Irirangi man for Fiji

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 39, 11 March 1986, Page 8

Irirangi man for Fiji

One of the first two New Zealand Naval personnel to be posted to Fiji will be leaving HMNZS Irirangi, the Naval base at Waiouru. Chief Petty Officer REA (Radio Electronic Artificer) Brian Hilton, his wife Michelle and two children, will be leaving Waiouru on 25 March. In Fiji, Chief Petty Officer Hilton will be working in the telecommunications area in the hydrographic department based in Suva. He will help maintain tel-

ecommunications equipment in Fiji and will train others in the work so that in future fahlty equipment will not need to be sent back to the Naval dockyard in Auckland for repair. His posting is part of New Zealand 's overseas aid programme. An Auckland member of the Navy has also been posted to Fiji to train other local military personnel in nuclear biological chemical defence on ships. At Irirangi, Chief Petty Officer Hilton has been in charge of the maintenance of the receiver and telecommunications. He has been in Waiouru one year this time, but was also there for two years in 1977 and a year in the late 1960s. Fiji will not be strange for him as he has travelled over the world on warships and stayed in Fiji many times. However, Chief Petty Officer Hilton believes his posting to Fiji will be "a completely new experience," as he won't be working with the navy but will be under the direct control of the Fijian Military Forces. The Hiltons' children, Matthew, 6, and Fleur, 5, will be attending the Inter-

national School in Fiji which their parents believe will be very good for their cultural education. Michelle is hoping to become involved with voluntary work at the school as she has done at the Waiouru Primary School. Their spare time will be spent looking around and getting to know the place at first but Chief Petty Officer Hilton is hoping to play cricket and squash. Their posting is for two years but if they like it they may stay longer.