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Official Guide to the Government Court: N.Z. Centennial Exhibition

Navy Department

Navy Department

The call of the sea is just as great to-day as ever it has been, and the Navy-fulfils the ambition of young men conscious of a keen sense of duty to their country.

In New Zealand, excellent opportunities are now available for young men to mould for themselves a career in the Dominion Naval Forces.

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Recruits are entered provisionally from all parts of New Zealand by area officers of the Army Deportment and sent to H.M. Naval Base, Devonport, Auckland, for final selection. If selected, a period of training in H.M.S. Philomel is carried out prior to draft to sea service.

Artisans are trained in their respective trades, and certain ratings are sent to Australia for further training. The training of all ratings is such that, as far as possible, they are equipped for civil employment on completion of their engagements.

Rapid progress has been made in the New Zealand Naval Forces during the past few years. At present the New Zealand Naval Forces are composed of two modern cruisers, H.M.S. Leander and H.M.S. Achilles; one harbour training and accommodation vessel, H.M.S. Philomel; and one trawler, H.M.S. Wakakura. The cruisers, which are vessels of over 7000 tons armed with eight 6in. guns and eight 21 in. torpedo tubes, are transferred by the British Government to the New Zealand Government, which is entirely responsible for their manning, maintenance and employment.

In addition to these ships, a surveying vessel, maintained partly by the Imperial' and partly by the New Zealand Governments, is usually employed in New Zealand waters, and two escort vessels, H.M.S. Wellington and H.M.S. Leith, are maintained on the station by H.M. Government in the United Kingdom.

The ships of the New Zealand Naval Forces are manned in about equal proportions by Imperial and New Zealand ratings, there being about 650 of each. The personnel also includes approximately 80 officers and 700 ratings of the Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.

The policy of the Government aims at manning H.M. ships, maintained in New Zealand, entirely by New Zealand officers and ratings. This policy is being gradually implemented as the personnel become trained. Arrangements are also being made for the direct entry of officers into the New Zealand Naval Forces.

Opportunity is available for outstanding New Zealand ratings to be promoted to warrant rank, and selected candidates are sent to England for the necessary training. It will soon be possible to promote especially suitable young ratings direct to-the rank of Sub-Lieutenant. Provision also exists for selected New Zealand ratings of certain branches to be promoted to commissioned rank in the Royal Navy. Thus the same opportunities are open for New Zealand ratings of these branches as for equivalent ratings in the Imperial Fleet. They are appointed to the Imperial Fleet under the same conditions as ratings promoted from the Royal Navy.

The New Zealand Naval Forces offer greater prospects as a career for New Zealand boys than ever before.

Every year the cruisers of the New Zealand Naval Forces "show the flag'' in the Pacific Islands, and combined exercises with the Royal Australian Navy are arranged whenever opportunity offers.

The recreational side of naval life is sedulously fostered, and organised recreational facilities are provided in the course of the periodical cruises, as well as in Auckland.

To those who cannot join the permanent Naval Forces, the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Royal Naval Reserve offer opportunities. Annual sea training is carried out, and instruction is given at headquarters at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Competition between the four divisions is keen and an annual tournament is held. In addition to normal pay and allowances when under- going sea training in H.M. ships, an annual grant is made to reservists fulfilling pre- page 58 scribed conditions of training. Travelling expenses incurred in attending drills are repaid. (Note: The R.N.V.R. is at present fully manned, but vacancies occasionally occur.)

The proud traditions of the Royal Navy are inherent in the New Zealand Naval Forces, and the importance of naval defence needs no emphasis—the opportunity is here for patriotic and adventurous young New Zealanders to join and play a part in building up the Dominion's young Navy.