H.M.S. RENOWN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3806, 22 February 1927, Page 25

H.M.S. RENOWN.

LONDON, December 30. 11.M.5. Renown will be a well-equipped ship, lor everyone on board is greatly interested in the coming tour, and there is a general desire that, prior to arrival, all should know something about the countries that will be visited. There will be three New Zealand films—al! scenic—from the High Commissioner’s Department. In addition, the publicity officer has sent 17 volumes of books relative to the Dominion likely to be of interest for the Duke’s personal library. A supply o f other booka and much general literature will lie distributed among the mess cf the officers, the petty officers, and the crew. A naval correspondent sends to the Daily Mail the accompanying account of the special mjseot for the Duchess’s table. This will be a silver ship sailing on a silver sea This exquisite sample of the British silversmiths’ work has historic interest and makes strong appeal to the patriotic sentiment of z\ustralians. The silver ship is a beautifully wrought model of EI.M.S. Endeavour, the vessel in which Captain Cook first visited Australia in the course of his famous voyages of discovery. She- is shown with all sails set. and ensign flying. • Fifteen years ago this Lovely piece ot “mess-plate” was presented by the people of Australia to tile battleship Commonwealth, which was herself a .gift from Australia to the Royal Navy. Accompanying the centrepiece were shields for gunnery trophies, various other articles of plate and a silken ensign. As long as the ’Commonwealth continued in the service all these articles remained in her. But after doing her bit in the war the vessel was scrapped. Her mess plate was thereupon stowed away until such time as another Commonwealth appears in the navy, for these gifts are the property in perpetuity of warships bearing this name. For the Duke and Duchess of voyage the plate has been lent to the : Renown. It will be used, by their Royal ’ Elighnesses during ‘the trip and shown to visitors while the vessel is in Australian ports. OTHER TROPHIES. Regiments, as everybody knows, have mess plate which is handed on from one generation of officers to another and. greatly prized. So also have many of our warships. This being ship’s property, not Government stores, no official care was taken of it until about four years ago. As a consequence many valuable articles were lost. Eventually tne Admiralty took steps to preserve the. collections, with the result that, the Admiralty now have some thousands of pieces that once belonged to ships whose names have disappeared. The Queen Elizabeth has the finest collection of mess plate and trophies of any ship in the world- Its worth in- hard cash would be difficult to estimate. The most curious thing among them is a child’s caul. This was given to the ship by a peasant woman in the heart of Ireland, who knew of the old sea superstition that' a child’s caul is an infallible talisman against death by drowning- or shipwreck, and who "wished'to ensure the Grand Fleet flagship (as tho Queen Elizabeth was) immunity from disaster.