WITH THE HARWICH FORCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 75, 29 March 1919, Page 3

WITH THE HARWICH FORCES

'IN CONSTANT TOUCH WITH. THE

ENEMY

NEW. ZEAL AN GERA'S.. (J AREER IN

T’liE NAVY

Among the striking careers -of many Mew Zealanders in the war, that of Mr A. JN. Field, son of Mr T. A. H. Field’, M.F., is by no ■ means among the least inerestmg, Mr Field, who was, a prominent Mew Zealand journalist, left as a private in the Ninth. Keinforcements. He served in France for some time until wounded. Being unfit for further service in the land forces, he Received his discharge. Seeking other war ’work, he eventually enjiated in the Navy. For some tixne fie was on the staff of the Admiral at Portsmouth, and in December, 191 V, was appointed to OELM..S. Spenser .as Paymaster witff the rank of sub-heuten-ant.

Now'that the war is over he,has published -an illustrated booklet entitled “With, the Harwich Force," describing many of the exciting incidents.m which H.M.'S. Spenser took part. In a message on Armistice Day, Sir Kegmald Y. Tyrwhitt, Rear-Admiral commanding this force, remarked that it had made its name, and would not bo forgotten in history. The First Lord of the Admiralty, in a personal message of congratulation to the RearAdmiral, said: “You have been continually in touch with the enemy, and harried his light forces on every occas’on when he has ventured outside h’s defences, and; you have inflicted heavy losses upon hirii. It is in a large ,measure t'o this that our present victorv is due. The arduous- work of escorting the Dutch convoy traffic has been of immense value in maintaining connection n-Rh and Vir'nrrirwr snccor to a neutral country (Holland) which has suffered cruelly on account of the method of warfare adopted by Germany.” The 'Spenser, which reached a speed of 52 knots an hour on her maiden vovage in December. 1917, was the latest word in hght craft, and the Commander-in-Chief himself, said one day at Portsmouth, "1 envy you. If 1 were a voung man again there is not a ship .Navy 1 would sooner be in than the Spenser.” The booklet, which is beautifully printed, gives in detail the Spenser’s wan service, and is illns’.’ratecl hy photographs and drawings, come of the -pictures h n ing of a remarkable character, as. for instance, that of a vessel immediately after she had been torpedoed.

Le'tn’g inst received state that the Stum#” boot-lot famed irgh encomiums t”om the f>”*'ionti<w of the 'Brif’ e h Wan '■' T n,s"T , m. When the mail left England the Bnenser had just returned from » visit to Christiania, where she was inspected by the Kin? and Qneen of Norway, who entertained' her officers at a dinner. Un the arrival ot the Soenser hack in Rmrlahd. some of her company wore demobilised, including Paymaster iCeid, who went on holiday leave preparatory to retiring from the sendee, and contemplated a tour in the. Sou‘h of Ireland.