THE WAHINE.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15309, 24 February 1920, Page 2

THE WAHINE.

WHAT SHE DID IN THE WAR. ■"■

The career of the Union Company's turbine steamer Wahine, which has'returned to Port Chalmers, during :the war makes interesting reading, writes a Dunedin correspondent. On arrival iv England she was placed.in dock in London, and guns were mounted, and the ship was adapted for service under the Vice-Admiral of the Eastern .Mediterranean^

The New Zealand crew, with the exception of some members of the providore staff, were returned to the Dominion, and the Unipn Company's master, Captain A. M. Edwin, and the officers and engineers who went to England in tlie ship, were given commissions in the Royal Naval Reserve, and their services retained. A naval crew then joined, and the W^lium was £ommis« siened as one of His Majesty's ships. Under the White Ensign the ship; left. London and proceeded to Mudros via Gibraltar and Malta. After arriving at Mudros, it was decided to employ the ship running between that base and Malta to carry naval passengers, all ranks and ratings, despatches, mails, stores, etc. In a remarkably short space of time the Wahine became the best-known ship in. those parts, and was renowned for her speedy and regular passages. • After several months of this work the Wahine was recalled to England, and there fitted for the strenuous work of a mine-layer. At this stage of her-career a naval captain experienced in minelaying took command' of the ship, and ho brought with him his own staff of naval officers and crew.

The ship took part in 76 mining operations, and kid 11,278 mines without mishap. The scene of action was all round the English coast, and the North Sea and across to Heligoland Bight. .

At the time of the signino; of the armistice the Wahine was in the Firth of Forth.- She was then laid up, and a little later was sent to the Clyde to be reconditioned by the builders. An interesting plate, presented by the officers and ship's company who were serving on H.M.S. Wahine at the cessation^ of hostilities, and inscrfbed with the ship's war record, has been affixed at the entrance to the main saloon. It reads: "From October 13, 1915, to May 28, 1916", dispatch vessel to the Gallipoli forces; from July 22, 1916, to April 21, 1919, mine-layer; and during the latter period the Wahine was engaged in 7G mining operations, and laid 11,378 mines."