to 1 some Pacific islands. Returning to Suva, the Leander waited on the arrival of H.M.S. Achilles, which was proceeding from Auckland to England, under the command of Commodore Glennie, to recommission. The office and records of the Commodore of the squadron were transferred to the Leander on December 6 and 7, and the . Commodore’s secretary, Paymaster-Lieuten-ant-Commander G. H. Ashby, Commander (E.) A. J. Norris, and Lieutenant Commander P. Dawnay also transferred from the Achilles to the Leander. The broad pennant of Commodore Rivett-Carnac was hoisted at the masthead of the Leander for the first time at 8 a.m. on December 8, and both ships left on their respective routes an hour later. Ratings in the Leander gave a rousing cheer as the Achilles drew away on her journey to England. While in Suva, Commodore Horan, General Duigan, and Group Captain Cochrane were guests of Sir Harry Luke, Governor of Fiji, and High Commissioner for the Western Pacific. Sir Harry was taken for a flight at Suva in the Leander’s amphibian aircraft. The Leander also stopped at Sunday Island, in the Kermadccs, on her 'return journey to Auckland, and a j boat endeavoured to make a landing. A party of those on the island, where the Government proposes to establish a meteorological station, came down to the rocks and hailed the boat, but owing to the rough seas, it. was impossible to reach the shore.