H.M.S. ACHILLES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21280, 25 February 1939, Page 6

H.M.S. ACHILLES

New Appointments

Some Personal Notes

LONDON, January 30.

Lieut. R. E. Washbourn, R.N., whose appointment to H.M.S. Achilles has been gazetted, is looking forward to a further commission on the New Zealand Station. He belongs to Nelson. Lieut. Washbourn joined the Royal Navy in January, 1928 as a special entry cadet, having sat for his examination in Wellington in July, 1927. After a year’s training in H.M.S. Erebus, cadets’ training ship, he went to sea as a midshipman in H.M.S. London, flagship of the Ist Cruiser Squadron, on the Mediterranean Station. In April, 1931, he was promoted acting sub-lieutenant, and after undergoing courses at Greenwich and Portsmouth for the rank of lieutenant, he spent six months in H.M.S. Warspite in the Home Fleet.

From 1933 to 1936, Lieutenant Washbourn served in H.M.S. Diomede on the New Zealand Station, ending the commission with four months at Aden during the Abyssinian crisis. When the Diomede paid off at Chatham in 1936, Lieut. Washbourn was placed on U.T. and spent the summer sailing in H.M. Yacht, Tai Mo Shan, in a number of ocean races, until the long gunnery course began in September. In October. 1937, he qualified as a gunnery officer and joined the staff of H.M.S. Excellent, Gunnery School, where he remained with one brief period of service in H.M.S. Durban during the naval mobilisation of September last year. In 1937 he was awarded the Commander Egerton Memorial Prize, instituted in 1901 for the officer qualifying for gunnery lieutenant who passes the best examination in practical gunnery. He had previously gained the Ronald Megaw Prize for the highest place in his examinations for lieutenant, and the Good-enough Medal for the best examination of his year for gunnery. The New Commander Commander D. M. L. Neame, who has been appointed commander of H.M.S. Achilles, on recommissioning, has, for the last two years, been executive officer to H.M.S. St. Vincent, boys’ training establishment. Commander Neame was trained at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth. He went to sea in 1917 and joined H.M.S. Tiger. As a lieutenant he specialised in physical and recreational training, but reverted to general service in 1927 and joined the Fleet Air Arm as a pilot. After four years’ flying he reverted once more to general service and joined H.M.S. St. Vincent. He remained there for two years and then went to China for two and a half years in H.M.S. Cornwall. On returning he joined H.M.S. Majestic to convert her into H.M.S. Caledonia boys’ training establishment. He was promoted to commander in December, 1936, and returned to H.M.S. St. Vincent as executive officer.

Outside his duties, Commander Neame-is very much interested in sport in general and in rifle shooting, and he has a bias towards athletics. He was Navy huries champion for seven years. In 1928 he represented Great Britain in the 120 yards hurdles at the Olympic Gam is in Amsterdam. In 1930 he represented England at the British Empire Games, Hamilton, in the quarter-mile hurdles, and the British Empire v. U.S.A, at Chicago. In 1933 he played hockey for the Royal Navy and Rugby for Hampshire. Commander Neame is married. Mrs Neame and their infant daughter, will be going to New Zealand.

Commander (E) H. W. Head, who also has been lent to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy and has been appointed to the Achilles, was midshipman to the Warspite in 1919 and was re-appointed to that ship for engine-room training early in 1922, subsequently specialising at Keyham College. In 1924 he served as lieutenant (E) in the aircraft-carriers Argus and Eagle, and the cruiser Vindictive in China. After two years on the gunmounting staff at Barrow he went to sea again in 1931 in the York and Revenge. During the last two years Commander Head has been engineer officer of the Verity in the Portsmouth Local Flotilla.

Sub-Lieut. (A) N. W. Sykes has been lent to the New Zealand Division and appointed to the Achilles. Another appointment to the Achilles is that of Warrant Engineer C. H. J. Stone. Several cancellations have been an-

nounced in connection with gazettings to the Achilles. One of the officers appointed was Lieut. (E) W. G. Hornby, son-in-law of Sir James Parr. This appointment was cancelled shortly after it was announced, and other cancellations include Lieut. C. F. Morrow and Warrant Engineer C. G. Cole.