NEW ZEALAND NAVY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20690, 12 April 1929, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND NAVY.

■ STAFF, CHANGES. CAPTAIN BLAKE TO SUCCEED CAPTAIN SWABEY. (Special to Daily-Times ) v: WELLINGTON, April 11. Captain Geoffrey Blake, D. 5.0., R.N., commodore second class, who has been appointed to succeed Captain G. T. C. P. Swabey, D. 5.0., R.N., as commodore in command of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, is' due to arrive in New Zealand by the Rotorua erirly in September. His arrival and the actual- change of command, which will in all probability take place at Wellington, will be the occasion of an interesting ceremony on board H.M.S. Dunedin. . Captain Bake, who has a reputation in the service of .being a very brilliant officer, has had an interesting career. Born in 1882, he entered the Royal Navy in 1807, and was promoted lieutenant in 1904, commodore in 1914, and captain in 1918. When the war started he was serving as gunnery comiriarider in H.M.S. Iron Duke, the flagship of Lord Jellicoe, commander-in-chief of the Grand Fleet. Commander Blake was in the Iron Duke at the battle of Jutland, and retnained in. that ship till 1917, when he was appointed gunnery commander in H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, the Grand Fleet 'flagship of Lord Beatty. For his war services Captain Blake was mentioned in despatches several times; and his decorations include the D.S.O. and the Order of St. Anne (Russia). Shortly after his proriiotion to captain and the disbandment of the Grand Fleet be was appointed naval attache to the United States, and served in that capacity at Washington for two years. From 1921 to 1923 Captain Blake commanded HALS. Queen Elizabeth, flagship of the Atlantic Fleet. He served on the staff of the Royal Naval War College from 1923 to 1925, and on January 4, 1926, he was appointed director of the Royal Naval Staff College. Gn December 15, 1927; Captain Blake was appointed to H.M.S. Nelson as chief of the staff to Admiral and Hon, Sir Hubert G. Brand, K.C.8.. K.C.M.G., K.C.V.0., commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet, and he will continue in that capacity until July. The appointment of his successor has not yet been announced. , It is understood that Paymaster-com-mander E N, R. Fletcher, M. 8., 8.R.N., who has been naval secretary to the New Zealand Naval Board and commodore’s secretary since July. 1926, will be returning to England when Captain Swabey reliqnishcs command of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. Official advice has been received from England of the appointment of Captain F. A. Sonimerville, D. 5.0.. R.N., to H.M.S. Emperor of India in command and as flag captain to Rear Admiral H. K. Kitson, commanding the Third Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. Captain Sommervillo, whose new appointment is to date from May 7, ' was formerly chief of staff officer of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, and returned to England in 1926. when he was succeeded by Captain .C, N. Reyne, who is at present on his way home. Captain Sommcrville has been in command since May, 1927, of H.M.S. Peisgard Depot at Portsmouth for f,h- training of artificer apprentices. Vice-admiral A. (I. Hotliam. C. 8., formerly commodore commanding the New Zealand Division of the Roval Navy, was recently placed on the retired hst at his own request. Sublieutenant H. G. D. De Chair, late of H.M.S. Laburnum, left by the Makura for Sydney where be will take up tlie appointment of A.D.C. to his father Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair K.C.8.. who has been Governor ot New South Wales since 1923. Sublieutenant de Chair was succeeded in V ' l,,lni ' nn hr Sub-lieutenant N. V. • ‘ ar rived from England in the Ininui op Monday.