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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2022 18:59:02 GMT 12
HMS Wellington was a Royal Navy sloop that joined the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy in May 1935. Here is a cutting from the New Zealand Heraldmarking its arrival, published 15th of May 1935.  ARRIVAL OF NEW SLOOP AT WELLINGTON H.M.S. Wellington, latest, addition to the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, photographed after arriving at Wellington from England. Inset is a portrait of Commander J. B. E. Hall, in charge of the sloop. NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 15 MAY 1935 This vessel served during the Second World War, but I am not sure if it was still NZ Div or back to the regular RN by then. I decided to have a search and found on Wikipedia that it actually still exists today! Amazing to find a pre-WWII New Zealand Navy vessel still intact and afloat. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HQS_Wellington |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2022 20:06:42 GMT 12
THE NEW SLOOP
SERVICE IN DOMINION
H.M.S. WELLINGTON ARRIVES
DIVISION AT FULL STRENGTH
The new Imperial war sloop, H.M.S. Wellington, commanded by Commander J. B. E. Hall, arrived at Auckland yesterday morning. The sloop, which left Devonport, England, on February 5, came to New Zealand via the Suez Canal, the East Indies and Australia, and her first port of call in the Dominion was the city after which she was named.
On arrival at Auckland yesterday morning the Wellington fired a salute of 11 guns to the broad pendant of Commodore the Hon. E. R, Drummond. After the sloop had berthed at the training jetty, Commander Hall paid his official call on Commodore Drummond and the other commanding officers of ships in the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy.
The Wellington is one of the new type of convoy sloops and is almost exactly similar to H.M.S. Leith, which arrived on the New Zealand station last year. Although she is the first ship of her name in the Royal Navy, there was previously an H.M.S. Duke of Wellington, an engraving of which, presented by Commander Hall, hangs in the ward room of the new sloop.
All the Wellington's officers and ratings are looking forward keenly to their term of service on the New Zealand station. Commander Hall said the Dominion had the reputation of being the most popular station in the service and many other officers envied him his command.
During the war Commander Hall served in the Harwich Force, which also included Rear-Admiral F. Burges Watson, who recently relinquished command of the division, and Captain Cosmo Graham, the present captain of H.M.S. Diomede. Commander Hall has since served as assistant-director of physical training in the Royal Navy and as executive officer in H.M.S. Rodney. Most of his foreign service has been spent on the Mediterranean station.
The arrival of the Wellington brings the New Zealand division to full strength, as she replaces H.M.S. Laburnum, which left Auckland early this year for Singapore, where she is now a training ship. The Wellington and the Laburnum met at Singapore while the former vessel was en route to New Zealand.
In company with the other ships of the division, the Wellington will make an island cruise during the winter. The Dunedin will leave Auckland on June 5, the Leith on June 11, the Diomede on June 18 and the Wellington on July 5. Before her departure for the islands, the new sloop will probably go into the Hauraki Gulf for a few days for exercises.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 21 MAY 1935
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Post by Antonio on Dec 13, 2022 20:16:02 GMT 12
Well done you.
She looks amazing too.
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