PHILOMEL REACHES END OF HER DAYS

Chronicle (Levin), 14 August 1946, Page 6

PHILOMEL REACHES END OF HER DAYS

NOW TO SOLD FOR SCRAP OR SUNK AUCKLAND, August 13. At'ter ."5(5 years' service as a warship tiro traiuing sliip and administrativc depot, H.M.X.Z.H. Philoniel, has reaehed t lie end ot' lier aetive. lit'e and is tc ho otl'ered t'or sale for removal and disposal by the end of Beptember. If no sutisfactory agreement is reaehed betweeu any prospective purck'aser and tlie Naval authoritios by tliat date, the 1 old warship will be towed out beyond tlie 1 UO fathom niurk aiul there sent to hor rosl with due honour. Tlio veteran eruiser served for a long timo as a traiuing sliip at Devonport but hor plaoe was takou during the tvar by Il.M.N.Z.S. Tamaki at Motuihi Island, and shu-e thon the Philomel has served tlie purposes of a bcnelit to otiicors and liion at the naval base. With ihe passago of years hor hull has becomo rusted and tliin and eoncvete has liad to be poured in some soctions to . keop tlie eruiser afloat. It was realised boforo the war tliat she had reaehed the end of hor useful life and in spite of the sontimeutal regard wliicli many feel ■ for hor, she will now have to be renioved. Tonders wliieh wiil l)e oalled for the Philoniel !s removal, will eiose at the oud of September and it is possible a ]iurehaser will be fouud who will consider it worthwltilo to break the eruiser up for serap. .Most of tliose who have uorked in or alongside her, however, have a soeret hope she will not ineet so igiioniinious an end and tliat the hulk will bo towod to sea and sunk with iitling cereiuouy for a sliip wliieh has sorvod the Dominion so woll. The Philoniel was lauuehed at Devonport, England, in 1890, a third class unarmed eruiser of 267b tons and 7500 horsepower. In her prinie slie had a maxiniuiu speed of .10 knots. She carried eight 4.7 ineli quiek-liring guns and : eight three-pounders. Under tlie command of Captain P. H. Hall Thompson, the Philomel earried out valuable patrol work iu the Gulf of Alexandrelte, Uod Sea and Persiau Gulf in .Tanuary, 1017. She patrolled tlie Indian Oeean looking tor the dennan eruiser EnuTen and aitliough detailed as a sea going traiuing sliip for Now Zealand in 1913, . the lirst World War prevented the Pliil- ] oniel from being lianded over for some ' years. Tlie first draft of New Zealand reeruits joined her in 1921 and for 20 years she was the home, seliool and traiuing eontre for hundreds of sailors. ! Iler engiues reiuoved she lies quietly toj day at Devonport, a familiar siglit to ! thousauds of Auekhuiders who daily ■ e ross "fhe harbour.