Development Of Navy’s Electrical School

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 16

Development Of Navy’s Electrical School

Although the electrical branch of the Royal Navy is only 14 years old the Navy’s development of electronics has increased so much that its electrical school is now the largest single shore establishment.

Attending the school, known as H.M.S. Collingwood, which trains almost all the Navy’s electrical ratings, are a number of New Zealanders. The school covers 196 acres, has more than 200 buildings, a population of more than 2600 men and women, more than 76 professional teachers, and a farm with 320 pigs. Until he completed his training last month, the New Zealand group included R. Pierson, of Wellington, who was chief of the school. This is the title given to the senior apprentice, an important link in the school organisation. Pierson succeeded another New Zealander, J. Blamforth, of Taupo.

The apprentices spend about 33 months at the school on an intensive course that is about 60 per cent, theory and 40 per cent, practical. Naval electronics are developing so fast that It is not,

known for certain what equipment the artificers, those highly skilled naval combination of technicians and tradesmen, will work on in 10 years.

Therefore, the school concentrates on those principles which will never change, and gradually the laboratory is replacing the workshop. New Zealanders find the work strenuous and the hours long. But there are compensations. Hie school plays every type of sport—there are 9} acres of playing fields—and until he left the Rugby team was captained by Pierson.

Another prominent Rugby player is S. Wataon, of Dunedin, who arrived at the school half-way through the British winter. Within a few weeks he was hooking for the United Services first fifteen in Portsmouth.

Another compensation is the nearness of the Continent for touring. L. Fletcher, of Christchurch, another recent graduate, and Pierson joined in the purchase of a car in which they toured Germany, France, Holland, Sweden, and Denmark.