WORK OF THE R.N.V.R.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18235, 2 November 1933, Page 11

WORK OF THE R.N.V.R.

IMPORTANCE TO N.Z. ; DIRECTOR RETIRING The. value of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve to New Zealand was stressed by Captain J. R. Middleton, D. 5.0., director of Naval Reserves in the Dominion,. in his farewell,,address to tho Canterbury division. Captain Middleton, who took up . his- position as director when the Volunteer Reserve was established in 1926, will retire at the end of next month. Commander C. H. lyersley, commanding officer of tlie Canterbury division, who was in change of the parade, said that they could look on Captain Middleton as the father of the Royal Naval Reserve in New Zealand. Captain Middleton remarked that in tile .service there was a very sound tradition that no man should stay in the same job too long in case he became stale. “Perhaps very few of you realise how essential your work is,” said Captain Middleton, “but I suppose most of you know that should mobilisation ever be ordered the two cruisers of the New Zealand Division of .the Royal Navy would go north somewhere and join up with, • other cruisers L> form a cruiser squadron. Then the whole naval defence of New Zealand would fall on the reserve. • “Mine-sweepers and other local vessels would have to be manned by you, and experts iu, signalling, minesweeping, and gunnery would be the nucleus of experts on these ships maimed otherwise by officers and men of tho mercantile service. Such work is essential, because it is absolutely necessary for us to keep our ports open in' time of war.” Captain Middleton said that if he had had everything he wanted, the reserve would have cost the country as much as £40,000 a year. Off course it had notcost a third of that sum, but even if it had, the expense would have been fully justified. One ship leaving port from New, Zealand loaded with wool and mutton and butter, might bo worth £1,000.000, of which £40,000 was only 4 per cent. That would mean that tlie cost of tho reserve was only 4 per cent, of the value of one vessel. lie did not suggest that New Zealand ever would actually be attacked, hut the feeling of confidence which the existence of the reserve inspired was of the utmost value. It created a feeling that whatever happened the ports would bo kept clear.