NAVAL FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3830, 9 August 1927, Page 9

NAVAL FORCES.

' RECRUITING VERY SATIS-

FACTORY

WELLINGTON. August 2. lhe annual report of the commodore commanding the New Zealand station was presented to Parliament to-day. The present composition of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy consists of H.M. ships Diomede. Dunedin, a nd Philomel (a non-seagoing depot ship and training establishment), the trawler VVakakura, and the oiler Hucula. and there are 299 active service ratings, who have been recruited in New Zealand, serving in the local division.

Recruiting in the Dominion has continued to be satisfactory so far as seamen, boys, and stokers are concerned. There is no shortage of applicants and it is possible to select the best. 'The number of artisan and artificer candidates is, how ever, not so satisfactory, and there is inclined to be an insufficiency of competent and experienced workmen. This is, doubtless, due to the opportunities which are open to skilled men on shore.

The health and discipline of the ships’ companies have been excellent. The facilities at the naval base have been expanded to some extent, but it is essential that, sooner or later, steps must be taken to obtain a larger area of land, and to butld a shore establishment to replace H.M.S. Philomel, and the matter is now under consideration.

The report also stated that a most satisfactory feature of the reserve is class “D” at Auckland, which has during the last vear been increased from two to three companies. The officers and men are keen, and this is reflected in their state of efficiency. They carry out their seagoing training in one of the cruisers, but with the arrival of H.M. trawler Wakakura on the station it is now possible to carry out more intensive training, and periodical cruises are made in thi s vessel. The reserve men actually work the ship themselves, with a nucleus of active service ratings. This enables them to have firsthand experience in seamanship, cannery, and mine-sweeping. Commodore Swaby adds: “I feel that the extension of class ‘D’ of the reserve to other parts of the Dominion will be equally successful, and I strongly recommend it.”