“Royal Indian Navy”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 375, 8 June 1928, Page 9

“Royal Indian Navy”

ENGLISH ADMIRAL TO COMMAND OFFICERED BY NATIVES British Official Wireless Reed. Noon. RUGBY, Thursday. The appointment of RearAdmiral Humphrey Walxiyn, to be flag officer commanding, and director of the Royal Indian Marine, is the first appointment of its kind since the decision was made to reconstruct the Royal Indian Marine as a combatant force. This was don© to enable India to enter upon the first stage of her naval development, \vith a view ultimately to undertaking her own naval defence. The new organisation provides for the command of the force being vested in a flag officer appointed from the Royal Navy for a period of three years. Eventually it is hoped that the commanding appointment will be held by an officer of th© Royal Indian Navy, as the new force, subject to his Majesty’s approval, is to be called. A novel feature in connection with the personnel is that Indians are to be eligible for commissions. In its first stage of development the Indian fleet will include four sloops, two patrol vessels, four trawlers, two surveying vessels and a depot ship. Rear-Admiral Walwyn is known both as a talented officer and a capable organiser, and has a special reputation as a gunnery expert.

Rear-Admiral Humphrey Thomas Walwyn, D. 5.0., R.N., went to sea in H.M.S. Camperdown in 1895. He qualified as a gunnery lieutenant in 1904 and served in that capacity in H.M.S. Drake under Prince Louis of Battenberg. Admiral Walwyn as a captain commanded various destroyer flotillas during the war. In 1923 he was appointed director of the gunnery division of the naval staff at the Admiralty.