Papanui Tattler July 09

NAVALESE BITS & BYTES

Firstly I hope you are all managing to keep warm. I don't think I can remember (not that my memory is improving as the years roll by) such a miserable, cold, wet and dull spell of weather for years. It's all quite depressing but for the fact that we can all adjourn to the warm, pleasant surroundings of the Papanui RSA, have a few 'tots', tell a few 'dits' and I can assure you it is a miracle cure that is guranteed to work. Ask Roy he can confirm the story.

As I mentioned in the June edition of 'Tattler' the questionarre in relation to the NZDF Medal is now available on line. I beleive it is to be distributed to RSA's throughout NZ for interested parties who are not online. I am not sure if this distribution has been done or not but an inquiry at the RSA office will confirm this or not. It is important that interested parties fill in this questionairre and return the to the provided address free of charge. This will be your only chance to have your say in this important matter.

The RSA/RNZNA golf tournament has been confirmed, the date being the 15th Novermber at the 'Everglades' course in Marshland Road. There will be more information/publicity closer to the date but if you are interested and you have not already registered please see me and keep the 15th of November free. I can assure you that it will be great day and it will be really good to get this up and running again. The format at this time is that after the game we will make use of the Everglades bar facility for an hour or so and then adjourn back to the RSA for a bit of 'scran', prize giving, a few more 'bevvies' and a social afternoon.

I have also had correspondence from the RNO in relation Christchurch Heritage Week 16 - 26 October 2009.
The theme this year is "Doves and Peaces: Discover Christchurch in Peace and Conflict".
To this end the RNO has advised the Council of the opening HMNZS Pegasus to the general public and is seeking assistance from the RNZNA Branches to enable this to happen. He would like our assistance to have three or four navy vets on hand in the building at any one time to act as security, guides and storytellers. He has registered the opening of Pegasus as a Heritage Week activity from Saturday 17 to Friday 23 October between the hours of 1000 and 1500. To that end I will be seeking volunteers to assist at Pegasus at times and dates to suit indivduals at our next meeting on 7th of July so please give it some consideration and try and make yourself available. The Army and Air Force will have an involvement in Heritage Week and the RNO is keen to see that the roll the 'Silent Service' plays and has played in the history of Christchurch is not overlooked. The opening of Pegasus to the general public can only proceed if sufficient numbers of Veteran volunteers are availalbe to 'man the post'.

Our erstwhile Secretary has set the date of our AGM for Tuesday 1st September at 1730 so please also pencil that date into your busy schedule. Attendees may get a 'Splice', good eh!!!!

Thats all for this month folks

Look forward to seeing you at the RSA and at our next meeting

Yours aye

Ron Mayell
President Papanui Branch RNZNA

RNZN BLUES & BLUSHES

New Zealanders blushed in 1954 when the cruiser Black Prince declared "war" on Australia and briefly shelled the New South Wales town of Nowra. The Black Prince was taking part in exercises off the Australian coast and was tasked to do a throw-off shore bombardment when the fun began. In this type of exercise a live target is chosen to give a sense of realism.
Ranges, bearings, fuse settings and so on are all calculated as if the shoot is for "real". But there is one very important exception. The guns themselves are deliberately thrown off to make sure the shells fall where they can do no harm.
On board the Black Prince something, or someone, went wrong, and when the order to "fire" was given several 133mm shells exploded in the town. Indeed, there is a tale of a Nowra fisherman who was sent racing for shore when a "brick" burst not to far from where he was at anchor. Some luck was with the unfortunate Black Prince, for damage to life and limb was negligible, but while there was no physical casualties, Australian feelings were hurt.
There were apologies all round and the inevitable inquiry wound up on the gunnery officers desk. But at least one old salt who insists on remaining anonymous, says that the shelling of Nowra was a revenge job. It appears that some time previously an Australian Navy strike aircraft assigned to fire rockets at a splash target towed astern of the cruiser Bellona put a rocket through her seaboat and down through the quarter deck. Again there were no casualties but feelings ran high for a time. Revenge, while it makes a great tale, seems highly unlikely. It would take a pretty bitter sort of man deliberately to foul up the calculations of the Black Prince's gunnery staff just to settle an old score.
Tennyson's answer seems much more likely: "Someone had blundered".

This is an extract from the 'Navy in New Zealand' by Grant Howard.