THE PHILOMEL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 70, 17 December 1918, Page 4

THE PHILOMEL

PAID OFF YESTERDAY. The men of the cruiser Philomel were paid off yesterday. Tho Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) visited the ship in connection with the proceeding and congratulated the men on their war work. The Philomel, which had been handed over to the New Zealand Government before the outbreak of war, saw a great deal of service during 1911, 1915, and 1916. She formed a part of the'escort of the New Zealand force that took Samoa in the first weeks of the war, and later went to Egypt with the Main Body. She landed a part}- at Alexandretta. 111 January, 1915, and it'was here that the first New Zealand casualties were sustained. Later she went to the Persian Gulf and tho Red Sea, and did valuable work, often under difficult and dangerous conditions, until she returned to New Zealand in March, 1917. Sir James Allen said that lie was very proud of tho war work of the New-Zea-land cruiser, which was manned largely by New Zealand ratings. 1 The men had played tho game right through and had a splendid record of service. They had met every demand made upon them during their period of service, and he was sure that they shared the pride he .felt in the ship they were leaving. The Minister of Defence added that he believed still, as he had believed before the war, that the naval defence of the Empire could best be served by the provision of local units by tho overseas dominions. The Philomel represented the beginnings of a sound naval policy, and he hoped that the system of manning suitable warships by New Zealanders for service ordinarily in New Zealand waters would be continued.