ARMY SWIMMING

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 29, 28 June 1940, Page 6

ARMY SWIMMING

N.Z.E.F. Activities In, •r Egypt 1' ■-'V News of N.Z.E.F. swimming activities in Egypt is contained in letters received by a member of the literary staff of the Dunedin “Star” from Staff,sergeant D. C. Berry and Private A. -D. Williams, both of whom are very well known in Otago and Southland swimming circles. - , Berry, as a, schoolboy, competed, at the national men’s championships in Dunedin in 1936, and also represented Southland . at* water polo. At that time he stood out as one of the .outstanding distance swimming prospects in the Dominion, but subsequently he turned to back-stroke with great success, and he was placed'in national title events in Invercargill in 1939. '» Williams,, a member of one of New ■ Zealand’s best-known swimming families, was the New Zealand intermediate diving champion in 1933, and aDo a good back-stroke exponent and water polo player, as well as being-very active in surf life-saving activities. His brother, Neil Williams, " well-known. Otago water polo representative, is a member of the second echelon.

Both Williams and Berry refer Ao: the N.Z.E.F.’s^ new swimming pool at the. camp, which was opened by Major-Gen-eral Freyberg, after which a successful carnival was held. The baths are about the same size as the Dunedin municipal pool, and were completed'within five weeks, costing approximately £7OO. The water is changed daily and there- is ample accommodation for spectators. .. Among the well-known- swimmers taking part were N. Crump (Auckland),W. Johnson- (Southland and formerly of Otago .and Auckland), D. Berry ( Southland ), and M. McGibbon (Southland). It is of interest to recall that when Williams won the intermediate diving championship of New Zealand at Invercargill in 1933 he was billeted with McGibbon, and as he had not seen or heard .of him since he’was. very surprised to find him taking part, y;; The 100yds. invitation race was won by Crump in 60 3-asec., Johnson being second and Berry third. The placings were the same in the 33 l-3yds., Crump’s time being . IGsec. / In the 100yds. ' /breaststroke, D. Webster (Auckland), who won the New Zealand intermediate boys’ 100yds. breaststroke championship "in Timaru in 1935. finished first in'/83se.c. 1 J. L. Mclndoe (a, former president and now ,patron of the . Otago Swim ming Centre), was", present at • the opening carnival, and' book part in the diving.- .C/ < f ‘ The New Zealanders intend organizing a water polo team and challenging other regiments in Egypt.