Feilding Boy Serving on Achilles

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 297, 16 December 1939, Page 3

Feilding Boy Serving on Achilles

LEAVES SCHOOL TO JOIN THE NAVY Residents of Feilding and district will be interested as well as proud to learn that a Feilding boy is serving 011 H.M.S. Achilles which engaged the German “pocket” battleship, Admiral Graf Spee. His name is Eric Mingiu.; and he is the second son of Mrs. A. Mingins and the late Mr. T. Mingins, of Port Street. Mrs. Mingins was aware that her son was somewhere at sea with the British Navy as a member of the complement of H.M.S. Achilles, and yesterday morning she learned from “The Times” of the naval engagement, this being the first definite knowledge she obtained concerning the exact whereabouts of her son. Eric Mingins was educated at Lytton Street School, Feilding, and always manifested an enthusiasm for the Navy. He was keen on studying wireless and lii3 desire to become a member of the Royal Navy was gratified as soon as he completed his primary schooling when he was enrolled for training on the Philomel. Successful in his examinations on this training unit of the Royal Navy, Eric was trans ferrod to H.M.S. Achilles and entered upon his new ship with the utmost enthusiasm. His scr\ak-e with the Navy has amounted to just on two years and the fact that so soon iu his career he was to participate in a sea fight has excited the utmost interest in the career of this boy.