Mobilising in Secret.

Waikato Times, Issue 12411, 21 October 1912, Page 6

Mobilising in Secret.

SMART WORK IN MANNING SHIPS

A striking illustration of the rapid- ! ity with which even the most dis- j tant of the reserve ships of the Navy can be completed for sea was afforded I recently, details of which came to ' hand by last mail. I Under the new scheme of destroyer organisation a large number of de-, stroyers manned with nucleus crews: are based upon Rosyth. Soon after the scheme came into being Me Middlemore asked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether any arrange- I had bo? n made for completing the crews at short notice, and the reply was that the matter was then under consideration'. Evidently the problem has now bee» settled. Orders were received one night at Chatham (where the bal- 1 ance crews are kept) for the necessary men to proceed to Edinburgh as poow as possible. No special ar- i rangements were made with the railway authorities, but the men, who left Chatham at 6.30 next imorninff, were all on hoard their respective vessels at Leith by 9 o'clock the same night. No traffic was held up to facilitate the run north, and the temporary disablement of a bridge at Leith added at least half an hour to the time taken.

As soon as possible barracks for a large number of naval ratings will be constructed at Rosyth. The balance crews required for the reserve ships will than be permanently on the spot.