H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 237, 1 July 1919, Page 8

H.M.S. NEW ZEALAND

DISTINGUISHED OFFICERS ON BOARD

MANY DECORATIONS WON

' The ship's company with Lord Jellicoe on board H.Jfs. New Zealand, includes a number'of distinguished officers. Among the admiral's staff tho following- havo notable records:

Commodore F. C. Dreyer,'C.B., C.8.E., the chief of the statf, served in pre-war days with Lord Jellicoe as his assistant, at the end of his service as Director of Naval Ordnance at the Admiralty, and as his flag commaiidiH' aHoat in 1911 and 1912. In 1913 he commanded the light cruiser Amphion, and .went from her in Ootober of that year as flag captain of the Dreadnought battleship Orion until October, 1915. He then became flag captain of the fleet flagship Iron Duke, which he commanded in the hattlo of Jutland and, until 'Lord Jellicoe hauled down his flag'in November, 1916. Captain Dreyer accompanied Lord Jellicoe to tho Admiralty, and first served in the newly-formed anti-submarine division of tho Naval Staff, and then for 18 months as Director of Naval Ordnance. On the formation of .a gunnery and torpedo division of' tho Naval Staff in June, 1918, Captain Dreyer was appointed in charge of it as Director of Naval ■ Artillery and Torpedo. He is a Companion of tho Bath (military and civil), a Companion of the British Empire Order (military), and has two Russian Orders, in addition to the Legion of Honour.

Captain 0. Leggett, the fleet captain who commands the New Zealand, was navigating officer of the fleet flagship Iron Duko when war broke out, and on promotion to captain in June. 1915, retained his post, tho old title "Master of the Fleet" being revived. In this capacity he took part in the battle of Jutland. Early in 1917 he took command of the modern light cruiser Caroline, in the fourth light cruiser squadron of the Grand Feet, remaining in her until appointed to the New Zealand in January, 191!). He holds tho Russian Order of St. Aline and the Legion of Honour.

The Admiral's Secretary. -. Paymaster-Captain H. H. Share, C.8., the secretary to Admiral Jellicoe, also served in pre-war days as his secretary in 1911 and 1912 in the Atlantic and Home fleets. He is well known in Australia, whore ho was secretary to Admiral Sir Lewis Beaumont, Naval Commander in Chief, and private secretary to Admiral Sir Harry Raweon, and later to tho Governor-General, Lord Northcote. On the outbreak of war he accompanied Lord Jellicoe to the Iron Duke as secretary, and, taking part in the battle of Jutland, remained there until the Admiral hauled down his flag in November, 1916. Ho accompanied Lord Jellicoe to the Admiralty, and was his naval assistant from December, 191(5, to the end of 1917. Ho is' a Companion of the Bath (military), and has a. Russian and a Japanese order, v in addition to tho Legion of Honour, also the Egypt Medal, ISS2, and Khedive's Bronze Star.

A Commander at Ostend Attack. Commander B. H. Ramsay, M.V.0., flag commander, qualified as war staff officer in 1913. On the outbreak of war lie was signal officer 011 the staff of ViceAdmiral Sir D. Gamble, in H.M.S. Dreadnought, in the Grand Fleet. He commanded a monitor on the Belgian coast from the spring of 1915 to tho spring of 1917. Prdmoted- to commander in June, 1916, he commanded a flotilla from the spring of 1917 onwards in tho Dover patrol. He then commanded a division of T.B.D.'s during the night attack blocking Ostend Harbour. Ho was awarded M.V.O. by the King after transporting hini to Franco. He is also a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and officer of the Crown of Italy, and holds the Belgian Croix de Guerre. Commander H. R. Sawbridge, anti-sub-marine officer, served in H.M.S. Emperor of India until his promotion to commander in December, 1917. He was attached to the experimental and trials section of the anti-submarine division of the naval staff u;util the conclusion of hostilities.

Lieutenant-Colonel E.' D. M. Robertson, D.S.C., Royal Air Force, commanded H.M.S. Eiv'iera (soaplane carrier) till the ■end of 1915. He then commanded aerial armament development and experimental squadron, R.N.A.S., Isle of Grain, and was later attached to the aerial armament section, under the Ministry of Mnnitions. He then commanded the air station at Felixstowe.

Laying of 10,000 Mines. Lieutenant-Commander R. H. F. de Snlis, D.S.C., torpedo lieutenant of the Victorious from the outbreak of war till February, 1915, was attached to the Vernon mining staff from 'March to- June, 1915. when he was appointed to the staff of the captain in charge of mine layers, where he remained till July, 191". He then commanded a division of six minelaying trawlers on the Belgian coast in the spring of 1916. He was awarded the D.S.C. in November, 191G, aijd bar in October, 1917. lie was appointed to the Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining, Admiralty, in July, 1917. Ho visited America from August to December, 1917, to assist experiments with a new mine, and has been present and taken an aotive part in the. laying of 10,000' mines on' service from twelve different vessels. •

At Zeebrugge and Ostend, -.Lieutenant L. V. Morgan, M.V.0., D.S.C., R.N., flag lieutenant and signal officer, 6erved as flag lieutenant and signal officer to Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon and to Vice-Admiral Sir P.oger Keys in the Dover patrol. He took part in the operations of blocking both Zeebrugge and Ostend, and was awarded the D.S.C. for his part- in the former operation. Ho was awarded the M.V.O. 'by the King in December. 1918, and holds the Belgian Croix de Guerre. Paymaster-Licutenant-Commander C. K. Lloyd, secretary to the Chief of Staff, served in 11.M.5. Iron Duke, and assisted in the fire control uf that ship in the Battle of Jutland. Early in 1917 ho joined tlie Queen Elizabeth when that ship become fleet flagship. Subsequently he was appointed to H.M.S. Calliope, flagship of a light cruiser squadron. Commander 'Thomas P. Calvert, R.N., the executive officer of H.M.S. New Zealand. is also appointed for submarine duties on the staff. Ho is a very experienced submarine officer, who served in H.M.S. Iron Duke during the war, until hi} promotion in June, 1910, acting as the Commander-in-Chief's adviser on technical submarine matters, as well as carrying out his ship duties. He was in charge of one or the Iron Duke's -turrets during the Battle of Juitlaud. Jn the autumn of 1916 he tgpk command of ono of the large and fast K class submarines attached to the Grand Fleet. fu September, 1918, he was appointed to the operations division of the Admiralty Naval Staff. Paymaster-Lieuteiiant-Comniaiider H. ]'. Hunter, D.S.C., H.N., served prior to the outbreak of war, and for the first three and a half years of hostilities as secretary to the captain of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla in H.M.S'. Patrol, which •iiip* put out from Hartlepool on December 16, 19H, to engage German raiders. Wa-s mentioned in dispatches in 1917, and in 1918 vrns awarded the D.S.C. For the last nine months of the war he served on the staff of a captain in the northern patrol (anti-submarine) force, until transferred to 11.M.5. New Zealand.