SERVICE NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20023, 14 February 1927, Page 11

SERVICE NOTES.

ADMIRALTY CHANGE. COMMANDER LOVETTCAMERON. SUCCESSOR APPOINTED. (From Ode Own Correspondent-) LONDON, December 28. Commander A. A. Lovett-Cameron ha# relinquished the charge of the Press Section of the Naval Intelligence Department at the Admiralty, which he has held for the past two years. During that time his unfailing tact, courtesy, and willingness to impart all possible information have made him a host of friends.

Commander Lovett-Cameron entered the Navy in 1896, and will shortly retire at the age of 43, after 30 years’ service. While a lieutenant in the Diamond in 1905 he commanded a Naval force, and landed on the Denierara River during disturbances. He was torpedo officer of the cruisers Carnarvon and Suffolk, and of the battle-cruiser New Zealand. In this ship he served five years, between 1912 and 1817, went round the world in her, and was present at the battles of Heligoland, the Dogger Bank, and Jutland. For his services in tne latter action he was promoted commander in 19nj. After two years’ service at the Admiralty ho commanded destroyers in 1919-1921, and between 1921 and 1924, when he took over tho charge of the Press Section, he was Executive Officer of the Torpedo School Ship Defiance and of H.M.S. Tiger. Commander Lovett-Cameron is a nephew of the late Captain Verney Lovett-Cameron, the Afrcan explorer, who was the first white man to cross the Dark Continent, some five years before Stanley. He married in 1916 the only daughter of the late Lord Dewar, who was Solicitor-general for Scotland in the Asquith Government and afterwards Senator of the College of Justice, Scotland. lie has been succeeded by Commander R. W. Wilkinson, who has lately left the command of the target-towing sloop Chrysanthemum in tho Mediterranean. Commander Wilkinson, the son of Sir William Wilkinson, late Consul-general at Hankow, served in command of destroyers for many years. Before the war he commanded tho Lynx. Cyget, Doon, Fame, and Otter. During the early days of the war he waa one of the searchers for the Emden. He was in command of the Ribble at the landing in Gallipoli, and afterwards of the Redpolo, and was mentioned in dispatches. Later ho commanded the Verulem in the Grand Fleet, and was promoted to commander on December 31, 1918. He was afterwards in command of destroyer divisions in the Sceptre, Seawolf, Speedy, and Tourmaline, joining the last named after tho Speedy was sunk in collision in tho Sea of Marmara in September, 1922. Ho took the Intelligence Course in 1924 before going to the Chrysanthemum. NAVAL SURGEON FOR NEW ZBALAND. With effect from December 17 last. Sur-geon-commander A. H. Joy is being lent for three years for duty with the New land Naval Division. Promoted in May, 1922, after serving in H.M.S. Bee up the A'angtzc River, Surgeon-commander Joy has since served in the cruisers Calypso and Curlew. In tho war he was medical officer of (he armed merchant cruiser Montague, and in 1917-18 was on the staff at Malta base and dockyard. COMING PORTSMOUTH CHANGE. A change will shortly be caused on the Portsmouth dockyard staff by the selection of Commander J. W. Clayton as the first navigator of the new battleship Nelson, completing on the Tyne. Commander Clayton is at present assistant to the captain of the dockyard and assistant King’s harbour master, in which post he will be succeeded by Commander S. K. Smyth, formerly commanding the sloop Laburnum on the New Zealand station, and during the war navigator of {he Cumberland and the Superb.