CRUISER GAMBIA

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25047, 10 November 1944, Page 4

CRUISER GAMBIA

CAPTAIN INTERVIEWED SERVICE IN THE EAST A short interview was given to the Herald yesterday by Captain N. J. W. William-Powlett, D.S.C., R.N., who is commanding the modern cruiser Gambia, on loan to the Royal New Zealand Navy. Captain William-Powlett had ample opportunity to hear much about New Zealand long before the cruiser left the Indian Ocean to come here, as not only was one of his brothers, Captain P. B. R. W. William-Powlett, in command of the cruiser Dunedin for several years while she was on the New Zealand station, but his father, Major B. William Powlett, is a well-known peacetime visitor to the Dominion. "My father came out to visit; my brother," said Captain William-Powlett yesterday, "and he liked New Zealand so much that lie came here again, especially for the fishing." Service in Cruiser Squadron The largely New Zealand character of the Gambia was mentioned by Captain William-Powlett. "We received all the New Zealanders who were available," he said, "and except for a few branches, such as the shipwrights and marines, the ship's company is about 80 per cent New Zealand. And even among the marines there are men who have been here before, were married here, and like to regard their homes as being in New Zealand. "We think we are as good as, in fact, rather better than, the other ships of the cruiser squadron with which we have been serving. We believe we put up a good showing in the various things we were called upon to do, and our gunnery, seamanship and so on were, wc like to think, satisfactory. Good Wishes of Admiral "Our cruiser rear-admiral said goodbye to us," said" Captain William-Pow-lett. "and he was nice enough to compliment us all upon our work. We also received a visit from Admiral Somorville before we left." Like many cruisers, the Gambia is fitted to serve as a flagship if necessary, and the captain's day cabin and anteroom are designed for use bv an admiral if he flies his flaa in the ship. Among Captain William-Powlett's officers and ship's company are some who served in the ship during her previous and short commission. They recalled yesterday that the cruiser then visited the West African Crown colony from which she takes her name, and tliev have a special regard for the natives of that not very rich and small dependenev. "We went alongside a jetty, a little wooden affair that could hardly be caller! a wharf, sticking out into the sea from the sand of the beach, and down to us came a party of chiefs," said an officer. Native Chiefs on Quarter-deck "They were very close to fuzzy-wtiz-zies, but there was no doubt about their hearts and their loyalty. They sat down on the quarter-deck and had a grand time with us, and before they went, mostly in pennies, threepences and sixpences, they cave almost £IOOO to the ship's fund. The money has not been touched, and we are hoping to do something appropriate with it after the war is over." The Gambia is the first warship to hear the name of the colony, but so far, as with practically all ships of the Royal Navy which have been constructed in wartime, she has none of the usual carefully-cherished relics, crests and trophies which help to aive ships a special identity and atmosphere of their own. She and her people are content in the meantime to do the tasks allotted to them, and to leave the other things for peacetime to bring. LIQUOR BY RAIL KING COUNTRY ORDERS PROTEST AGAINST SYSTEM (P.A.) HASTINGS, Thursday The Presbyterian Assembly at its concluding session passed the following resolution: — "That the Government be urged to discontinue the system of cash-on-delivery for the carriage of alcoholic beverages on the railways in the King Country, as this was a serious infringement of the intention of the pact with the Maori people." The Rev. J. D. Smith (Auckland) said the Railway Department was acting as the agent of the liquor trade in collecting not only freight but also other charges from purchasers. The existence of this practice, he said, was being used as an argument for the abrogation of the pact with the Maoris. HEALTH STAMP SALES £29,141 IN THREE WEEKS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday Great satisfaction with the progress of the health stamp campaign was expressed by the Postmaster-General, Mr Webb, when announcing the figures for October. Including sales amounting to £13,336 from the stamps branch of the General Post Office —largely overseas orders — the Dominion sales for the month were £29.111. The total for October last year —a record month —was £29.513, but the Minister pointed out that this year's campaign did not commence until Octotober 9. and to have approached so closely in a bare three weeks to the total for the full month in 1943 was an excellent achievement, reflecting much credit on all concerned. TESTS OF PUPILS EXAMINATION CANDIDATES The first school certificate examination to be held by the Education Department separately from the university entrance examination will commence on Friday next. Over 1200 candidates will sit for the examination in the Auckland metropolitan area at the nine centres provided. The examination covers about 30 subjects, but Auckland candidates have entered for only 20 of them. With the introduction of an accrediting system for university entrance on a basis of a four-year secondary school course, the school certificate, for which a candidate may sit after a three-year course, was separated from university entrance. The last day of the school certificate examination will be December y. The Public Service entrance examination will commence on Tuesday and will also continue until December 1. A total of 212 candidates will sit for the examination in the metropolitan area. The first university entrance examination under the accrediting system will commence on December 1, the candidates being those who are not accredited for entrance. AIR FORCE MOVE PARNELL TO REMUERA In spitjvpf the difficulty caused by the needlpLhaudio drafts of men at the same timmpood progress has been made with the transfer of No. 1 Port Depot of the Air Force from the Parnell Rise buildings to those at the former United States naval hospital at Remuera. All flic Air Force personnel and equipment should he transferred by the end of the week. The work of converting the site for the use of the Rehabilitation Department has already begun. The flats on the other side of Parnell Rise will be evacuated hv Monday. In its new quarters the Port Depot will be commanded by Group-Captain E. M. Lewis. Both the Rehabilitation Department and the Disabled Servicemen's Re-estab-lishment League will he accommodated at Parnell Rise, the latter only until its new building is erected in Horonito Street. Dominion Road. The Rehabilitation Department proposes to use the space for its trade training centre.