NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23363, 1 December 1937, Page 5

NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

FROM MESS DECK, PARADE GROUND, AND RIFLE RANGE

By Bull's-eye

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 74, Dated November 11, 1937 Captain F. L. Hunt, New Zealand Staff Corps, relinquishes the appointments of §Jaff officer-in-charge (temp.), No. 8 Regimerital District, adjutant, Ist, Battalion, the Taranaki Regiment, and area officer, area Ba, New Plymouth, and is appointed area staff officer, area No. 5. Wellington (dated October 11, 1937). Captain S. M. Satterthwaite, New Zealand Staff Corps, relinquishes the appointments of adjutant, Ist Battalion, the Canterbury Regiment, and area officer, area 10c, Christchurch, and is appointed commandant, Southern Military District School of Instruction, Burnham (dated September 22, 1937). Captain A. H. L. Sugden, New Zealand Staff Corps, is appointed instructor, Army School of Instruction. Trentham (dated September 28. 1937). Colonel S. C. P. Nicholls C.8.E., D. 5.0., is transferred to the reserve of officers, class la (dated October 18. 1937). The appointment of Second-lieuten-ant (on probation) T. L. Bailey, Ist Cadet Battalion, the Otago Regiment, is confirmed. No. 76, Dated November 18, 1937 Lieutenant-colonel O. H. Mead, D. 5.0.. P.S.C., New Zealand Staff Corps, relinquishes the appointment of adjutant-general (dated July 26, 1937), and is appointed adjutant and quartermaster-general, and is granted the temporary rank of colonel while so employed (dated July 27, 1937), and is also appointed second military member of the Army Board (dated November 6, 1937); No. 77, Dated November 25, 1937 Second-lieutenant W. N. Wood, 3rd Artillery Brigade Group (Otago Boys' High School Artillery Section), to be lieutenant (dated March 1, 1937). Captain A. H. W. Williams, 2nd Cadet Battalion, is transferred to the reserve of officers, class I (b). R.D.1l (dated November 3, 1937). OTAGO DIVISION R.N.V.R. Final Parade for Year 1937 The division assembled on Wednesday last for the final parade for the year 1937. The following were present at the invitation of the Commanding Officer and Wardroom Officers Otago Division:—Mr Begg (president Otago Harbour Board), Captain J. Maloney (representing Captain McLean, harbour master), Mr J. Sutherland-Ross (president Navy League), Mr Salinger (secretary Navy League), Lieutenant-colonel S. G. Scoular, N.Z.A.; Captain A. Bongard,' N.Z.S.C. (Area Staff Officer No. XI district), Messrs C. Hewett, C. Pettit, A. Wright. R. A. Wilkie, and J. Drum (of the Commercial Travellers' Association), and representatives of the Dunedin Old Navals (artillery). -. Programme After prayers, the division was inspected by Captain E. G, Morris, R.N.,' Director Naval Reserves, Wellington. On conclusion of the. inspection the executive officer, Otago Division (Lieutenant-commander P. G. Connolly, R.N.V.R.), outlined the training and general activities of the division for the year as follows: — Weeklv Training.—The division commenced training for the year, on March 17, 1937, and training' has been carried out as follows: Monday nights, smallbore rifle shooting; Tuesday nights, voluntary training in all subjects: Wednesday nights, official drill nights. , Attendances.—The average attendance for the year has been 90.6 Training Afloat.—One officer, five seamen ratings, 10 V/S ratings, and 13 wireless ratings have carried out training afloat in H.M.S. Leander, and it is anticipated thai 70 ratings will carry out' training afloat..in. H.M.S. Wakakura and H.M.S. Achilles during January,,February, and March, 1938. Promotions.—The . following promotions have been made in the Otago Division during the year: One sublieutenant promoted to lieutenant, one leading signalman promoted to proby-sub-lieutenant, 1 leading-seaman advanced to acting-petty officer, three able-seamen advanced to acting-lead-ing-seamen, two telegraphists advanced to acting-leading telegraphists, ,10 ordinary seamen advanced to the rating of able-seamen, six ordinary telegraphists advanced to telegraphists. Ratings qualified and were rated as follows: Non-substantive ratings—Two acting-leading-seamen Confirmed in their ratine: three able-seamen passed for leading-seamen; one yeo-6f-sigs. passed to V/S 2; one signalman T/O V/S to V/S 3; three signalmen Q. 1.8. to T/O V/S; two ordinaryseamen to ord-sigs.; three telegraphists to Q. 1.8.; two ordinary-seamen to or-dinary-telegraphists. Discharges.—Thirty-two ratings have been discharged, their time having expired. Recruits.—Thirty-seven recruits have been entered after serving. one month's probation. There is no difficulty in obtaining recruits, and there are at present 12 on the. waiting list. Visits.—Captain R. D. Oliver, D.S.C., 2nd Naval member; Captain E. G. Morris, Director Naval Reserves; Captain J. W. Rivett-Carnac, H.M.S. Leander, Port W/T officer, naval- base Auckland, and representatives of Otago Employers' Association have visited the division during the year. Other Activities Anzac Day parade—Representatives only, owing to inclement weather. Combined operations with the military—Night attack on Blueskin Bay. Cononation review At Tahuna Park. Interdivisional—.22 match, in which Otago Division was a close second. .22 match with New Zealand Artillery—Won by Otago Division. .22 match and sailing race with H.M.S: Leander—Lost. .22 match with ex-Imperial servicemen—Won. Tournament with Canterbury Division at Christchurch —Lost. R.N.V.R. buglers sounded the " Last Post" and the reveille at the Cenotaph on Trafalgar Day. Reunion of ex-R.N.V.R. ratings at headquarters. Funeral party for the naval funeral of Ldg. Tel. J. E. Buskin. R.N.V.R. Social Activities The following social activities took place during the year:—Officers' ball, R.N.V.R. ball in Town Hall, petty officers and leading seamen's ball, four monthly dances, and one hard-up dance given by the commanding officer. Presentation of Cups, etc. The presentation of cups and trophies was then made by Captain E. G. Morris. R.N., on the conclusion of which he complimented the com-, manding officer, officers and men of the division on their general bearing, training and attendances, and also gave a brief outline of the naval rearmament programme at present in progress at Home The president of the Navy League (Mr J. Sutherland Ross) then addressed the division, expressing his pleasure at being present and his appreciation of the fact that the young men of the division realised that the training was necessary. He said that if the necessity for and the value of the training was more generally realised it would be an important factor in the maintenance of the British ideal of world peace. The commanding officer (Commander F. Fraser, R.N.V.R.) then expressed his thanks to the guests and to the officers and men of the Otago Division for their loyal co-operation throughout the year. He had reason to anticipate an even greater success next year. Before the dispersement the winning crew of the four-inch semi-automatic gun competition gave a " demonstration run " of the four-inch quick-firing gun for the benefit of the guests. While this was in progress the lighting failed, upon which the emergency lighting at headquarters was brought into operation, and enabled the "run" to be carried through without interruption or hindrance.

The following trophies were presented:— Keith Ramsay Cup (small bore rifle shooting) Able-seaman T. J. P. Mosley. White Sports Cup (small bore shooting during the year)—W. A. Honeybone, R.N.V.R. Roberts Cup (highest points obtained by marksmen at the 300 yards in conjunction with the annual musketry course at Pelichet Bay range)— Able-seaman J. D. Paterson, R.N.V.R. Sutherland-Ross Shield (best firing in four-inch full-calibre on H.M.S. Wakakura, and in the examination in drill-stripping, etc., at headquarters)— Able-seaman J. B. Allan, R.N.V.R. Fraser Cup (winning crew for fourinch gun competition)—A subdivision gun's crew (Petty-officer L. Ogg, Lead-ing-seaman H. J. Partel, Leading-sea-man W. I. Steele, Able-seaman T 4 Richards, Able-seaman S. J. Ritchie, Able-seaman T. J. P. Mosley and Ableseaman B. Dennison). Commercial Travellers' Shield (boatpulling race in whalers)—Boat's crew from seamen's branch (Subdivisional Petty-officer A. M. Finlayson, coxswain, Leading-seaman W. I. Steele, Leadingsezman R. D. Hook, Able-seaman J. D. Allan, Able-seaman J. D. Craig and Able-sea.nan S. J. Ritchie). Ladder Competition (presented by the General Purposes Committee)— ■ Leading-seaman H. J. Partel. Signal Cup (presented by Captain E. F. Watson, R.N.V.R., for best effort and progress during the year m signals)—Signalman R. A. Peat. Flagship Trophy (presented by Lieutenant-commander Terry, K.N., to be competed for on the occasion of the visit of H.M.S. Achilles)— Otago Division. „.,„», i Commercial Tarvellers' Gold Medal (presented by the president of the Commercial Travellers' Association for the best progress for the year in wireless telegraphy) —Leading-telegraph ist E. E. A. Brown. THE OTAGO REGIMENT Motor Cyclist Platoon (No. Z) The weekly parades are being well maintained, and the training is progressing as per syllabus. As an added interest, semaphore signalling has been introduced, and to date the platoon as a whole is making satisfactory progress. , . , The second series of the week-end training syllabus was carried put in the Drill Hall last week-end, and there was a good muster. Saturday morning was spent in assembling the mounted equipment for carrying the Lewis gun, so that in future the platoon will be self-contained, all necessary equipment «and ammunition being carried on the motor cycles. Saturday night gave the platoon a chance of co-operating with the rest of the troops in a night !' scheme, in which the motor cyclists proved their worth as part of the mechanising of the organisation. All ■riding near the scene of the supposed hostilities was done without lights, a very good test and very realistic. On Sunday everybody attended the church service. _ At 1030 hours No. 1 and No. 2 sections drove off as vanguard to the mechanised convoy. The route was via the Main North road to Mihiwaka and Song Beach. The ride out was carried on without a hitch, the riders moving in bounds all the way until Mihiwaka' Post Office was reached. There the men were sent to strategic positions to hold the junction and cover the approach of the convoy. No. 3 and No. 4 sections acted very efficiently as a rearguard. •Sunday afternoon, after a field meal, was spent in a little advanced guard scheme by the motor cyclists on. the railway at PUrakanui. The outstanding feature of this was the efficient manner in which the men made use of the ground to get to the objective. At the close of the day the platoon rode back to the Drill Hall in formation, and presented a smart appearance driving through town. Next Tuesday will be the final training night, when all are expected to be prgsent, in order to make arrangements for a social evening marking the close of a very successful year—the unit's first.