NEW ZEALAND NAVY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19512, 16 December 1926, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND NAVY.

VERONICA'S COMMANDER, ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND. VISIT OF BRITISH OFFICER. Many associations with the personal side of the New Zealand Navy marked the arrival of the Mataroa from London, via Wellington, yesterday. One was the arrival, with Mrs. de Salis, of Commander R. de Salis, R.N., who is to assume command of H.M.S. Veronica, replacing Commander P. Hordern, who left by the Tainui yesterday afternoon. Commander de Salis, who was met by Commodore G. T. C. P. Swabey, D.5.0., and other representatives of the New Zealand Squadron, has a distinguished record. For the past two years he has held an appointment at Whitehall. Mrs. Swabey also arrived from London, accompanied by her two daughters, Misses D. and J. Swabey, and son, Master U. Swabey. Colonel A. Payne, C.M.G., and Mrs. Payne, M.8.E., also arrived on the Mataroa to begin a tour of New Zealand. They are the guests of their daughter, Mrs. Peters, wife of Captain A. Peters, commander of H.M.S. Dunediu. Colonel Payne was formerly in command of tke Wiltshire Regiment, and had a distinguished record in the Great War. He led a division that fought at Galiipoli, and for services in France was awarded the Legion of Honour. Mrs. Payne was a prominent leader of the Red Cross movement and during the war was associated with the military hospital at Alexandria.