Departure Jottings

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 39, 21 March 1940, Page 4

Departure Jottings

The Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, watched the departure of the First Echelon from Fort Dorset. He and Sir Harry Batterbee, British High Commissioner in New Zealand, motored out together and remained there until the ships disappeared into Cook Strait. x * * The departure of the troopships of the First Echelon revived memories for the French Consul, M. André Pouquet. He sailed from Marseilles on the flagship of the convoy early in 1938, on the beginning of his voyage to New Zealand. Two years later, to the very day, the same ship sailed from Wellington carrying New Zealand soldiers to the second World War. * * % The Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Peter Fraser, and the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, accompanied General Freyberg on the tug which took him and his staff. to the flagship. When

the General went on board Mr. Fraser and Mr. Jones continued round the troopships on the tug which was distributing mail to all of them. As they passed beside one ship, someone called down: "Mr. Fraser, you’re wanted up here — and Mr. Jones, too." They climbed the companion-way and found that Captain W. J. Lyon, M.P. for Wai--temata, was on the ship, and they were. able to farewell him again. * * % Those who visited H.M.S. Ramillies on her last day in Wellington, witnessed a touching incident. A party of Maoris were performing on the ship when they noticed the troopships swinging out into the stream. With one accord they rushed to the rail of the battleship and began to sing their lament, completely forgetting the crowds about them. Those who were there say that the scene brought a lump to the throat. Even the officers of the Ramillies, accustomed as.they are to emotional scenes, were moved by the Maori lament.