NAVY LEAGUE NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2416, 23 March 1915, Page 3

NAVY LEAGUE NOTES

(By H.M.S.) Captain William F. Blunt, formerly commander of H.M.S. Psyche in these waters, and a warm supporter of tho Navy League, distinguished himself in the "Battle of the Bight" off Heligoland in. September last. Captain Blunt was twice mentioned in dispatches for the able manner in which 'he handled H.M.S. Fearless (3400 tons). Commodore Tyrwhitt stated that "the gallant attacks made by the Fearless on tho large German cruisers at critical moments undoubtedly saved the Arethusa. Captain Blunt has since been decorated with the D.5.0.. 'Tiie 'Fearless is a fast modern light cruiser, 3400 tons, 18,000 h.p., sister ship of the Arethusa and the ill-fated Amhpion.

The local branch of the League has various interesting communications from t'he front, but no information is, of course, divulged. Mr. 11. Jeffers, R.N., was Chief Yeoman of Signals aboard H.M.S. Challenger while at Wei-, lington. After some 30 years 1 service he married and retired to tho Coastguard Reserve at _ Devonport. Not long since he mentioned how he had seen the Hon. Winston Churchill and Lord Fisher (in overalls) jointly inspecting the dockyard one quiet Sunday afternoon, before the war. Mr. Jeffers has since; gone back to the' active list as C.Y.S. and took part in the Dogger Bank engagement under Admiral Beatty. He writes: "Here we are again, doing* a little bit for a good cause; any letters sent to private address will be forwarded me. Silence is golden in these times." In 1899 Mr. Jeffers was signal boy aboard H.M.S. Calliope, when she steamed cut of Samoa Harbour in the historic storm which destroyed six German and American ships of war.

Captain H. A. Fyler, R.N., will long be remembered by Navy Leaguers for the enthusiastic way in which he personally organised a monster Navy League demonstration at the Town Hj.ll, and arranged for a model of his ship, tho Encounter, to fire a Royal Salute on the stage on the arrival of the then Governor —Lord Plunket. Captain Fyler frequently writes to the local secretary of the' Navy League. He is at present commanding the modern battleship Agamemnon, now taking a prominent part in the Dardanelles bombardment:

The late Captain H. C. Carr, formerly of the Psyche, who was lost in the sinking of the auxiliary cruiser Ba.yano, was also a great friend to the League, and like Captain Fyler was very popular with his men.