Checking The Trails Of

She Made the Job Easier for the Britannia Checking The Trails Of The South Pacific

The survey ship HMS Cook is these days doing a good job for Britain in the South Pacific that has not been done for 40 years. The little Cook, whose trim fines have been seen in and out of Pacific ports for the past two years, is the first British warship to be permanently based in the South Pacific on survey work since HMS Sealark was here in 1914-18.

r[E Cook, like the Sealark did, works under instructions from the Hydrographic Office of the Admiralty. She is interested only in carrying out survey work for Britain’s own colonies or territories, which is why she has so far con-

centrated her activities around Christmas Island, Fiji, the Gilbert and Ellice Group and the British Solmon Islands Protectorate, But she manages to see lots pf other places. The Cook was in Honiara in January, Port Moiesby

The “Cook” landed a shore party f 3 survey of Bina Harbour, on the west ♦ of Malalta. The party was there for: months, and needed plenty of diesel for its motor boat. Here, Leading Sea Peter Crawley, of Hull, lands a nun of drums with the help of two localj habitants, all of whom took great intj in the venture. in February, Sydney in Marchr early April she was in Suva, she will be in Auckland in M In between those ports she ma up her sea miles with side t to nowhere and back —for wheni the Cook travels from A to B, goes via C, D. and E.

Modern Equipment

Of her 13 officers and 150 n about five or six officers and e to 10 ratings specialise in sui work. To help them, they ha T varied collection of modern * sounding equipment, radar electronic devices, plus equipn for oceanographical research for the reproduction of her surt But all that doesn’t add uh push botton surveying. Foi survey of Bina Harbour, Mali recently the Cook landed a s'< party which stayed on the jobc two months while the ship v elsewhere.

The Cook was particularly terested in Bina because the Hy\ graphic Office thought that it) two other nearby harbours, Fiu Su’u, might be suitable for Royal Yacht Britannia during; Duke of Edinburgh’s tour in Ms Nobody knew anything about of them.

Bina Is Best The Cook’s party found that I was better than anybody could 1 expected from that area. It’s o an ideal harbour for anything to 8,000 tons, and furthermon has a fair weather passage upc coast Inside the reef to Auki, hr

HMS “Cook” dressed overall at Gizo, BSIP. in honour of the Duke of Edinburgh’s birthday in 1958. The “Cook” especially surveyed a harbour in the BSIP in prepara tion for the Duke’s visit in the “Britannia” this year.

During the “Cook’s” survey of Natewa Bay, Fiji, the ship gave a children’s party to repay some of the kindness of the people ashore.

This happy group of young scoundrels was set the task of snatching pennies from a tub of electrified water, and here they are wait ing for the signal.

Unfortunately the electric supply broke down because of a technical hitch and one young guest scooped the pool!

ters at Malaita, about 10 miles r . It’s a better haven than , the Cook’s men found,

Britannia Used It

copy of that survey report was off in a hurry to London, e it was quickly passed on to Britannia, at that time in North ic on her way south. Britannia Bina.

The Cook, 1,760 tons, takes the name of the famous explorer, Captain James Cook, who made three voyages of discovery to the Pacific. She was originally laid down as a frigate in 1954, but com pleted as a surveying ship in 1950 and commissioned in 1951.

She carried out survey duties on the west coasts of England and Scotland before entering the Pacific in 1957 by way of Christmas Island, where in May that year she saw Britain’s first H-Bomb send up its mighty mushroom.

From Christmas she went to Fiji, for a three-to-four months survey of Natewa Bay; then up to Tarawa; and down to New Zealand for several months; then on to Honiara in March last year.

She remained in the Solomons for almost 12 months except for one period refitting in Hongkong.

Happy Ship

She is due to go into dock again soon, which is why she will be visiting Auckland in May. But after that she will be back on the job around Fiji until the end of the year and then on to the Gilberts and Singapore again.

HMS Cook is a happy ship, and her men like the Pacific station— and Pacific hospitality. And obviously it’s no one-way love affair, for six of the crew have won themselves New Zealand brides.

Is there enough work to keep them here?

Says an officer, “A full survey of the Solomons alone could take one ship 10 years”.

chiefs presented the “Cook” with two tabuas when she reached Natewa Bay, The captain, Commander H. R. Hatfield, here receives one of them at a ceremony, lander Hatfield completed his commission when the “Cook” was in Sydney recently and the ship’s new captain is Commander J. S. N. Pryor.