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Stratford Evening Post, Issue 5, 21 December 1928, Page 12

According to custom, the warship attached to thQ New Zealand Division or' the Royal Navy will spend Christmas in port, and all hands will get, as much shore leave as possible. Christmas Day is a red letter day on board. According to time-honour-ed custom a bunch of greenery is made fast to the trunk of each mast, and this gives the ship an unwontedly festive air. Something extra in the way of Christinas fare is always to be found on the mess tableg of the /tower deck, and as a rule the captain makes his appearance when the men are at dinner, and wishes them a happy Christmas. H.M.s Diomede, accompanied by H.M.s. Veronica, will leave Auckland on January 15 for the Gulf, where they will go (through some manoeuvres. They will return 'to .port on the 25th, remain for Anniversary Day, and the following day will leave' for Russell, where the squadron regatta will be held. The squadron will return to Auckland on Friday 8 to take part "in the combined training operations to be car- : ried out by the land, naval and air