NEW SLOOP LEITH

Northern Advocate, 3 January 1936, Page 7

NEW SLOOP LEITH

ARRIVING ON VISIT TO WHANGAREI LATEST TYPE OF VESSEL Whangarei’s New Year guests are the sailors of H.M.S. Leith, the new Imperial sloop, which arrived in the harbour this afternoon, and will remain here for a week. The Leith, which is of 1060 tons, is one of the latest types of vessel in the Royal Navy. She made port at Auckland on November 13, 1933, to replace H.M.S. Veronica, which left for England early that year to be dismantled. The Leith was built at the Devonport dockyard, in England, and was launched in September, 1932. She was commissioned in July and paid a visit to the Scottish port after which she is named, before her departure for New Zealand. Anti-Aircraft Gun. 'me Leith presents a much more modern appearance than the sloops of the “Flower” class to which the Laburnum and Veronica belonged. The officers’ quarters and the mess deck for the ratings are surprisingly commodious for a vessel of her size. The Leith carries two 4.7-inch guns and one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, and, in addition, she is specially fitted for mine-sweeping. None of the Leith’s officers has visited New Zealand previously, but several of her ratings were on the station quite recently. Captain O, Bevir is in command of the new sloop and has with him as senior officers, Lieutenant C. H. C. Singleton and Lieutenant C. A. C. Montgomery, navigating officer. The other officers are Surgeon-Lieutenant C. D. D. de Labilliere, , Sub-Lieuten-ant N. Scott-Elliott, Gunner B. H. Brett and Warrant-Engineer C. G. Kerswill. Met at the Heads, The Leith, which is on a short cruise to Whangarei and Whangaroa, sailed from Auckland at 6.30 this morning. She was met at Whangarei Heads by Mr J. A. Finlayson, chairman of the Harbour Board, who went out in the pilot’s launch. Mr Finlayson remained on the Leith during her passage up the harbour. It was the original intention to berth at Kioreroa, hut, in a letter received by the Whangarei Harbour Board last night, Commander Bevir indicated that the possibilities of navigating the Whangarei River and berthing at the Town Wharf would he explored. This will be a matter for discussion between the ship’s officers, Mr Finlayson and the pilot, Mr Murdoch McGregor, on the sail up the harbour. Commander Bevir is desirous of bringing the Leith to the Town Wharf if possible, as, owing to the lack of road communication, the men would Jae rather isolated at Kioreroa. The warship will return to Auckland on January 17, and will remain in port there for 13 days before she leaves on a three months’ cruise to southern ports. the Leith, with a draught pf ten feet, takes very little more water than the Claymore, she is 267 feet in length, and consequently, on the advice of the pilot, the Commander abandoned all thought of bringing her up to the Town Wharf, on account of the difficulty of negotiating the bends. She berthed at Kioreroa at 1.20 p.m., and will remain there until early in the morning of Thursday, January 9.