H.M.S. DIOMEDE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18257, 28 November 1933, Page 6

H.M.S. DIOMEDE

A WARM WELCOME SCHOOL CHILDREN’S VISITS FINE-WEATHER ARRANGEMENTS Officers ami men of the cruiser Diomede, now lying in the roadstead, will welcome school-children, in parties under tlhe supervision of teachers, aboard the vessel from 10 a.m. to-mor-row. The Harbor Board launch Takitimn will be placed at the disposal of visiting parties, and providing the weather is suitable, the first trip will be made to-morrow morning. Those who propose to pay visits to the cruiser, under arrangements made by the harlioi master, Captain A. I arson, in ('Oiljunction with the Gisborne l 1 -'’ league, and with the sanction of Captain 0 Cosmo Graham, of 11.M.5. Diomede, will be given their opportuntios to see the vessel according to the weather.

On the last occasion when a cruiser visited Gisborne- the weather was most inauspicious, and the visit lasted only long enough for the captain of the warship to receive the welcome conveyed by an official party headed by the DeputyMayor and the chairman of the Harbor Board. It later became necessary for the cruiser to put to sea, and the last of the official shore visitors had be returned to the Wharf in the ship s tender. It is hoped, however, that the weather conditions will favor, on the occasion of the visit of the Diomede, the inspection of the. vessel by the hundreds of children who have displayed interest in the naval establishment of New Zealand.

H.M.S. Diomede, as a sister ship to the Dunedin, carries a complement of over 200, and is one of the post-war developments of British naval defence. Her armament is such as to interest every landsman, and should conditions favor the transportation of visitors to the warship, a strong impetus should be ap. plied to the steady interest in the representatives of Britain’s sea-power, which has survived through long periods during which the port has missed the advantages of visits from naval ships. It vvas a much larger official party that visited the Diomede to-day, than that which offered the district’s welcome to the sloop Laburnum and her complement, Headed by the Mayor and tho chairman of the Harbor Board, Messrs. John Jackson and John Tombleson, the party comprised over 20, and included representatives of professional and commercial circles in Gisborne, as well as of official bodies and semi-public organisations such as the Gisborne Publicity League. Captain Cosmo Graham and Ids officers received the guests with typical naval courtesy, and in the course of the Visit arrangements were completed for the programme of entertainments offered by Gisborne to the men of the Diomede. The full programme drawn up in connection with the visit of the Diomede is as under:—

To-night.—Naval Ball, City Hall, 8 o’clock.

To-morrow night.—Amateur athletic electric light sports, Childers road reserve, 7.30 o’clock; smoke concert to Hie men at tho Cosmopolitan Club. Thursday.—Rotary lunch; afternoon, aquatic carnival, 3 o’clock, Read’s qtiay embankment; -professional sports, Victoria Domain, opening of new banked cycle track, 1.30 o’clock. Thursday night.—Colored water display by Gisborne Fire Brigade; naval searchlight jdisjplay; njusio by Rejgimental Band, Waikanae Beach, 8 o’clock.

Friday night.—Combined naval concert and tug o’ war contests, Opera House, 8 o’clock.

Saturday afternoon. —Rifle shooting match, 11.M.5. Diomede v. ' Gisborne Rifle Club, Mangapapa range, 2 p.m.; cricket match, 11.M.5. Diomede v. Gisborne Club, Oval, 2 o’clock. Sunday afternoon.-—Motor trips in tbe country.

Sunday night.—Band concert, Botanical Gardens, H.M.S. Diomede Band. 8.15 o’clock.

The officers of the cruiser comprise Captain Cosmo Graham; Commander J. W. Farquhar; Lieutenants Jv. S. Backhouse, M. A. C. H. Ilardcastle, N. 8,. Quill, P. Bethell, R. E. Washbourne, and C. Carlvon, R.N.R..; Engineer-Com-mander R. P. Chapman; Ehgineer-Lieu-tenant C. R. Havergall; Lieutenant R. M. M. Archdall; Surgeon-Commander J, W. Tiglje; Paymaster-Commandant C. 3. B. Hickman; Paymaster-Lieutenant J. G. Bennett; Sub-Lieutenant R-. A. Kidsan; Gunner L. H. Mager, Gunner G. R- Davis-Goff, Gunner L. Green; Warrant-Engineers 0. S. Slope and J. Teague; and Warrant-Shipwright J. L. Hambling. Durihg the stay of the Diomede in the roadstead, Various private entertainments will be offered to the officers of the vessel, in addition to the public programme outlined below. It is a matter for regret that the boxing tournament arranged in advance of the visit of the Diomede lias had to be abandoned. The date fixed for the tournament was Monday, December 4, but owing to the exigencies of the service, the stay of the Diomede lias had to lie curtailed, and the boxing tournament is one of the fixtures affected. As each night, of the Diomede’s visit to Gisborne was already allocated to some other form of entertainment for the crew, it was not considered feasible to advance the date of the boxing fixture, and the Gisborne Boxing Association came to the decision, with much regret, that an exchange of cQiuiesies with the men of the Diomede, within the scope of the Marquis of Quoensberry’s rules, must stand over until n further visit of the cruiser, which it is hoped will not long he dole ved.