APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS

Southland Times, Issue 23377, 8 December 1937, Page 3

APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS

i Union Vessel Wanaka CAPTAIN A. T. ADAM TO COMMAND The head office of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd., announces that Captain A. T. Adam has been appointed to the command of the company’s new motorship Wanaka. His senior officers will be: Chief, Mr A. W. Rabbitts; chief engineer, Mr A. A. Mclntyre; second, Mr A. Crumbley. The Wanaka, a motorship of 2370 tons gross register, is now being built by Alexander Stephen and Son, Linthouse, Glasgow and was launched on the Clyde on December 4. The vessel is to leave the United Kingdom about the end of February on her maiden voyage to New Zealand. Captain Adam was born at Beaufort, Victoria, on September 19, 1892, and at the age of 16 years began a four years’ apprenticeship in the Union Company’s training ship Dartford, joining the service of the company as fourth officer of the Warrimoo on January 22, 1913. He was later attached in that capacity to the Moeraki and Manuka, and was serving as third officer of the Wainui when he resigned on November 25, 1913, to go second mate of Charles Jacobs and Son’s barque C.J.S., engaged in the Mel-bourne-Mauritius trade. He rejoined the Union Company’s service on July 3, 1916, as third officer of the Wairuna, and, after serving in various ships, was appointed second officer of the Corinna in November 1919, later transferring to the Paloona, where he remained for about three years. Promoted chief officer of the Oonah in February 1923, he served in that vessel and the Loongana, both in the Mel-; bourne-Launceston express service, for the next four years, and after a Period in the Kekerangu in the Risdon-Port Pirie trade, he was transferred to the Moeraki in the Wellington-South Island-Melbourne service. He was later attached to the Manuka and Maheno in the same run. He was transferred to the Marama in the Sydney service in June 1931, and later to the Makura and Maunganui in the San Francisco service. Captain Adam was appointed master in January 1935, his first command being the Kowhai, since when he has commanded the Kakariki, Kini, Wollongbar and Ngakuta. SERVICE OF OFFICERS Mr Rabbitts, the chief officer of the new vessel, was born at Sydney, New South Wales, on August 4, 1903, and served his time as seaman in various steamers before joining the. service of the Union Company on July 8, 1924, as fourth officer of the Maheno. In August following he was appointed third officer of the Kamo, and later served in that rank in the Navua, Kaikorai and Wairuna. He was promoted to second officer of the Kakariki in September 1926, and during the next 10 years served in that capacity in several of the company’s vessels, including Ngakuta, Koranui, Ngatoro, Poolta, Kiwitea, Talune, Hauraki, and Maunganui. Appointed chief officer of the Kakariki in November 1936, he has since served in the Kowhai, Ngatoro, Ngakuta, Koranui, Talune and Kiwitea. Mr Mclntyre, the chief engineer of the Wanaka, served his apprenticeship on the Clyde in Scotland, and, after some sea service in the Donaldson Line and the Scottish Shire Line, was appointed a junior engineer of the Aorangi on the maiden voyage of that vessel in December 1924. He remained in the Aorangi until May 1936, having worked his way up to the position of second engineer. He then proceeded to Great Britain to supervize the engine department of the Waiana, and was appointed chief engineer of that vessel on her maiden voyage. Mr Crumbley, the second engineer, served his apprenticeship with the North-Eastern Marine Engineering Co., and, after some years of experience both ashore and afloat, joined the Union Company in July 1925, as second engineer of the Waipahi on the maiden voyage of that vessel. He has since served in many of the company’s vessels, and was recently successful in obtaining a Diesel endorsement of his steam certificate.