NEW ZEALAND’S NAVY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 223, 15 June 1921, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND’S NAVY

FIRST DRAFT OF YOUTHS. ■ Tho response to the call for recruits for New Zealand’s naval training scheme has been very satisfactory, and 27 young' New Zealanders arc now undergoing ft preliminary course of training on HM.S. Philomel. They have come from all parts of the Dominion, ana their numbers include 'lO stokers, lb youths and ordinary seamen, second class, and one boy writer. "They are just the stamp of recruit wo want,” said Commander Walsh, of 11.M.5. Philomel, in the course of an interview at Auckland |on Saturday, “‘intelligent and keen. They should make good future officers and petty-officers for the New Zealand Navy.” The boys started their course of training on the Philomel at the beginning ot last month, and will be transferred to H.M.S. Chatham next month for further training in order to enable them to qualify for higher ratings. Ihe preliminary course on the Philomel consists of training in discipline and general life on board a man-o-war, instruction in the rudiments of seamanship, including, for the stokers, practical work in tho boiler and /‘“K I”®' 1 ”®' rooms. Every care is taken for he welfare of the boys. On. joining the ship they take the oath of or an affirmation, and are then fitted out with a complete kit from a I'O.lstocked store, which has been ed in the Calliope Dock reserve. The Admiraltv reserve is used for exercises and gapies, and a large hut « now in course of erection for use as a recreation hall, reading and lecturereom- The course of training received bv the boys is very thorough, nnd in addition to 7 their special studies, instruction in ordinary school subjects is green to those lads who left school before pawing the sixth standard. The °7 boys who will soon be tiansferred to the Chatham respesent only the first small draft with which the now scheme has been put into °P CI >a "I want up to 89 bovs and 40 stokers,” said Commander M aRh and the course for the new draft uni start somewhere about the middle of next month. We have many application* in hand and it is encouraging to find that New ’ Zealand lads show such ® i„sm toward joming the serv’e®- After tiX - end onzine-room examinations, mth a C Tn ? v w k for vouths about ~,ll occupy 40 neeAS SfVSSfc- i""y .-1U r T ... « shins and training centres for higher torpedo KiX waters as long as possible.” -