ROYAL OAK AFFAIR

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 228, 26 September 1928, Page 7

ROYAL OAK AFFAIR

Captain Dewar Appointed To

Battle Cruiser.

ADMIRALTY'S "ACT OF GRACE."

(Australian and N.Z. Press Association.) (Received 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 25. There has been an interesting sequel to the Royal Oak affair, the Admiralty having made the announcement that Captain K. G. B. Dewar has been appointed to the command of the battle cruiser Tig' r. The "Evening News" says the appointment is a generous act of grace on the part of the Admiralty and probably unprecedented. It does not compare in prestige with the command of the Royal Oak, which is a battleship and fully commissioned. The Tiger, although a battle cruiser, is now a seagoing, gunnery, firing ship, but the Admiralty's act restores Captain Dewar to a seagoing appointment, giving him sufficient time to qualify for promotion to rear-admiral rank before his retirement.

The trial by courts-martial of Commander 11. M. Daniel and Captain G. B. Dewar concluded on April 5. Both were dismissed their ship and severely reprimanded. Commander Daniel was charged with committing a breach of discipline in connection with a report upon the events connected with the departure of RearAdmiral Bernard St. G. Collard, which the former addressed to Captain Dewar. The terms of this were alleged to have been (subversive of discipline and contrary to the King's Regulations, as they contained criticisms of his superior. RearAdmiral Collard. A further charge ajfainst Commander Daniel was that he publicly read from a document in the ward room of the Royal Oak, certain remarks regarding the criticisms of the conduct of a superior officer, Admiral Collard, in a way calculated to bri Admiral Collard into contempt and so subversive to naval discipline.

Captain Dewar was "charged with accepting and forwarding the letter from Compiander 11. M. Daniel to Vice-Admiral Kelly. The affair was considered the greatest sensation in the navy for manv years and because of the conduct of RearAdmiral Collard and the language he M-af alleged to have used to the ship's band and bandmaster, much public sympathy was ranged oil the side of the penal,s."' officers.