Austal Australia has successfully launched the future ADV Cape Spencer, the ninth Evolved Cape-class patrol boat ordered by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Upon completion, the aluminium monohulled newbuild will have an LOA of 57.8 metres, a beam of 10.3 metres, a draught of approximately three metres, and accommodation for 32 crewmembers and other personnel.
Austal said the Evolved Capes were built with a number of enhancements over the baseline Cape-class patrol boats, improving operational capability and crew capacity compared to the vessels already operated by the navy and Australian Border Force.
Like their baseline Cape-class sisters, the Evolved Cape-class boats were built for sustained operations lasting a maximum of 28 days or covering a range of 4,000 nautical miles in conditions up to Sea State four. They will also retain the baseline Cape-class boats’ standard armament of two pintle-mounted 12.7mm machine guns.
The Evolved Cape-class patrol boat project, which initially comprised only six 58-metre aluminium monohull patrol boats for the RAN from May 2020, was extended by two vessels in Ap
The Royal New Zealand Navy has welcomed 14 sailors and officers to its Navy Reserve Force following a graduation ceremony this month.
30 April, 2025
Camaraderie, a chance to give back and a desire for challenge inspired the latest cohort of New Zealanders to join the Naval Reserve Force.
On 13 April, nine sailors and five officers graduated from their 10-month Naval Reserve Common Training (NRCT) course in a ceremony hosted at the Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy in Devonport.
They will now post to Naval Reserve units closest to their homes to undertake trade training and promotion courses.
NRCT provides almost identical training to Regular Force personnel but is delivered part-time, with graduates balancing their training with work and study commitments, as well as being away from family.
The graduates had to complete two nine-day-long training blocks at Devonport Naval Base and Tamaki Leadership Centre in Whangaparaoa, as well as four training weekends. Officers had two additional training blocks and two more training weekends for leadership training.
Left to right: Sub Lieutenant Vinayak Dev, Ordinary Maritime Trade Operator Nora Paicu and Ordinary Maritime Trade Operator Jacob Sale.
Fitting it all in was a challenge for Sub Lieutenant Vinayak Dev, a psychologist from Auckland studying for his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Psychology.
“It was also challenging to miss important family events whilst being away for the residential aspects of the NRCT,” he says.
“However, in overcoming these challenges, I have become more resilient, improved my time management skills, become more efficient at completing tasks at work, and have further strengthened my relationships with my family members, supervisors at university, and colleagues at work.”
He is the first Navy Reserve psychologist to graduate from NRCT.
“I wanted to give something back for all New Zealand has given me over the years,” he says.
“This has helped develop attributes I aspire to – leadership, physical and mental fitness, resilience, courage, perseverance, camaraderie, integrity, and a strong sense of personal meaning, purpose and conviction in life.”
Ordinary Maritime Trade Operator Nora Paicu was inspired to join after a experiencing a Sir Peter Blake expedition in HMNZS Canterbury to the sub-Antarctic islands in 2023 while a student at Colomba College in Dunedin. She also completed a School to Seas experience with the Navy that year.
“Meeting the commanding officer of HMNZS Canterbury and witnessing the camaraderie of the crew showcased the Navy’s inclusive culture and unique way of life that supports New Zealand.
“I was deeply impressed by the positive impact they make, from supporting conservation efforts to serving New Zealand communities.”
She is undertaking a triple degree in law, management, and agricultural innovation at the University of Otago, and is thinking of joining the Navy full time.
Ordinary Maritime Trade Operator Jacob Sale works in a civilian role at the Naval Supply Depot in Devonport.
“I saw the great work our uniform staff do daily and wanted to be a part of it. I wanted to challenge myself, develop new skills and serve my country.”
He says a highlight was being with a diverse group of people from different backgrounds, all with a common goal of serving.
Another was a sea-riding experience aboard HMNZS Canterbury for the graduates.
“It was an immersive and insightful view of being able to see life on a Navy ship and how departments operate and a first-hand look at naval life.”
His advice to others is: “come and join us.
“It gives you a sense of purpose and pride you can get nowhere else.”
The CSG25 deployment will traverse the globe, conducting several exercises and operations (Picture: MOD)
HMS Prince of Wales has led Carrier Strike Group 25 to the Mediterranean after it set sail last week.
The 65,000-tonne aircraft carrier, along with most of her strike group – which includes the submarine HMS Astute, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels RFA Tideforce and Tidespring – has now passed the Strait of Gibraltar.
Spanish frigate Méndez Núñez, Norwegian ships HNoMS Maud and HNoMS Roald Amundsen joined the other vessels to form an impressive formation.
Royal Navy photographers captured breathtaking images of the formation using one of 815 Naval Air Squadron’s Wildcat helicopters.
CSG25 vessels sail in formation in the Med (Picture: MOD)
CSG25, also known as Operation Highmast, is a multinational deployment to the Indo-Pacific.
Led by the Royal Navy’s flagship, it aims to reaffirm the UK’s commitment to the security of the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific, while providing an opportunity to promote British trade and industry.
The CSG25 deployment will traverse the globe down to Australia, conducting several exercises and operations with air, sea and land forces of a dozen allies.
HMS Astute crashes through the waves as she surfaces for photographs with Carrier Strike Group 25 (Picture: MOD)
Almost 4,500 British personnel will be working on the deployment, including around 600 RAF personnel, 900 soldiers and 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.
The first UK Carrier Strike Group happened four years ago against the backdrop of the Covid lockdowns because of the pandemic.
Carrier Strike Group 25’s air contingent includes Merlin and Wildcat helicopters as well as F-35B Lightning jets (Picture: MOD)
PT PAL Indonesia has once again been trusted by the Philippine Navy in its warship fleet modernization program. Amid the construction of the 3rd and 4th Landing Dock type ships owned by the Philippine Navy, PT PAL is now preparing to carry out maintenance and repair docking of the Strategic Sealift Vessel [SSV] BRP Tarlac 601.
This ship officially docked at the West Peninsula Pier, a facility of PT PAL’s Maintenance and Repair Division. The arrival of the BRP Tarlac 601 ship was welcomed by Production Director Diana Rosa and staff April 17th. This marks the immediate start of the docking of the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) program, as well as the first international warship MRO project in PT PAL’s history.
Accompanying the Director of Production of PT PAL, Diana Rosa, was Lieutenant Colonel [P] Ali Sodikin, A.Md., S.E., Head of Lantamal V Shipyard, along with officials from Lantamal V and the ranks of GM of PT PAL Indonesia. In her remarks, Diana Rosa said that “we are pleased to welcome the return of BRP Tarlac 601 to PT PAL Indonesia. We are also honored to have received continuous trust from the Philippine Navy in modernizing its fleet for a long time. And the cooperation between the two countries continues to this day and is getting stronger“, said Diana Rosa.
PT PAL successfully won the open tender process for this MRO project, outperforming local shipyards from the Philippines. This victory confirms that PT PAL’s after-sales service, from construction, maintenance, to ship repairs, is recognized regionally and globally.
As the largest warship operated by the Philippine Navy since 2016, BRP Tarlac 601 is a superior export product made by the children of the Indonesian nation. In this MRO project, the main focus of the work includes the propulsion system, below-waterline maintenance, and the valve system, with a targeted work time of four months.
This collaboration is a symbol of strengthening defense relations between Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as the potential for continued cooperation on other ships, such as its sister ship, BRP Davao Del Sur 602. “As a maritime defense industry, we are committed to upholding quality and professionalism. PT PAL is proud to be able to take an important role in ensuring the readiness and reliability of the BRP Tarlac 601. This ship is not only the face of the strength of the Philippine Navy but also the result of solid technical collaboration and defense diplomacy between our two countries. We believe this collaboration will continue to grow and strengthen Southeast Asian maritime solidarity. We sincerely hope that this project will run smoothly and be a positive step towards broader and more sustainable cooperation in the future“, concluded Diana Rosa.
On that occasion, the commander of the BRP Tarlac 601 ship, Capt. Fredie C Parpan, expressed his gratitude for arriving in Surabaya safely after an 8-day journey. “We arrived safely at the PT Pal shipyard is a testament to two things, the exceptional craftsmanship of this ship, built by Indonesian hands, and the dedication of her crew who navigated her all the way back despite the need for repairs. this vessel may be due for dry docking, but she sailed with strength and reliability- sangat kuat dan andal. because she was built well. and we trust that once again, PT PAL will return this ship to peak condition, ready to serve in defense of our sovereignty and in the service of our people,” he explained.
Before closing his speech, Capt. Fredie also conveyed that there would be learning opportunities for the Philippine Navy crew at BRP Tarlac 601, “we are here for our scheduled dry docking and other related repairs. we see more than just the technical side of things. we see an opportunity, beyond restoring the material condition of the ship. it is also presents valuable avenues for learning, our personnel will have the chance to observe and engage in repair processes, broadening their technical knowledge and familiarizing themselves with international shipyard standards and practices” Fredie concluded.
Through PT PAL, Indonesia appears as a solution partner for ASEAN maritime power by becoming an inclusive, independent, and international standard defense service provider. PT PAL as a one stop solution maritime fleet, will ensure combat readiness and operational sustainability of the Philippine Navy fleet, BRP Tarlac 601.
The discipline and work ethic of his ex-Navy father led Palmerston North’s William Fogden to enlist.
29 April, 2025
It was the building site work on an expanding Air Force base that convinced him to choose the wide open skies of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) and train to be a helicopter loadmaster.
He has just completed the 12-week recruit course at RNZAF Base Woodbourne, where he was awarded the Lawson Cup and the Chris Black Memorial Trophy.
The Lawson Cup is presented to the best all-round recruit and the Chris Black Memorial Trophy to the recruit who best displays the qualities of determination, enthusiasm and morale building for others, particularly in the areas of training. The recipient is chosen by the course members.
Aircraftman Fogden, 19, is no stranger to military life – his father served with the Royal New Zealand Navy for 20 years as a communications specialist, so naturally hoped he would follow in his footsteps.
“I have always had a passion for the Defence Force as I have seen how it has helped shape my dad’s life, his discipline, work ethic and the friends he has made.
“Dad wanted me to join the Navy, I was hesitant at first, but soon came around to the idea – initially I wanted to join the communications trade or as a Navy pilot for the Seasprites.”
But he was inspired towards the Air Force while working for a concrete company in the Manawatū after he left school.
He worked at RNZAF Base Ohakea on the No. 3 Squadron Hangar and on the new P-8 Poseidon hangar.
“It was so cool and really reinforced my decision to join the Air Force.”
Aircraftman William Fodgen is presented the Lawson Cup by Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Darryn Webb, MNZM
Aircraftman Fogden said that while he hopes to one day be a pilot flying the NH90s, he was really excited for the next part of his training as a helicopter loadmaster.
“I can’t wait to start my trade training in the A109 light helicopters. I know it’s still going to be a tough journey to get there, but I am also excited for the challenge.”
He said the highlight of the recruit course had been meeting all his fellow aviators and creating friends and memories that he will keep for life.
He also enjoyed firing the Defence Force’s MARS-L rifle and found his work with building computers and remote control cars helped.
“I noticed this when we took apart and put back together the MARS-L, I could do it really fast and I was used to working with small parts.”
“There have been some challenges though, time management has been hard especially at the start – it was quite overwhelming. But it has gotten a lot easier now as a lot of what we have done has become habit.”
Aircraftman Fogden said those wanting to join the Defence Force should start their application today.
The Gallipoli campaign was an ill-fated attempt by Britain, Russia and France to weaken the Ottoman Empire by taking control of the Turkish Straits.
Thousands of Australian and New Zealand troops took part in the failed operation and, in recognition of their efforts, the start of the battle is now known as Anzac Day.
A monitor ship from the Royal Navy and a Victoria Cross are artefacts that tell us much about the people associated with them and what happened on the battlefield.
The Gallipoli Campaign took place in what is now modern-day Turkey.
The idea was to control sea access to Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, now called Istanbul, but it failed totally.
Lance Cpl Parker was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery as a stretcher bearer (Picture NMRN)
One man who saw firsthand the horror of more than half a million casualties at Gallipoli was Royal Marine Lance Corporal Walter Parker.
He was a stretcher bearer who had volunteered to assist troops in an exposed trench.
When he went out to the trench, he was wounded twice on the way, yet still managed to help the wounded who were trapped there.
He was wounded a further two times on his return.
In 1917, he became the only Royal Marine to receive the Victoria Cross for his actions at Gallipoli.
The Royal Navy monitor ship HMS M.33 was deployed for three years during the First World War
At the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth is HMS M.33 – known as a monitor ship.
It was specially designed to sit and bombard the coast in support of land troops during the Gallipoli campaign and is one of only three First World War ships left from the British fleet.
“This ship was away from home for more than three years,” said Matthew Sheldon, NMRN chief executive.
“The crew didn’t get to go home in all that time and they were probably witnesses to the drama, the sacrifice of the campaign.
“They themselves were unscathed and were able to tell the whole story.”
Monitor ships came in all shapes and sizes. It was Winston Churchill’s idea to build them, to use up a surplus of 6-inch guns.
They were a big weapon for a small ship, which was made especially low in the water line and stable to provide a suitable firing platform.
The crew of the HMS M.33 were able to bear witness to the horrors of Gallipoli and survive.
These days, the ship is used to commemorate events such as Anzac Day
The treatment and transfer of severely wounded from the battle site to somewhere they can be properly treated often requires transport by sea.
This was done in hospital ships and during the First World War New Zealand provided two of these vessels, funded by a combination of Government finance and voluntary donations.
maheno-fund-raiser-poster
They were the brainchild of the Governor, Lord Liverpool, who played a major part in their inception and took a personal interest in both ships.
Following the landings at Gallipoli and receipt of the casualty lists, the Governor, Lord Liverpool, suggested that New Zealand should provide a fully equipped hospital ship, a suggestion that was immediately accepted by the British Government.
With much optimism it was anticipated that the ship would be ready to leave New Zealand within a month.
To fit-out and equip the ship a plea for public donations was launched, with the Bank of New Zealand accepting donations and the Order of St John accepting donations in kind.
Hospital ship Maheno. Dickie, John, 1869-1942 :Collection of postcards, prints and negatives. Ref: 1/1-002212-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/23193984
General details of the fitting-out requirements of the ship were forwarded from Britain, including the painting of the ship white with a green band and red crosses.
Subsequent correspondence advised that the ship should wear the Red Cross Flag and the New Zealand Blue Ensign and that two chaplains should be carried. In the event three chaplains were borne.
The SS Maheno was chartered, fitted-out and maintained by the New Zealand Government while the equipment was funded by the Governor’s appeal.
Hosptial-Beds-MahenoHospital-beds-Officers-ward
There were eight wards and two operating theatres, together with other essential equipment, such as a sterilising room, X-ray room and laboratory
The work was personally superintended by the Governor and en route to the ship the equipment was ‘warehoused’ in the ball room at Government House.
Also on board were two motor launches which had been donated, one from Auckland and the other from Wellington. From comments received the ship was better fitted out than any of the other Allied Hospital Ships.
The original date for the ship’s departure was seen to be too optimistic and was put back to 10 July.
At this stage the intention was for the ship to complete one voyage, of about six months duration, returning to New Zealand with soldiers incapable of further service.
Although the ship would generally come under the jurisdiction of the War Office the Government was explicit that the ship and its personnel belonged to New Zealand, in particular, no personnel or equipment were to be removed from the ship.
As early as 26 July, the possibility of a second voyage was being considered, and by the end of the month it was being assumed.
Hospital Ship Maheno
At 12.55 pm on 11 July, following a Church parade, Maheno sailed from Wellington. She was under the command of Captain D. McLean with 105 officers and ratings and Colonel W.E. Collins in charge of 81 officers and other ranks of the New Zealand Army Medical Corps, including 14 nurses.
Additionally, there were some naval signalmen included in the complement. Also embarked were 68 nurses enroute to Egypt.
Each member of the medical staff had received a distinctive green and scarlet lanyard from the Governor.
Maheno arrived at Suez on 16 August and on the 25th anchored in ANZAC Cove, with the odd stray bullet landing on the deck.
The next afternoon a battle was fought ashore and with the first load of 445 wounded Maheno went to Mudros on the 28th, to transfer them to a hospital carrier the next day.
Having cleaned the ship it returned to ANZAC Cove.
Christmas card from HMNZ HS MARAMA 1917
The next five weeks were spent treating wounded from Gallipoli, either at ANZAC Cove, Mudros or transporting them to Malta or Alexandria.
On 8 October, at Alexandria, the ship received orders to proceed to England. With a full load the ship sailed at 10 pm, arriving at Southampton at 9.55 am on 17 October, after a rough passage across the Bay of Biscay.
Maheno left Southampton on 30 October, returning to the Mediterranean and ANZAC Cove. With 418 patients Maheno then sailed for Alexandria, arriving on 15th November.
A week later orders were received to proceed to New Zealand and with 76 patients the ship sailed on the 22nd embarking further patients at Port Said and Suez.
After an uneventful voyage Maheno arrived at Auckland on 1 January 1916.
At Auckland the ship was met by the Governor and a civic reception was given to the personnel. Sailing that evening Maheno arrived to another civic reception at Wellington, before sailing for Lyttelton and Port Chalmers with the Governor on board.
Before arriving in Dunedin one of the Royal Navy signalmen, Signalman Pattie, received a presentation for rescuing a man who had fallen overboard.
The patients were given a civic welcome at Dunedin.
Two months after Maheno left New Zealand Lord Liverpool was already considering the possibility of New Zealand providing a second hospital ship and this too was immediately accepted.
Hospital Ship Marama
The second ship was the SS Marama, and at 6,437 tons, larger than Maheno, able to carry 508 wounded in cots and it was anticipated that it would arrive in Egypt about the end of December 1915.
Again the Governor was responsible for equipping the ship. Fitting out took until 30 November, when it proceeded to Wellington to embark the medical personnel, sailing on 5 December.
Like Maheno, Marama was intended primarily to carry wounded New Zealanders, although it was placed at the disposal of the War Office and could carry men of the Imperial forces when possible.
With this object it was proposed that the ship first proceed to Gallipoli. Again there was a strict condition imposed that none of the medical officers, nurses or attendants were to be removed from the ship.
Hospital ship, SS Marama
Marama arrived at Port Said on 18 December, where wounded were embarked for Alexandria.
With a further load of wounded embarked Marama sailed for Southampton, arriving on 31 January. There the ship was inspected by the Admiralty and further improvements taken in hand to bring it up to a first class standard.
Marama sailed for Alexandria on 15 February with Australian and New Zealand wounded for onward repatriation.
Maheno sailed from New Zealand on its second charter in early 1916 and by July both ships were working on the cross Channel run, between France and England as there were insufficient cases requiring return to New Zealand to fill either ship.
In September the situation changed, with the New Zealand Division being heavily involved in the Battle of the Somme.
For the Hospital Ships this resulted in much activity on the cross Channel run, and by the middle of the month there were sufficient cot cases to fill Marama for return to New Zealand. By the end of October there was also a full load for Maheno.
Marama’s return was not without some controversy, with Navy Office Melbourne advising New Zealand that it intended to load 15 tons of cordite in the ship for transit to New Zealand.
As could be expected this resulted in protests from both the Governor of New Zealand to the Governor General of Australia and the Acting Senior Naval Officer to the Australian Commonwealth Naval Board.
The proposal was cancelled. Just who and what could be carried in hospital ships was to be an on-going consideration.
The situation was re-iterated by the Secretary of State for the Colonies in September 1917 and in November of that year it was further advised that even the carriage of swords and revolvers of wounded officers was prohibited.
It had originally been intended to route Maheno via South Africa, however the ship could not carry sufficient coal for the passage from Durban to Fremantle and accordingly the ship was routed through the Suez Canal.
This caused some anxiety in New Zealand because of the mining of a Hospital Ship in the Mediterranean earlier in the year.
In response the Secretary of State for the Colonies advised that while the Admiralty could not guarantee that Maheno would not strike a mine, every possible means would be taken to avoid this happening.
Throughout there was a continual fear that one of the ships could be lost through enemy action.
This engendered numerous telegrams from the Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, which if a response was received, was to the effect that all possible efforts were being made to ensure the safety of the ships.
One result was that they were not used in the Mediterranean from 1916. During mid-1918 the danger to hospital ships around England was such that none were permitted to go to, or sail from the United Kingdom.
This resulted in the two New Zealand ships being employed conveying wounded from either Marseilles or Suez to New Zealand.
The end of the war did not see the service of the hospital ships cease, rather the workload increased. Not only was there a need to transport invalids from England to New Zealand, but there were many to be taken from the Middle East to Britain.
In January 1919 the British Ministry of Shipping wished to take over the Charter of Marama and hoped that the ship would be transferred with all fittings intact.
The Governor General responded that while all of the voluntary equipment would willingly be handed over, it was hoped that the instruments, X-ray machine and bacteriological equipment could be retained as it could not be purchased in New Zealand and it was intended to allocate it to New Zealand hospitals.
After some discussion as to the actual terms this was agreed and subsequently similar arrangements were made in respect of Maheno.
When their service under the Imperial Government was completed the ships returned to New Zealand to be refitted and returned to their owners.
The Maunganui was an oil burner 30 years old with a speed of 15 to 16 knots. Her gross register was 7527 tons, her displacement 11,340 tons, her length 430 feet and breadth 55.6 feet. She was larger than both the Maheno and Marama which were the New Zealand hospital ships of the First World War. Plans were made for some 390 patients to be accommodated in 100 swinging cots, 100 single fixed cots and 95 double (two-tier) fixed cots. (The number of cots ultimately provided was 365 – 22 fracture cots, 84 single cots and the rest two-tier cots.) The conversion involved a good deal of reconstruction, which was carried out by the Wellington Patent Slip Company at a cost of about £50,000. In addition much special equipment was installed. Plans were developed at a series of conferences between DGMS, other officers of Army Headquarters and of other Government departments, and the Union Steam Ship Company, while the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, took a personal interest in the ship. The accommodation in the ship was completely stripped and redesigned in the most serviceable manner.
A complete emergency system of lighting was installed, as well as electric lifts large enough to convey two stretchers from deck to deck, also with emergency power. A huge tank holding 700 tons of fresh water was built in to ensure adequate water supply between ports.
On B Deck was the operating block. This wing contained everything necessary for the equivalent department in a modern hospital. Operating theatre and rooms for sterilising, massage, X-ray, diathermy, and incidental purposes occupied the space where once was the music room, and nearby was a fully-equipped dental surgery.
Further aft on the same deck were recreation rooms for officers, for men and for nurses, while near the stern the plant was installed for a complete laundry, with modern drying rooms attached. C Deck was devoted mainly to wards.
The theatre block consisted of two main units: a plaster room and the theatre proper. Both were exceptionally well appointed when compared with civilian general hospital standards and were equal to the many demands that the Maunganui’s varied roles made upon this important section of the surgical side. Not the least of these advantages was the proximity of the X-ray department, which greatly facilitated any procedures requiring the assistance of X-ray screening and radiography. In this connection especially, the orthopaedic work benefited greatly.
The plaster room was fully equipped for the purpose – Hawley table, metal sinks and benches for the making of plaster slabs, X-ray viewing boxes, plaster bandage machine and ample cupboard and shelf space. The room was of generous proportions, enabling it to be used as an emergency theatre.
The operating theatre proper was even larger. A modern operating table with complete accessories and a powerful theatre lamp on an overhead rail, which prevented the lamp swinging to the ship’s movement, were notable features of this important section. Adequately sized sterilisers provided hot and cold sterile water. There was even an artificial lung. Numerous extras such as ‘angle-poise’ lamps were in evidence and a large glass-fronted cupboard provided ample storage for instruments. Properly equipped washbasins were installed. The theatre and the plaster room were finished in a pleasing and restful shade of blue.
Anaesthetic equipment again was more than ample. In addition to the usual bottles and masks for general inhalation anaesthesia, the theatre unit also had a fully equipped McKesson gas machine and an Oxford vaporiser. Three large side rooms opened off the main theatre and plaster room, while adjacent to both was the theatre store-room and a surgeons’ change-room equipped with shower and toilet, together with locker facilities. All essential lighting was duplicated on emergency circuits and the whole theatre block was ideally situated forward under the bridge on the promenade deck. The theatre was readily accessible to the main surgical wards owing to its central position and its proximity to the cot-lift.
One feature in which the Maunganui differed from conventional British hospital ship layout was in the siting of the autoclave. This equipment is usually placed in the theatre block, but in the Maunganui it was sited some distance aft on the same deck. This was undoubtedly a tremendous advantage in the tropics and prevented overheating of the theatre. The various specialist departments were all grouped together: theatre, laboratory, X-ray, dispensary and physiotherapy. In addition, all the main cot wards with one exception opened off this central area. This centralisation greatly aided the working of the hospital side of the ship, thus saving time and space. The Maunganui could embark patients, both walking and cot, rapidly.
The main dining-room was the main ward. Each of the eight wards had a different colour scheme, and where the lighting arrangements were changed, diffused lighting was installed over the beds.
At the extreme stern of the ship and on the open deck was the isolation ward, complete in itself and entirely separate from the remainder.
Not only was the deck space utilised economically in the provision of wards and incidental accommodation, but the holds which once carried cargo and luggage were also converted into quarters of various kinds. Where No. 4 hold used to be, the NCOs and orderlies had their accommodation, while another hold became a messroom for the men.
While the power unit of the vessel itself was not changed, a complete emergency system of lighting was fitted and special conveyors were arranged for the transfer of food from the commissariat to various parts of the ship.
Events in Greece hastened the completion of the conversion of the Maunganui to a hospital ship. The Prime Minister urged the supervising committee to day-and-night efforts to expedite her departure, and the DGMS was given a free hand to purchase all the medical and surgical equipment necessary without having to await the approval of the Purchasing Board. The estimated date for completion had been 15 May, but the ship was got ready by 21 April 1941. This was made possible only by expeditious work in the conversion of the ship and the fortunate procurement of equipment, some of which was not available in New Zealand. In the meantime the British hospital ship Somersetshire had transported invalids to New Zealand from the Middle East in March 1941.
The Maunganui under the terms of her requisition, was manned and operated by the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand Ltd., the deck, engine and providore departments being staffed by the company’s officers and the ratings being drawn from the New Zealand maritime unions. The medical personnel were selected by the Director-General of Medical Services and the sisters were appointed from the New Zealand Army Nursing Service by the Matron-in-Chief.
The staff of 104 medical officers, nursing sisters, and orderlies had been assembled at Trentham Military Camp. On 18 and 21 April they embarked and on 22 April 1 NZ HS Manganui left Wellington for Suez, with Colonel Murray[1] as OC Troops, Miss Lewis[2] as Matron and Captain Whitfield, Master. The Maunganui was not a unit of 2 NZEF and the staffing and equipping of the ship remained a New Zealand Army Medical Headquarters’ responsibility throughout the war.
The arrival of the Maunganui at Suez on 22 May 1941 was welcomed in 2 NZEF. The DDMS 2 NZEF made the following comment:
The immediate impression on the inspection of the ship was a very pleasing one. My personal expectations, knowing the difficulty of securing fittings in New Zealand, were far exceeded. It has been the unanimous opinion of all officers of the 2 NZEF, from the G.O.C. down, that New Zealand has every reason to be proud of its Hospital Ship.
Evidence of this was obvious from the remarks of a Commander of a British hospital ship then lying at Suez, who stated that he had commanded three hospital ships in the present war, had visited every hospital ship that had arrived in the Middle East, and that he was definitely of the opinion that the Maunganui was the best fitted and finest hospital ship he had seen.
The Maunganui was held at Suez until 10 June 1941 in order to take casualties from Greece and Crete. Invalids embarked for the voyage to New Zealand numbered 338. An allocation of forty beds was made to the AIF, in view of the fact that on each voyage of the Australian hospital ship some beds were reserved for New Zealanders. Thus on her first voyage the Maunganui took back a full load of patients, including many of the casualties from the Division’s first major actions. On the succeeding fourteen voyages she was always a full ship on her homeward run. On her outward trips, too, it was customary to pick up British invalids at Colombo and Bombay and take them to Egypt, where they were transferred to a British hospital ship. Apart from about six weeks in 1942 when she was laid up for overhaul, and a period in 1943 when, because of an accident to one of her propellers, she was taken from North Africa to the United Kingdom for repairs, the Maunganui was always on service.
The Maunganui alone, however, was not sufficient to bring back to New Zealand all the invalids from the Middle East, especially after campaigns where casualties were heavy. Valuable assistance was rendered by the Australian hospital ship Wanganella, which carried many hundreds of New Zealanders, and by the Netherlands hospital ship Oranje.
HS Maunganui spent much of 1945 with the British Pacific Fleet. On her fifteenth voyage, beginning on 17 March 1945, the ship was diverted at Melbourne from the Middle East to the Pacific, and she went on to Sydney, to Manus Island, to Leyte Island, where the ship functioned as a general hospital under Lieutenant-Colonel F. O. Bennett, with Miss G. L. Thwaites as Matron, from 13 April to 21 May before returning to Wellington. Leaving Wellington on 28 June, the ship again headed for the Pacific and was the medical centre for the British Pacific Fleet at Manus Island from 7 July to 18 August before moving on to Hong Kong and Formosa with the American Task Force 111 to pick up patients from among the prisoners of war released from the Japanese. Most of these patients were brought back to New Zealand on her return on 8 October.
While at Leyte in the Philippine Islands on the fifteenth voyage the ship admitted 342 patients, most of them from other ships in the Fleet Train which was anchored around the Maunganui. The ship was used as a naval auxiliary hospital, half of the fleet being allotted to it and the other half to HS Oxfordshire. Patients were discharged to their own ship or, if this had sailed, to a ship which acted as a pool depot. Some serious cases were transferred to ships going to Sydney, and patients were also brought back to Sydney in the hospital ship when she returned.
At Manus on the sixteenth voyage the ship admitted and discharged 242 patients before sailing to Hong Kong, where 111 patients were embarked. Then 108 patients were embarked at Kiirun, Formosa, and later another 156 at Manila on the voyage south again. A few were discharged at Hong Kong, Formosa and Manila, but 362 were brought back to New Zealand where, except for some Australians immediately transferred to a United States hospital ship to go to Sydney, they received hospital and convalescent treatment before being finally repatriated to their own countries, most of them to the United Kingdom by the Maunganui on 23 November. The patients embarked at Hong Kong included civilians as well as service patients, and many of those embarked at Formosa were British service personnel who had been taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore; those embarked at Manila included many Australians from a United States hospital and a prisoner-of-war reception depot there. They all speedily put on weight and improved in health on the hospital ship, whose staff was kept busily occupied in their treatment. The Maunganui took the ex-prisoners of war to the United Kingdom on her final voyage beginning on 23 November 1945 and ending on 20 March 1946, when she brought back to New Zealand the last of 2 NZEF invalids from Italy and Egypt. By this time the number of patients carried numbered 5677.
Lessons from Experience
The most important matter in the administration of a hospital ship was stated to be harmony between the Army and the Merchant Navy. This centred on the careful choice of the Master and the OC Troops. On the Maunganui successive OC Troops worked in the utmost harmony with the Master, who showed the army medical staff every consideration. The person next in importance to OC Troops was deemed to be the Adjutant, who also needed to be specially chosen for the position. With a strong Matron, nursing sisters and a small number of voluntary aids were favoured. It was thought, however, that a preponderance of the nursing orderlies should be males, as they have numerous duties other than nursing to carry out – to supply guards, deal with fractious patients, make up stretcher and baggage parties, and assist in emergency precautions aboard ship, including closing the watertight doors, evacuating patients from wards and manning lifeboats. The male establishment of the Maunganui (72) was held to be too small for all these purposes, especially as work was frequently heavy and exacting, particularly in tropical waters. The Maunganui had more nursing sisters than most British hospital ships and was thought to be the better for it. Even then some officers thought that thirty rather than twenty sisters was desirable, and that there should be two dietitians, three physiotherapists and an occupational therapist. It was agreed that any future decisions on establishments for hospital ships would depend on the size of ship, length of voyage, type of patient and adaptability of staff.
As regards the ship and fittings, it was felt that the Maunganui was very suitable for the purpose – she had adequate speed (averaging some 14 knots), stability in heavy seas, interior hospital arrangements well planned, and equipment of a high standard. One standing criticism was the lack of air conditioning, especially in a ship having to go through the tropics. Owing to a variation in requirements with every voyage it was recommended that a hospital ship should have six or more small rooms whose special purpose could be determined during each voyage, e.g., for plaster room, laboratory, special patients. It was felt that a reasonable amount of deck space for recreation was always necessary, as also was ample dining space for convalescent patients, and swinging cots and a reasonable number of wide fracture beds.
Other points submitted for consideration arising from the Maunganui‘s experience were: a proper landing stage at least eight feet long at the foot of the gangway for stretcher cases; facilities for landing stretcher cases by winch; adequate laundry facilities; no wards between watertight doors or below the water line; companion-ways as wide as possible; and provision of the best type of life-jacket.
The US Navy’s USS Toledo (SSN 769) has returned to service after its eleven-month engineering overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia.
Refurbishment and modernization efforts, such as mast and periscope installation, as well as engine room tests, were conducted to extend its operational life.
Maintenance for the nuclear-powered attack submarine was carried out by 50 employees across the shipyard production shops.
All updates were run under the force’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program, which aims to meet nuclear fleet maintenance requirements while optimizing shipyard processes.
“An Engineered Overhaul is a marathon, and I appreciate all the significant efforts from the project team, crew, and contracting partners to keep pushing us to the finish line,” Norfolk Naval Shipyard Commander Captain Jip Mosman said.
SSN 769 is one of 20 Los Angeles-class submarines currently in service.
The USS Toledo
The submarine began its deployment in 1997, serving in drug interdiction missions in the Caribbean Sea and taking on reconnaissance roles during the Afghanistan War.
Its more recent deployments include port calls in Bahrain, Norway, and Scotland. SSN 769’s crew was given the Navy Unit Commendation award in 2020 for their eight-month intelligence collection deployment.
The submarine weighs 6,096 tons and can achieve submerged speeds greater than 34.5 miles (55.5 kilometers) per hour.
Its propulsion consists of an S6G pressurized water reactor with a 165-megawatt core, two steam turbines, and a secondary 325-horsepower propulsion motor.
Gisborne’s last surviving World War II veteran, sailor Ken Gordon, third from left, is pictured as a seaman boy during the war.
Royal New Zealand Navy veteran Ken Gordon has received a letter from King Charles thanking him for his war service. To mark Anzac Day, the Gisborne Herald’s Wynsley Wrigley spoke with Gordon about kamikaze attacks, the exhilaration of combat and seeing Emperor Hirohito during the formal Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay
Gisborne’s last surviving World War II veteran Ken Gordon was a 17-year-old “seaman boy” on HMNZS Gambia, whose crew claim to have fired the last shot of the war.
Gordon also recalls – three weeks later on September 2, 1945 – catching sight of Emperor Hirohito from Gambia during the formal Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.
The veteran, who turns 98 in November, said it was “a bit of a joke” to see the formal Western-style top hats and tails worn by the emperor and others in the Japanese delegation.
Still in the Navy during the Queen’s first visit to New Zealand in 1953-1954, Gordon served in the Royal Guard as the monarch met thousands of Kiwis at Eden Park.
Gordon was taken by surprise when he had his third brush with royalty only last week when he received a framed letter from King Charles.
It was titled A Message to the New Zealand Veterans of the Second World War on the 80th Anniversary of the War’s End.
The King wrote that it was with “great admiration that I write to thank you, once again, for your selfless service in those most difficult and dangerous times”.
The lengthy letter ended with, “it is my fervent hope that the years have brought you to a place of peace, and that peace shall remain with you always”.
Gisborne’s last World War II survivor Ken Gordon, who served in the Royal New Zealand Navy, shows the framed letter he received from King Charles.
“I just didn’t believe it,” Gordon said of the moment when he opened the package.
“It came out of the blue – not many would have been sent out.”
It is estimated there are about 400 New Zealand veterans of World War II still living, but there are no official records.
Gordon is not an ardent royalist. His proudest moment was seeing the New Zealand battle ensign as Gambia’s crew went into combat.
He says he enlisted as one of the Navy’s last seaman boys at 14, and experienced combat for the first time at 16.
Gordon said he was never scared during combat – not even the first time.
“You were switched on. You were there to do a job. I felt no fear at all.”
Gordon, a No 2 gunner on an Oerlikon twin-barrel 22mm anti-aircraft gun, said combat was an adrenaline-packed experience with exhilaration and cheering, despite the inherent danger.
“When action stations sounded – what a sight, what a sound. It absolutely switched you on. You were flying, absolutely flying.
“We were cheering. I don’t think the Americans (who were on board the New Zealand cruiser as monitors) could understand it.”
Gambia first saw combat in the Pacific in 1944, participating in US carrier raids.
HMS Gambia (pennant number 48, later C48)
In 1945, Gambia was part of the British Pacific fleet which attacked Japanese installations and facilities and came under attack from kamikazes for the first time.
Gambia had to slowly tow disabled destroyer HMS Ulster 760 miles (1223 kilometres) to Leyte Gulf and faced the strong possibility of being attacked by Japanese submarines.
Another task in 1945 was screening US aircraft carriers.
The American and British fleets, including the Gambia, could put up an incredible barrage, said Gordon.
“The sky was absolutely pockmarked with black clouds of exploding shells.”
The kamikaze pilots had to run that gauntlet.
“They were going straight for the [aircraft] carriers.”
On August 9, the day the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Gambia was firing on the steelworks at Kamaishi on Honshu Island.
It was the last bombardment of Japan.
“That was the big one. We went in with the British fleet. We went in with no air protection whatsoever.
“We rolled out our white ensign, our battle flag. We had it on our stern and on our masthead.
“It was a big thrill to see New Zealand in action with our flags flying. We were representing New Zealand in the fleet.
“It was a great day. It was the most thrilling part of the war … it was absolutely incredible.”
After the end of hostilities, the Gambia was attacked as it sailed to Tokyo Bay to represent New Zealand at the formal Japanese surrender.
Japan had accepted the Allies’ demand of unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945.
The attack took place on the morning of August 15, VJ Day, when the Gambia’s crew thought the war was over.
“We were already closing down our armaments and storing away ammunition.”
Many sailors and Royal Marines were on the deck of Gambia when they heard the spine-chilling sound of the kamikaze attack.
“We were taken by surprise.”
Gambia and two American Corsairs opened fire.
“The Americans chopped this guy out of the sky. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
Gordon still has a photograph of the deceased Japanese pilot floating past Gambia.
It was this battle that led the New Zealanders to claim they fired the last shots of the war.
Gambia also transferred released Allied Prisoners of War after the Japanese surrender.
Gordon was incensed by their condition after years of Japanese captivity, but he spoke highly of the New Zealand nurses he met.
Originally from Kōpuawhara, near Mahia, Gordon still speaks fondly of meeting fellow resident Nurse Kerr in March 1945.
Gordon was barged to the hospital ship Maunganui to meet Kerr after a signal was sent asking if any sailor on Gambia knew anyone on the hospital ship.
The nurse had looked after him “as a kid” at Kōpuawhara, and had brought some of his brothers and sister into the world.
“Up the gangway [of HS Maunganui] I went,” said Gordon.
Hospital Ship Maunganui
“Talk about a mother figure – there she was up the top waiting.
“I was still only 16 or 17. She couldn’t believe it. Here was me, from her knowing me as a kid, and here I was in action and her at the top of the gangway.
“That was fantastic.”
Gordon, if feeling well enough, planned to go to the Gisborne dawn service on Anzac Day morning.
