RETURN OF DUNEDIN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21249, 1 August 1932, Page 8

RETURN OF DUNEDIN

anchorage in the gulf LONG ABSENCE FROM DOMINION OVERHAUL' AND REFITTING H.M.S. Dunedin arrived off Tiri Tiri Island yesterday afternoon on her return to New Zealand from England, where she has been undergoing an extensive overhaul and refitting. Tho cruiser went to an anchorage in the Hauraki Gulf for tho night and will come into the Waitcmata Harbour at 11 o'clock this morning. Tho cruiser nailed from Auckland on April 17 of last year and proceeded to England, via Russell, Sydney and other ports, her destination being Chatham, where a thorough overhaul was carried out at a cost of £129,000. She was again placed in commission on May 26, and on May 30 sho was visited by the High Commissioner for New Zealand, Sii Thomas Wilford. Three days later sho sailed for Sheemcss, where stores and ammunition were taken on board, and tho cruiser left on the long voyage to New Zealand ori Juno 6, stopping for a few hours at Spithesd for the purpose of testing tho ship's wireless equipment. Tho voyage was made via Gibraltar, Madeira, Jamaica, Balboa, the Galapagos. Nukuhiva and Bora Bora. At Nukuhiva tho Dunedin was met by tho Admiralty oil tanker Nucula from which the cruiser's bunkers were replenished for tho last stage of tho voysge to Auckland. Tho Nucula left Bora Bora ahead of the Dunedin and reached Auckland last evening. H.M.S. Diomede was at Bora Bora when tho Dunedin called there. The Cruiser's Officers Captain M. J. C. de Meric, who brought the Diomede to New Zealand after her refit in England in 1930 and who commanded the Dunedin on tho voyage to England, has been in command of the cruiser on her voyage to New Zealand. He has with him the following officers Commander P. B. R. W* William-Powlett, Lieutenant-Commander C. D. Arbuthnot, Lieutenants S. H. Carlill, K. S. Backhouse, K. R. Buckley, N. R. Quill and R. 11. Courage; Commander R. A. Fletcher, Lieutenant T. G. B. Winch, Captain L. Priestly, Royal Marines; Pay-master-Commander E. C. Fenton, Paymaster Lieutenant J. G. Bennett; Sur-geon-Commander J. E. Clark; SubLieutenant B. Walford; Commissioned Gunners W. Paige and R. H. Shipcott; Gunner E. J. Watts; Warrant-Engineers F. X. Sharman and J. H. Longman; Schoolmaster I. D. Lawrence; WarrantShipwright S. H. Tozer. Movements oi Other Vessels Gunner W. B. Burns and Warrant-Engi-neer A. J. Lee, who are commissioned for duty on the voyage of the Dunedin, are to transfer to H.M.S. Philomel on arrival. Most of the ships of tho New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy aro absent from the Auckland base. The flagship, the Diomede, sailed on an island cruise on June 28, and after visiting a number oi the groups of the Eastern Pacific is expected at Suva on Thursday. Bishop Kempthorne, tho Bishop of Polynesia, joined the Diomede at Nukualofa for the purpose of visiting a number of the islands of his widespread diocese. The Diomede will return to ' Auckland on August 26. The two sloopg Laburnum and Veronica arc also cruising in the South Pacific and are not expected to return to the base until September. The minesweeper Wakakura is in port.