DEVONPORT BASE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23601, 9 March 1940, Page 12

DEVONPORT BASE

SHORE ACCOMMODATION REPLACING THE PHILOMEL CONSTRUCTION TO PROCEED [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Friday The Government has approved of shore accommodation being erected at the Naval Base at Devonport to replace H.M.S. Philomel, according to an announcement by the, Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, to-day. The Minister said the Government had for some time past realised that the housing of naval officers and ratings in the old ship, which is a familiar sight at the Naval Base, was far from satisfactory, and various schemes to provide alternative accommodation had been under consideration. It had now been decided, said Mr. Jones, to proceed without delay with the construction on the land now used as a parade and hockey ground of a self-contained modern set of buildings, which would offer a standard of accommodation and comfort in conformity with modern ideas. 'I he loss of tho ground could not be avoided, but during the past year additional property had been purchased, which would enable the Naval Base to be extended, and on this ground two new playing fields would be laid out. GRANT OF £50,720 RECONSTRUCTION PLANS TRAINING SHIP'S RECORD 50 YEARS IN THE SERVICE Under the 1939-40 Naval Estimates, £50,720 was voted on account of naval base reconstruction, it beinc explained that the Government's intention was to build an instructional and mechanical training establishment and to reconstruct H.M.S. Philomel to provide adequate accommodation for increased numbers. For the past three years it has been evident that H.M.S. Philomel was not large enough to accommodate increased entries of seamen boys, while much of the later specialised training has had to be taken at Australian depots. The construction of shore barracks to replace the Philomel is part of a wholesale rebuilding of the base, which has been completely transformed in the last few years, with the object of making it as near as possible a selfcontained repair dockyard and training base. Difficulties imposed by the naturally restricted boundaries have been overcome by the reclaiming of land in Stanley Bay, the purchase of private sites on the cliff . above the base, and the acquisition of additional land outside the main gate, where the new sports fields will be laid. The Philomel has already completed her 50th year in service. First commissioned in 1890, she spent ten years as a cruiser, with a speed of 19 knots, on the Cape of Good Hope and West African stations. Her next six years were passed in English waters, and in 1913 she was commissioned for the New Zealand station.

During the Great War she saw varied service. When the Main Body was despatched she went with the Minotaur, the Psyche and Ibuki. as convoy to troopships. She parted company with the transports at Albany and, alter steaming with the Pyramus in search of the German raidet Emden, went to Port Said to convoy three French transports to Aden. Afterward she operated in this locality and in the Persian Gulf, until ordered to return to Wellington late in 1916. Since March, 1921, she has been used purely as a training and depot ship. Since then, hundreds of seamen boys and stokers have been trained in her and, although her engines were dismantled in 1924, her limited capacity is her only fault, and her hull is still quite sound.