NAVY LEAGUE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 21, 25 January 1934, Page 9

NAVY LEAGUE

CAPTAIN DOELING'S * ■«- VISIT " '

MRS. J. FINDLAY HONOURED

A gathering of Navy League members was held in the Concert Chamber last evening on the occasion of the reception to Captain Taprell Dbrling, D.5.0., E.N., F.B.Hist.S. -,The' Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) presided, and tho Navy League was represented- by Coloriel" N." S./Falla. ' FOB SPECIAL SERVICE. Following the formal function in the Mayor's room, Mrs. James Findlay was presented- by the Mayor in tho* Concert Chamber with the Navy League Special Service decoration. Colonel N. S. Falla, in the absence of the president of the Navy League (Sir James Grose), extended on behalf of the league the -hearty congratulations of its members to Mrs. Findlay. The special decoration, he said, was instituted in 1916 for special and valuable services on behalf of the aims and objects of the league over a period of years, and the award was the result of considered recommendations of » special committee. Colonel Falla1 read the following letter to the local Navy League from, th 9 general secretary of the Navy League, London (Rear-Admiral Ktephenson): "In reply to your letter of May 17 I beg to inform you that at a meeting of the executive of the Navy League, at which Lord Lloyd was in the chair, it was unanimously decided to award Mrs. James Findlay the Navy League Special Service decoration for invaluable work over a period of many years. "I should be very _ grateful if you would have it presented to her, and may I ask .you to convey my committee's very deep appreciation of her work. Needless to say I should like to associate mypelf with that appreciation." /

Mrs. Findlay,: as they1.-.were aware, had-been rewarded for her very meritorious services to the Empire generally. Mrs. Findlay was. obviously a lady whose ideals of citizenship wero of no small degree. , The Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop)] then pinned on the decoration, arid/, as Mrs; 'Findlay desired not; to ibe called., upon, for a speech, expressed her thanks. Welcoming Captain Dqrling on behalf of the Navy League and of the citizens of Wellington, Mr. Hislop said ttiat' he was not only a very distinguished and widely-known officer, known to the Admiralty as Captain ■' Dorling, but known in a much wider way to' the British and English-speaking world as "Taffrail." To the public he was known, not as a naval officer, but rather as the interpreter of the spirit of the Navy, a thing of very great value afc all times, land never less than, today. Captain Dorling in the past had served afloat with distinction, particularly; with the destroyer flotilla during the war, and, as the result of that experience and the creative imagination with which he. was endowed, had given them under the title of "Endless Story" a history of the flotilla and'its work during the war, a book accepted' by. .the King> as part of the. Royal' library. Captain Dorling had also writtei'many; "thrillers,'', also/alive Avith • the, spirit of the Navy. It was a matter; of congratulation that, they had -with; rthenx from time to time officers who.were continuing after their retirement the work they did during their active" service. That was what was being done by their guest. Captain Dovling gave an interesting address^ which, is reported separately. A vote of thanks, moved' by Colonel Falla, was carried by acolamation, and the reception closed with the singing of the National Anthem.