HMS Philomel (1890) - Depot and Training Ship

Depot and Training Ship

In 1917 Philomel returned to New Zealand. Now 28 years old and probably the Navy’s oldest fighting ship. Percival Hall-Thompson, an adviser appointed by the British Admiralty and subsequent commander of Philomel, advised that she had reached the end of her useful life and the expense of a major refit which might briefly extend her operational life could not be justified. So she was to be retained as a depot and training ship of the local force to be re-introduced after the war. Her armament was removed and fitted on New Zealand merchant ships. In April of the same year Philomel was re-commissioned as a depot ship at Wellington and supported minesweeping operations until May 1919.

In March 1921, on the creation of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, Philomel was re-commissioned as a training base and moored at the Admiralty reservation, Devonport Dockyard, Auckland. From 1922, for a while, she was commanded by the noted British naval officer Augustus Agar. In October 1941, on the creation of the Royal New Zealand Navy, HMS Philomel was recommissioned as the training base HMNZS Philomel.