NAVAL GRIEVANCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1939, Page 5

NAVAL GRIEVANCES

CONDITIONS ON ENDEAVOUR INQUIRY AT AUCKLAND OPENING TODAY. OPINIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE CREW. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 1. While exaggerations seem to have marked English reports of active disaffection in the Admiralty survey ship Endeavour, instances were given when the vessel returned to Auckland from Russell today, which showed that a section of the crew have not felt that they could fulfil happily the conditions of their service. It was stated, without contradiction from any quarter, that, while the published cases of desertion and punishment by warrant have been spread over the two years the Endeavour has been in New Zealand, waters, they have appeared to be crowded into a much smaller period because the public has been made aware of them only since one man, a deserter from the ship, wrote a letter to England. The Endeavour was originally due to return to Auckland on Saturday for a winter refit. She came back earlier, not because the Admiralty had ordered an inquiry into the allegations of harsh conditions of service, but because she needed refuelling.

An inquiry has been, ordered for tomorow by Commodore Rivett-Carnac, commanding the sea-going squadron. It will be facilitated by the fact that the Endeavour is berthed alongside the commodore’s flagship, Leander. The captain of the survey ship, Captain A. G. N. Wyatt, visited the commodore after his ship berthed, and later the commodore went on board the Endeavour. At the inquiry opportunity will be afforded ratings to present their complaints individually. After the inquiry has been held a report will be prepared by the commodore and sent to the Admiralty in England. ' It is expected that later a statement will be made in the House of Commons since questions concerning the ship originated there after “Reynold’s News” published a statement that in 18 months 11 ratings had broken out of the ship and 128 had overstayed their leave.

NUMBER OF DESERTIONS. It was commonly stated today that the number of desertions since the ship came to New Zealand would be about 20; Some of the men, however, said that other ratings, not included in this figure, had been apprehended. Thenumber of cases of punishment by warrant, including several where men had been detained in civil prison because New Zealand has no naval detention quarters, and others where ratings had lost good conduct badges, was variously estimated from rather less than 50 to 70. In one mess of 25 men, it was stated, 27 warrants had been issued. One side of the picture from the ratings’ point of view was expressed by some of the men after coming ashore. They said that while a section of the crew had voiced complaints and discontent had been quite apparent among them, the position on the ship could easily be magnified. They said that on the way to Auckland from Russell a number of them had decided to express resentment at the tone behind the statements made in England.

SOME READY TO SERVE AGAIN. These men also pointed out that about one-fifth of their number had volunteered for service in the Endeavour when she is recommissioned in August. In the ordinary course of events they would be relieved by other ratings, but they said they were sufficiently satisfied with life on board to remain with the ship for another commission. Other men. however, expressed a different attitude. The basic reason, they said, was not confined to the Endeavour. It was that rates of pay did not compare at all favourably withi what men were receiving in civilian occupation. , Some of the deserters, they said, felt that they could earn a much better living on the shore, specially if they had any vocational training. They admitted that, because of this, there were naturally more desertions in New Zealand than in England, and probably on any other station in the Enmpire. This reason, however, they said, was given additional support by their feeling that on the Endeavour there was not sufficient “give and take.” Allowances should be made, they said, for the following. (1) The fact that 132 officers and men were crowded into a ship of such small size; (2) the fact that since she was a coal-burning ship the duties of stokers were much more unpleasant than in oil-burning vessels; and (3) the long periods spent at sea in all sorts of weathers and the never-ending nature of their task, compared badly enough with work in a warship to warrant some relaxations, which did not impair efficiency.