1our people

todayissue 172 April / MAy 2013

endeavour women go viral

Families & communities

new rea Boats

o u r v i s i o n : j o i n t o p e r a t i o n a l e x c e l l e n c e

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todayissue 172 April / MAy 2013

endeavour women go viral

Families & communities

new rea Boats

o u r v i s i o n : j o i n t o p e r a t i o n a l e x c e l l e n c e

mcc log

DIRECTORY

published to entertain, inform and inspire serving members of the rNZN.

Navy Today is the official newsletter for personnel and friends of the royal New Zealand Navy, produced by the Defence Communications Group, Wellington, Navy Today is now in its fifthteenth year of publication.

Views expressed in Navy Today are not necessarily those of the rNZN or the NZDF.

Contributions are welcomed. Submit copy or letters for publication in Microsoft Word, on CD or emailed. Articles about 300 words, digital photos at least 200dpi.

To request reprints, please contact the Editor.

COPY DEADLINES FOR NT 5PM AS FOLLOWS:

NT 173 June issue 14 May

NT 174 August issue 15 July

EDITOR: David Mcloughlin

Defence Communications Group

HQ NZ Defence Force

private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand

p: (04) 496 0219 F: (04) 496 0290

E: david.mcloughlin@nzdf.mil.nz

DESIGN & LAYOUT: Defence Communications Group

PRINT: As part of a Government multi-agency

initiative the NZDF has changed to a single

provider for all of its print Services.

This magazine is now printed by Blue Star.

Feedback to rick.derham@nzdf.mil.nz on

the quality of this publication is welcomed.

ENQUIRIES TO: Defence Communications Group

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Devonport Naval Base

LT CDR Vicki Rendall

p: (09) 445 5002 F: (09) 445 5014

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NAVy WOMEN

FirST WOMAN CWO

NAVAl COMMUNiTy OrGANiSATiON

NEW rEA BOATS

NGATi WHATUA ViSiT

OpErATiON ENDUrANCE

MCMT NEW OiC

WON rEpOrT

OUr pEOplE

contents NAVY TODAY iSSUE 172 2013

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COVER IMAGE:

Women officers and ratings of HMNZS

ENDEAVOUr.

photo by Chris Weissenborn, Navy

photographic Manager.

3yours aye

Kia ora koutou. Well, here we are in April already. The year is flying past so we have to grab every opportunity we have to get things done. An example of this is what you are

looking at – a refreshed Navy Today. We’re refreshing, invigorating, modernising and sharpening the Navy and want to reflect that in our magazine. i hope you’ll like the new look and feel. There’ll be more to come.

Our focus this month is on families—our husbands, wives, children, parents, aunties, uncles, friends. Everyone in our wider community. Their support and comfort is a key part of our ability to do our work. imagine going to sea without their support. people would be distracted and worried which would impact on their work and wellbeing. So thank you to all of our families for your patience, your strength and your support. it is really valued by all of us.

We try with the Facebook page, this magazine, messages from the Naval Community Organisation and the like to keep our families up to date with the goings on in our Navy. if you have any suggestions, we are more than willing to look at new and better ways of communicating.

This year we plan a mid-year sports day and serious investigations are underway into having a Navy Ball for all of us, whatever your rank. These are things you have asked for. The Command Warrant Officer and Whole Ship Coordinator in HMNZS pHilOMEl are working hard with their Commanding Officer to make life better for those living on base. Things are changing.

Our ships are at sea doing great work. OTAGO had a very successful Antarctic deployment. The ipVs are plying their trade around our coastline. it was a real pleasure to host visitors on TAUpO in Wellington recently—everyone was impressed with the ship and especially its people. Our tanker ENDEAVOUr went overseas with the frigate TE MANA. One of the reasons i joined the Navy was to see the world and this is the first overseas deployment for the year. We hope for more like it.

A big role of our ships is supporting other Government organisations. it is challenging to have people from other agencies at sea. They have to find their feet and for some it is a new, unfamiliar environment. Our sailors do a great job supporting them. it is so pleasing to get thank-you letters from agency heads about the work our people do. it reflects well on our Navy and on you.

This month lynette Bokany—our first female Command Warrant Officer on a major fleet unit—takes up her post in CANTErBUry. i am sure she will do an outstanding job. i also had the pleasure of appointing Warrant Officer James Harper to Command the Mine Counter Measures Team. This is a first for our Navy and i have full confidence James will continue the fantastic work he has been doing as the team’s second in command. These appointments show the only limits on your careers are those you place on yourself.

Now i need to mention “safety”. The Defence Force has recently lost several people in accidents. We have not been immune. Two recent accidents onboard ships alongside saw two sailors injured. This shows we must focus on safety all the time, not just at sea. We must feel confident to raise the red flag and say: “Stop. That’s not safe.” Our working environments are full of risk—that is the nature of a Navy. But we must remember to look after our mates, to provide advice or a helping hand, even if it makes us feel unpopular. it takes courage to insist on a safe workplace for our mates. i trust you all to have that courage.

So there you have it. remember our families. look after them. They shoulder a huge burden when we all head off to sea. i hope you all got to spend time with your families over Easter. With great family support and safety always in our minds, we are all going to keep doing incredible things in 2013.

yours ayeChief Of NAVY Rear Admiral J.R.Steer, ONzm

Above: CN with WOCSS James Harper at the Change of Command ceremony for the Mine Counter Measures Team.

4 navy women

By David McLoughlin, Editor, Navy Today

A photograph of nine of the 12 women officers and ratings

of the fleet replenishment tanker HMNZS ENDEAVOUr

became an international Women’s Day hit on 8 March.

Taken by Navy photographic Unit manager Chris Weissenborn, the

image (above) was the idea of ENDEAVOUr ‘s Commanding Officer,

Commander Sandra Walker. “We only had nine of the 12 women

members of Ship’s Company for it, though,” recalls CDr Walker, the

first woman CO of a major fleet unit. “The three missing were on duty

at the time. it’s a shame as the ladies had lots of fun doing the pics!”

The image attracted a record 15,500 views on the Navy’s Facebook

page. it was shared 50 times and attracted 266 likes and 34

comments. it was also republished on the Stuff New Zealand news

website and the royal Australian Navy’s Facebook page.

ENDEAVOUr was in Sydney at the time exercising with the rAN,

along with the frigate HMNZS TE MANA. CDr Walker jokingly

wondered if the photo would attract a queue of admirers whilst

the ship was alongside Fleet Base East, Garden island, Sydney. “No,

seriously, we are pleased we could help be the face of Navy and the

girls will be thrilled to know a pic of theirs is being used.”

Chief of Navy rear Admiral Jack Steer says that, in our Defence

Force, women serve equally, perform equally and demonstrate

equally our core values of courage, commitment, comradeship

and integrity.

“The royal New Zealand Navy is proud to have woman make up

22 per cent of its force, filling roles from Commanding Officers

of ships, to Stewards, lawyers, Combat Specialists, Electronic

Technicians and everything in between,” he said.

Women have been integrated in to the Navy since 1977, when

parliament passed the Human rights Commission Act, which

among other things outlawed discrimination on the grounds of

one’s sex.

Women in the Navy since 1977prior to the act becoming law, the Ministry of Defence set up a

working party to examine the implications on existing policies of

the employment of women in the Armed Forces.

The working party concluded that trades and specialisations and all

avenues of entry should be regarded as open equally to both men

and women unless a qualification of the act permitted a restriction,

enDeaVour women go Viral on international women’s Day

5navy women

such as where ablution facilities or separate accommodation was

not available and it was not reasonable to provide these facilities.

it said the training offered to women should enable them to

progress on equal terms with men in the same specialisations;

recruiting literature should show equality of opportunity generally;

and recruiting literature and advertising should be reviewed to

remove discriminatory conditions.

As a result of the working party, the Ministry instructed single

services to take the necessary steps to implement the new policy,

which, it was decided at the time, should exclude women from

combat roles.

Though women from 1977 on were able to make a direct entry to

the Navy, they were still excluded from going to sea until, in April

1989, the then Chief of Naval Staff, rA D B Domett, approved the

employment of women at sea. Branches and trades opened to

women at sea were Supply and Secretariat Branch (cooks, writers,

stewards, stores assistants); Medical Branch; Communications

Branch (radio trade); regulating Branch and pTi Branch.

Women were given the opportunity to elect either sea service or

to remain non seagoing. This resulted in the expectation that all

women entering the service—except those in a limited number of

shore-only trades—would be required to serve at sea.

Approval was given for women in the rNZNVr to undertake

sea experience at the discretion of the rNZNVr Divisional

Commanding Officer.

in February 1991, the policy was further changed to allow

women to seek entry into the Engineering Branches. in April

1993 all branches with the exception of the Diving Sub Branch

were opened to women on an as-required basis. The frigates

SOUTHlAND and WElliNGTON were declared available for

mixed gender manning, while CANTErBUry and WAiKATO were

made available for the posting of women for training purposes.

in January 1996 WAiKATO and CANTErBUry were declared

available for full mixed gender manning.

Finally, in January 2000, the Chief of Defence Force announced the

abolition of restrictions on women serving in combat, peacekeeping,

peace enforcement, humanitarian and many other similar roles.

regular and Non-regular service women became able to serve on

the same basis as men with respect to combat roles. Therefore

women became eligible to enter the Diving Sub Branch.

Above left: ENDEAVOUR women, clockwise from top left: ACO Lauren Tatana (Communicator), ACO Shayna-Maria Keenan (Communicator), SLT Sarah Thomas (Bridge Watchkeeper), CDR Sandra Walker (Captain), SLT Nicole Larking (Assistant Supply Officer), ASA Meretuhi Maxwell (Stores), ABCIS Lauren Armes (Communicator; on attachment from RAN), LWTR Zena Wolvers (Writer) and LMED Catriona Linders (Medic).

Above right: In our Navy, our women do the same work as our men, including the hard stuff like this jack stay hauling on a thick line on HMNZS TE KAHA during a replenishment at sea

women’s DeVelopment steering groupCoinciding with international Women’s day, the NZ Defence Force launched its Women’s Development Steering Group to ensure we have a strong and inclusive workforce and that key development opportunities for women are identified

Chief of Defence Force lieutenant General rhys Jones said his aim was for NZDF to develop women in civilian and military roles in order for them to be represented at a senior level.

“i am proud of the contribution women have made, and continue to make to the New Zealand Army, the royal New Zealand Navy, the royal New Zealand Air Force and in our corporate areas,” lTGEN Jones said.

“But while women have made so much progress in the Defence Force since they first enlisted, women are still not represented equally at all levels. Although numbers of women in senior military ranks are increasing, progress is slow. We still do not have many women represented in the highest officer ranks or civilian appointments. For example, the Chief Financial Officer is the only woman at the table of the Defence Force’s highest management group. And we have similar proportions of women in the armed services today as we had a decade ago.”

Women were needed at a senior level in civilian and military roles to influence and shape the future. He had created the steering group to achieve that.

“i would like to be quite clear that this initiative is not about establishing quotas for women in leadership roles, or to introduce positive discrimination of women at the expense of others in the Defence Force. The steering group’s purpose is to help to promote developmental opportunities for women.”

The group brings together a group of ‘experts’ (whether by their life experience or their role) to identify and tackle any visible and invisible barriers to women’s development in the Defence Force.

6 navy women

She joined the Navy in May 1989 as an Ordinary Writer. She

has served in HMNZ Ships MONOWAi, CHArlES UpHAM

and TE MANA and deployed on a land-based operational

mission to Afghanistan. She was promoted to Warrant Officer in

2008. in this interview with Navy Today she talks about her career

and how she sees her new role.

NT: Give us some background information about yourself.

LB: i was in the first intake that females were automatically sea-

going. it took me quite a while to get to sea as there were only a

few platforms that females could be posted to. My first ship was

MONOWAi at the end of 1992.

NT: How do you feel being the first female Command Warrant

Officer?

LB: Very proud. i am excited about the new opportunities and

challenges ahead and eager to get on with the job.

NT: What leadership philosophy have you developed that has

shaped you as a member of this Navy and now as a CWO?

LB: Be open and honest. Communicate and make an effort to get

to know the people around you. Set an example. Sometimes it is

hard to see the positive side, but take a step back and try and think

about the big picture. No matter how bad something seems, there

is always someone worse off than you.

NT: What are your views on the role that the CWO fulfils?

LB: My role onboard has many facets. if i look purely at the CWO

part of my role, i view one of my main roles to be the voice of our

ratings direct to the CO. To promote the positives and address the

issues as they arise. it is not to circumvent the divisional system

though. We have a divisional system that works very effectively

when properly utilised.

NT: What will you bring to the ship?

LB: My experience in the service is the most important thing. i

am a Writer by trade therefore i have a wealth of experience in

that area. i have worked tri-service both in Wellington and on an

OE16 deployment. And in my most recent role i have undertaken

the role of Career Manager for the Support trades, so i have

first-hand experience in the manning issues we are currently

experiencing. Also dealing with people on a day-to-day basis is

something i have always enjoyed. i would like CAN to be a ‘ship of

choice’ for our sailors.

canterBury has naVy’s first woman cwo

NT: What do you believe the current state of morale is among the

people of the Navy and some of the challenges you can foresee in

being the CWO on CAN?

LB: Morale differs depending on where you are. if you are onboard

a ship that is about to deploy, the morale is generally very high.

There will be challenging times and you just need to take them in

your stride. There is no perfect way of making everything better.

NT: How will you approach these challenges?

LB: you need to go back to basics, as i mentioned it is about

leading by example and knowing your people. Communication is

a very valuable and powerful tool and can make some challenges

much easier to overcome.

NT: What advice do you have for the younger generation of Navy

personnel who have just finished training or are in their formative

years?

LB: look after your mates. Be a role model. Be responsible.

Everyone is an adult and has the ability to make their own

decisions; therefore, make sensible decisions. The service has so

much to offer.

NT: What are your thoughts of Future 35 and the future of the

RNZN in the coming few years?

LB: it is an exciting time. There is so much opportunity for all three

services. We have to make the most of the opportunities and work

together effectively to achieve the desired outcome.

Warrant Officer Writer Lynette Bokany is the first female Command Warrant Officer in the Royal New zealand Navy, having recently been appointed CWO of hmNzS CANTeRBURY.

7Families anD communities

By David McLoughlin, Editor, Navy Today

The frigate HMNZS TE MANA left Devonport Naval Base in February and is not due to return until June. When a ship is away for months like this, the partners and other

family members back home do not have to fend for themselves if

problems arise. The Naval Community Organisation atop Monowai

Hill is there to help.

“We try to assist with issues that arise at home so the other

partner can remain at sea and be effective,” says the organisation’s

manager, lissa Jackson. “We welcome partners to come up

here and talk to one of our social workers. We can give in-home

assistance if need be, for example, when a mum or dad looking

after the kids while their partner is at sea becomes ill. Or we can

assist with sorting out issues within the home by providing advice

and referrals.”

The Naval Community Organisation was set up in 2000 as a means

of drawing together the functions that contribute towards the

wellbeing of the naval community—all of our service members,

their families, naval civilian employees, reservists and, sometimes,

our local Devonport community.

The organisation has a Family liaison Officer, Cindy Haliburton,

who can arrange help with such matters as childcare, home help,

shopping and liaising with plunket, schools and other outside

organisations. it has two Social Workers, Jason Hallie and yvonne

Boyd, who as well as being available in normal business hours

provide a 24-hour emergency service. Other NCO staff organise

events such as the annual Christmas party, a winter family camp

in Ohakune and a children’s camp at Motutapu island in the

spring holidays. On 17 April it is hosting a parenting show fronted

by entertainer and parenting adviser pio Terei at the Ngataringa

Sports Complex.

“Whilst TE MANA is away, every second Wednesday at 1pm we

open the Navy Community House on Calliope road to hold a

‘catch-up’ for any partners and preschoolers,” said lissa. “i attend

with a social worker and the family liaison officer.”

When ships go on a deployment of three months or more, the organisation hosts a partners’ dinner at a local restaurant. The dinner—which is partly subsidised—is also for the partners of personnel posted on overseas missions and is attended by a social worker.

“The idea is that they can meet other people who share the commonality of a partner being away for an extended time, so they can support each other. The majority of people in the Navy aren’t originally from Auckland. They might meet their partners here, end up having a family here, but do not have any extended family nearby to help, so it’s important that we assist Navy partners to find support people here.”

lissa says the social workers have a constant flow of clients. “They are two diverse people—a male pakeha and a female Maori, so they are able to identify with a wide range of clients.”

The organisation has its own Facebook page (www.facebook.com/naval.bureau) where notices of events are posted. Notices are also posted around the base.

Each month the Naval Community Organisation produces an electronic newsletter called the Community Connection. This was originally posted out to all next of kin but being environmentally aware, is now sent out via email only.

The Navy Help line (0800 NAVy HElp) is a confidential information service that friends and family can use to contact the organisation, make social worker and family liaison officer appointments and find out up to date information on the ships.

Despite the Naval Community Organisation having been a feature at the base for 13 years, lissa is occasionally surprised that some personnel do not know of the extent of its services and hopes that a mention in Navy Today will help get the message out.

Anybody wishing to receive the Community Connection should send their details to nib@nzdf.mil.nz or phone 0800 NAVyHElp.

naval community organisation always ready to help

Below: NCO team from left: Lissa Jackson, Yvonne Boyd, Jen Roger, Jan Gilmore, Cindy Haliburton, Jason Hallie, Siemone Rawson, Justine Tapsell, CPOET Michelle Blake, Fiona Morris. Absent: Maree Baucke.

8 littoral warFare support Force

naVy gets new fast-DeployaBle BoatsBy LT Russell Metge, RNZN, Project Manager (Minors Navy)

The Navy is taking delivery of two Mine Counter Measure / rapid Environmental Assessment (rEA) boats, TAKApU and TArApUNGA.

A naming ceremony for TAKApU was held in late March at Opua in Northland, where the boats were built by a team led by boat builder perrin Clarke at Northland Spars and rigging. TArApUNGA’s will follow later.

The boats represent an enhanced capability for the Navy. As purpose-built vessels, they enable the littoral Warfare Support Force (lWSF) to operate more effectively in the South pacific and in New Zealand waters.

The boats will serve as an operational platform for all of the littoral Warfare Support Force’s requirements including military diving, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (rEMUS) operations, rapid Environmental Assessments and Survey tasks.

TAKApU and TArApUNGA are the third incarnation of these names, reflecting a long history of multi-platform survey vessels within naval service that stretches back to the lend-lease programme of World War ii between the United States and Allied powers.

The first TAKApU and TArApUNGA were ordered by the British Admiralty in 1942, constructed in the United States and shipped from Canada to New Zealand for commissioning in 1942. They served with distinction in various forms until 1979 when they were decommissioned and replaced with the more familiar inshore patrol Craft.

Unlike those vessels, the new TAKApU and TArApUNGA are

capable of being towed by a New Zealand Army Unimog (or tractor), flown inside an Air Force C-130 Hercules, deployed onboard a Navy Offshore patrol Vessel (OpV) and able to be embarked onboard HMNZS CANTErBUry.

The recent Solomon islands earthquake is one example of the type of operations the MCM/rEA boats have been designed to deploy for. The damage such events cause to local airports, wharfs and resulting debris in port channels can greatly impede the ability to offload humanitarian and disaster relief stores in a timely manner, especially to remote areas.

The MCM/rEA boats will be able to facilitate the delivery of emergency stores through identifying a safe channel in the port approaches, establishing temporary navigation marks, clearing obstructions and finding suitable beach landing areas for landing craft to access costal villages. Having two 300-litre fuel tanks, one 100-litre fresh water tank and multipurpose work spaces provide the ability for the boats to operate primarily from dawn to dusk in littoral waters, returning at night to either a forward operating base ashore or acting as an OpV tender.

Having the capacity to fulfil such a wide range of taskings within a boat 9.2m long by only 2.7m wide meant integrating a number of innovative design elements. TAKApU and TArApUNGA were designed by a New Zealand naval architect, Northland-based Alan Walker. Designing and building a boat with sufficient speed, stability and draft to enable the towing of a 500kg submerged weight, deploying rEMUS and lifting 250kg on a removable davit all while being able to embark into a Hercules obviously presented a number of challenges.

9littoral warFare support Force

Successfully overcoming these to achieve a rapid deployment sometimes meant compromises. perhaps the most unusual involves the boat’s removable canopy, which will block access to a Hercules’ onboard toilet. This means for the duration of a flight, the crew and passengers will have to utilise the small chemical toilet onboard the boat—a good time to reflect upon the military factor component of our remuneration.

To meet these challenges, Mr Walker did not have to search far from home for inspiration—the Mack Attack catamaran that operates out of paihia to the “hole in the rock” tourist attraction provided the basis for a catamaran design. A catamaran offered a number of advantages over a mono-hull, in particular greater stability when using the boat’s 250kg SWl davit; and in its expected operating envelope of under six knots while allowing the boat to transit comfortably at 24 knots.

Though the boats are powered by twin 6ly-STp yanmar 370Hp engines and twin HamiltonJet units, the ‘rapid’ in rEA stands not for their top speed but for the ability of the boats to undertake Environmental Assessments quickly. The twin engines allow much better fuel economy for short transit periods at 24 knots and provide greater endurance and range than a single J3 rhib engine. They also provide a degree of operational redundancy while deployed. Consequently, each boat has a range of 150nm at a continuous transit speed through the water of 24 knots with endurance up to 18 hours (six hours at 24 knots and 12 hours at six knots).

During various stages of the build and testing process the Chief of Navy (rear Admiral Jack Steer), Maritime Component Commander (Commodore John Martin) and personnel from the littoral Warfare

Support Force, Seamanship School and Capability Branch all travelled to picturesque Opua to inspect the boats.

A week-long MCM/rEA Boat coxswain’s course will be developed and conducted through the Seamanship School for the lWSF to ensure they can safely operate these capable vessels.

Because of the boat trailer’s air brake system, an important aspect of deploying and recovering the boats by road between Devonport and Whenuapai or via local boat ramps is the use of a Unimog truck driven by lWSF personnel. late last year two Army Unimogs were transferred to the Navy for deploying the boats. Currently a small pool of lWSF personnel have the combination of a Class iii HT license and the necessary military qualifications to drive the Unimogs. This pool is being grown through ongoing training in order to provide sufficient redundancy to meet the wide range of operations conducted by the lWSF.

Despite the ambitious nature of this project the build and testing process has gone well, thanks largely to the strong relationship with the contractor and the willingness from both uniformed and civilian personnel from the Navy, Army and Air Force who were willing to lend their expertise and time.

Everyone involved in the design, build, delivery, and eventual operation of these boats can be proud of contributing to a new and unique capability that was designed and built in New Zealand. The first naming ceremony in Opua for TAKApU marked a major milestone for the project and transition toward the introduction into service. The process leading toward acceptance into naval service will pose its own challenges and require the same high level of commitment to overcoming challenges.

Above left: New boat on trailer. Above top right: RA Steer driving TAKAPU. Above bottom right: REMUS will deploy with the new boats.

Opposite page: TAKAPU under test.

10 Families anD communities

11Families anD communities

ngati whatua o orakei meet their new tenants

The hapu reached an agreement with the Government in 2011 to buy the Defence properties at market value as part of a wider redress package coordinated by the Office of Treaty

Settlements.

Orakei Marae-based Ngati Whatua o Orakei is a hapu of the Ngati Whatua iwi in the Auckland area. The hapu has about 5000 members and is also a part of the larger Tamaki Collective that covers 18 iwi in the Auckland area for Treaty negotiations.

Hapu members arrived at Te Taua Moana in brilliant sunshine at 9am to be met by Chief of Navy rear Admiral Jack Steer, Deputy Chief of Navy Commodore Wayne Burroughs, Commanding Officer HMNZS pHilOMEl Captain Corina Bruce, the Maori Cultural Advisor to CN WOSCS Jack rudolph and a group of the Navy tenants.

The properties concerned are a block of vacant land at Wakakura Crescent, some 250 houses over five housing areas (Beresford, Birchfield, Hillary, Marsden and plymouth) and the land under the built-up part of Narrow Neck.

The Devonport housing areas will be leased back by NZDF for five years from the settlement date of 1 February 2013. The Narrow Neck land will be leased back for as long as it is required for defence purposes.

Service housing in Devonport will not be affected in the short term by the settlement. The NZDF will continue to manage and maintain the houses during the lease period.

CApT Bruce says the occasion was a part of recognition of a new dynamic in the Navy community’s relationship with Ngati Whatua o Orakei.

“For our families this resulted in no changes in terms of their tenancies,” she says. “The settlement is a positive step forward for Ngati Whatua o Orakei, the Crown and the wider Auckland community towards the wider goal of completing the settlement process in New Zealand.”

After the formal welcomings, the hapu and Navy personnel shared morning tea and the opportunity to chat.

Representatives of Ngati Whatua o Orakei came to Te Taua moana marae at Devonport Naval Base in early march to meet senior naval staff and some of the Navy tenants of the hapu’s newly acquired Defence housing on the lower North Shore.

Above: RA Steer addresses hapu and Navy people.

Opposite page top: Official photograph of the occasion. Bottom: Arriving at the Marae.

12 operation enDurance

While most New zealanders enjoyed exceptional february sunshine, the officers and crew of the Offshore Patrol Vessel hmNzS OTAGO (the Southern Guardian) were in the chill of the Southern Ocean taking DOC and metService personnel to New zealand’s remote sub-Antarctic islands. SLT Seagar Clarkson reports.

op enDurancethe southern guarDian continues to earn her stripes

HMNZS OTAGO’s passage among the Southern Ocean islands for Operation ENDUrANCE was no ordinary affair. Officers and crew were chased by playful sea lions. A rating

was put aboard a passing luxury liner to get home in time for the

birth of his baby. Shore transfers were at times made in winds up to

70 knots and heaving seas. it was three weeks not to be missed!

We sailed bright and early from Bluff on Monday 11 February

for phase i of Operation ENDUrANCE, having embarked 16

Department of Conservation (DOC) and MetService personnel

as well as the Navy’s Maritime Survey Team 2 (MST 2) and a pair

of rNZN hydrographers. The primary aim of the operation was

to support DOC and MetService in resupplying and conducting

maintenance on their assets on the sub-Antarctic islands. in

addition MST 2 were to conduct sea floor surveys to increase

navigation safety for vessels operating in these regions—as much

of the area had not been surveyed before.

We’d spent the previous week transiting the length of New

Zealand. Waitangi Day saw us at anchor off Oamaru, which

coincided with the town’s centenary celebrations for the arrival

of news of Scott’s fatal Antarctic Expedition. We opened the

ship to visitors as part of the celebrations, ferrying them to and

from OTAGO by rigid hull inflatable boat (rhib). The remnants

of a southerly swell treated our visitors to a realistic ‘sea life’

experience and even those who couldn’t find their sea legs enjoyed

the day. With almost 300 getting through the ship in an afternoon

it was a busy day for all.

Over the weekend we embarked a large quantity of provisions to

cater for the increased number of personnel. The ship’s crane was

hard at work, bringing onboard several tonnes of DOC equipment

and building material that was stowed in the hangar and the spare

container on the cargo deck. The forecast of 60-knot southwesterly

winds and 7-metre seas prompted an extremely thorough check

13operation enDurance

to confirm the ship was ‘secure for sea’. On completion we left the safety of the harbour to see what experiences and challenges the Southern Ocean had to throw at us this time around.

Campbell island was our first call and the ship anchored in a windy perseverance Harbour. On anchoring next to the ice-strengthened cruise liner OriON we received news that one of our leading Marine Technicians was about to become a father. After some discussion, Commanding Officer lieutenant Commander rob McCaw acquired a berth on the luxury cruiser for the young lMT who made it back to New Zealand in time for the birth of a daughter—all are doing well. This event demonstrates the care mariners have for each other and that most will help each other out if possible.

A lot of our embarked stores were intended for Campbell island, mostly for DOC boardwalk construction and maintenance of the local MetService huts. it was too rocky to bring a rhib safely up to the landing, creating a bit of a logistics problem in how to take the supplies ashore. Some of the timber was too long for one Zodiac to manage, but the answer was found in the form of a makeshift catamaran, constructed by lashing two Zodiacs side by side.

The ship provided shore parties to move supplies quickly and to work as a ‘demolition team’ to help take down the rickety, rotten

wharf. Over the next couple of days we were also treated to guided tours past nesting royal Albatross and to the old Coastwatch station. Small groups of Navy personnel would have been stationed there throughout WWii on twelve month rotations. i felt admiration for these sailors, posted to one of the most remote locations on the planet for the top secret mission of keeping a lookout on the harbour for enemy warships using it as a base. We were treated to some real Southern Ocean weather—going from sunny to extreme winds, rain, hail, fog, and back to sunny again within half an hour.

Auckland island was our next stop. We had to initially uplift two researchers who had been on the island for a couple of months. Conditions for the rhib transfer were less than ideal with hurricane force 70-knot (130kph) winds whipping spray high in the air in the narrow Carnley Harbour. This was relatively common according to the two personnel uplifted, as they had seen a grand total of three days’ sun their whole time on the island. From here we headed north and, using an anchorage in Terror Cove as a base, the Zodiacs were once again put in the water to deliver supplies to Enderby island.

The shore parties who accompanied the DOC and MetService staff had the extraordinary experience of being chased by playful sea lions, as well as seeing more albatrosses, penguins and the

Above left: HMNZS OTAGO’s OSCS John Werahiko waits by his boat on Enderby Island in the Auckland Islands for Department of Conservation staff during OTAGO’s recent operations to New Zealand’s sub-Antarctic islands. This moody image was taken by LT Tarindu Weeramuni, OTAGO’s Supply Officer.

Above: Two Zodiacs carrying loads ashore.

Opposite page top: OHSO Irwin conducting survey work, Auckland Islands.

14

endangered teal and New Zealand falcon. Other groups went ashore to look at the remains of the only settlement on the island, once home to over 200 hardy souls. The site where a German scientific expedition had observed the transit of Venus in 1874 was nearby. As on Campbell island there had been Coastwatchers here too, and there is a rich history of shipwrecks and survivor stories.

The ship sailed for the mainland soon afterwards but was diverted to observe several international fishing vessels in the vicinity. They were vessels known to breach MArpOl (international Convention for the prevention of pollution from Ships) regulations by dumping oil; however we found no evidence of it occurring then. There was a brief stop en route at the Snares islands as well, where the DOC personnel used the rhibs to observe the wildlife. Some of Ship’s Company had the opportunity to come along. Those of us who went managed to get up close to the largest number of birds many of us had ever seen in one place, roosting alongside hundreds of little fur seals which were draped over the coastal rocks.

Back briefly in Bluff Ship’s Company enjoyed a short but relaxing couple of days off prior to phase ii of Op ENDUrANCE. The DOC team was changed prior to sailing and more supplies brought onboard for passage to the Antipodes and Bounty islands.

Antipodes island is formed by several old volcanoes and rises

vertically out of the sea. landing sites are very limited and sheltered anchorages even more so. We anchored in 30m of water on the fringes of a huge kelp bed on the northeastern shore, tucked in beneath the cliffs which soared hundreds of metres above. There was a slight surge coming into the cove below the DOC hut where we landed in the Zodiacs, making the process of landing stores ashore quite exciting.

Two researchers, who had been on the island for over a month, had rigged up a makeshift flying fox to get equipment up and down the 50m cliffs around the cove. Our shore party scrambled up and helped out at the top, pulling up sections of boardwalk and tools. When the work was done, DOC took us up to the nesting grounds of the Antipodean wandering albatross and showed us around the accommodation. The historic graffiti we found in the old shed beside the hut was interesting—some of it was left by sailors who had been there in rNZN ships decades earlier.

When the wind turned westerly next day the seas began wrapping around into our anchorage. it was no longer comfortable to stay, so we weighed anchor and made for the Bounty islands. DOC were interested in scouting these lonely pillars of rock for suitable helicopter landing sites to base a pest eradication project and in conducting a census of the endemic Bounty island

operation enDurance

Above top: A curious local, Campbell Island. Aove bottom: DOC and Met Service pers embarking in Zodiacs. Right: SLT Clarkson and AMT McGill removing rotten planks from the wharf, Campbell Island.

15

shags. The rhibs were invaluable here, where the swells dictated that seaworthiness was required. While one was sent on these tasks, the hydrographers went in the other, covering a large area of previously unsurveyed seafloor in quick time. The ship was unable to anchor safely due to the poor quality of charting, so we sheltered from the weather behind the main group of islands. After a day on task, we recovered our rhibs and started making our way back to the mainland.

The final weekend of Op ENDUrANCE was spent alongside at OTAGO’s homeport, Dunedin. As part of this the ship held a reception attended by several mayors from the region, local members of parliament and other distinguished locals. The usually functional hangar was transformed into a lavish functions room complete with an ice sculpture centrepiece crafted by the ship’s Junior Officers. it proved an excellent talking point, with several of the guests assuming that it came from icebergs in the Southern Ocean. While not so, it nevertheless showed they recognised the hard work their region’s ship had been putting in recent months in one of the most inhospitable environments on the planet.

The weekend was at full throttle. The ship exercised her right under charter to parade through the streets the following day, and a platoon of Ship’s Company with a 12-man guard paraded through

the Octagon. This was very well received. Many of the locals remarked how proud they were of their ship and how smart her crew looked in their whites.

The ship was opened to visitors in the afternoon, and several hundred people took the opportunity to step aboard. There was much interest shown in what we had been doing, and the crew were entertained by a group of children aged 7-10 who came onboard and copied leading Stores Accountant Simon Mitchell trying on full firefighting rig. To acknowledge their efforts lSA Mitchell decided to form the world’s smallest five-man support party for a practice re-entry, with limited success.

Sunday was less hectic, with a morning church service, followed by an afternoon powhiri at the Otakau Marae. There could have hardly been a better way to wrap up the weekend and the entire operation than at our namesake marae. it is a place of national significance and deep Naval ties, where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed while HMS HErAlD stood off in the channel. Finally the ship’s cultural group performed a stirring Navy haka, acknowledging a region that had immense pride in their ship and her role as the Southern Guardian.

operation enDurance

Above: Zodiac crews take a moment out of the wind.

16 mcmt

change in command at the mcmt

Chief of Navy rear Admiral Jack Steer selected WOCSS Harper to take over from lieutenant Commander Deane ingram “for demonstrating all the superior attributes

required to be the Officer in Command of the MCMT.

“Warrant Officers must demonstrate superior performance, leadership and ability over many years of service,” said rA Steer. “in the Navy of 2013, a Warrant Officer is an ideal candidate to be considered for Command of some units.

WOCSS Harper was born in Devonport, close to the Naval Base. He joined the Navy in 1980 as an Ordinary Seaman and served on many ships over the years including the former WAiKATO, WElliNGTON, SOUTHlAND, CANTErBUry and TUi as well as TE KAHA and rESOlUTiON. He has completed numerous career courses, including the Anti Submarine Warfare Directors course in the United Kingdom in 1995.

He assumed the role of Tactical Anti Submarine Training Officer (TASTO) in 2000 and was promoted to Warrant Officer, becoming involved in the creation of the new Combat Systems Specialist trade. After a number of other posts he became the MCMT’s XO in 2009.

After weeks of sunshine, rain returned over the weekend before the Monday Change of Command. While the rain held off for the ceremony, the wind was pretty breezy: feathers from CN’s korowai floated off towards the assembled parade of littoral Warfare Support Force sailors as he stepped onto the podium.

lT CDr ingram described the MCMT as nimble, versatile and world leaders with the rEMUS 100 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, which uses a side scan sonar and video camera to search the depths and record an acoustic/video picture of the seabed.

rA Steer told WOCSS Harper it was a “significant day for the Navy” and he was “the right person, in the right place, with the right skills” who would change the perceptions of Warrant Officers and what they could achieve.

As CN stepped off the podium to read the Command Directive, the sun came out with a little more force. WOCSS Harper and lT CDr ingram exchanged the MCMT’s Symbol of Command, a model WWii moored horned mine flanked by carved .303 rifles as once used to shoot mines once swept in order to sink them to the sea floor.

WOCSS Harper thanked senior leaders for putting faith and trust in him and allowing a Warrant Officer to lead the MCMT. He also acknowledged the MCMT contribution to the NZDF’s Future 35 and Joint Amphibious Task Force 2015 and the unit’s MAOT (Multi-Agency Operations and Tasks) contributions.

Top: The handover – LT CDR Ingram (left) hands the Symbol of Command to WOCSS Harper, watched by RA Steer

Above: WOCSS Harper at work with LHST Katrina Mohi during Operation RENA

He takes command at the onset of an exciting period for the MCMT, with the arrival of the two rapid Environmental Assessment boats (see article page eight). “These will provide greater mobility and enhance the capability and effectiveness of the entire littoral Warfare Support Force, including the MCMT,” says WO Harper, “i am honoured to be leading our team as we develop our skills with this new equipment.”

WO Harper is married to Wendy. They have three children and live in Albany on Auckland’s North Shore.

it was a Change in Command with a difference for the mine Counter measures Team when their executive Officer, Warrant Officer Combat System Specialist James harper assumed command of the team on 18 march.

17won report

won reportSince the beginning of the year i have had the

privilege to attended passing Out and Course Completion ceremonies across Defence, witnessing

rNZN personnel being rewarded for their hard work and achievements. i have also been privy to the selection of a number of key appointments of late to personnel who through hard work and commitment across their careers have been rewarded.

in this article i’d like to acknowledge and celebrate the achievement of a few individuals. i know there are a lot more out there but i only have this page and i rely on you all to recognise and celebrate success in your own workplace.

First, a group of four young Medics—AMAs KaaTeMihi Toataua, Matthew Senior, Annaliese Moverley and liana Wellington—who all recently graduated at the Defence Health College with a Diploma in Medicine. it took 12 months of study and dedication, and as they walked across the stage, the look on their faces as they received their diplomas said it all (priDE in what they had achieved). The moment was made all the better as it was shared with their families. Well Done!

Secondly, i’d like to acknowledge WOWTr lynette Bokany. lynette has recently posted to HMNZS CANTErBUry as the first female Command Warrant Officer to serve at sea. An outstanding accomplishment, lynette, Well Deserved!

And lastly, WOCSS James Harper. recently CN published a With all Despatch announcing that WOCSS Harper would be invested as the new Officer in Command of the Mine Counter Measure Team. James was considered along with a number of candidates and was found to be the most suitable, with his recent experience as the Executive Officer and extensive knowledge in this area. This is a wonderful achievement by a Warrant Officer and as CN has said it shows all Warrant Officers and those who follow that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it.

parting Words. During Operational Evolutions, we adhere closely to Operational risk Management and use this to provide a safe working environment for all. However out of work hours the idea of “Safety is paramount” is often forgotten. Ships can be dangerous places to be in both at sea and alongside 24/7. recent accidents onboard two of our ships show us that a “Safety Always” mentality must be adhered to and encouraged. “look after your mates.”

WARRANT OffiCeR Of The NAVY Lennie Shailes

By Dr ALISON DREWRY, Surgeon Captain, RNZN Director Defence Health

Chief of Defence Force lieutenant General rhys Jones has made reducing the injury rate across the Defence Force a priority for 2013. The Navy has the highest rate of injuries

during basic training and Navy recruits are more likely than those in Air or Army to be unable to complete their original basic training course because of injuries.

This pattern is continued even after basic training, with Navy having surprisingly high rates of sprains, strains, dislocations and fractures compared with Army and Air, according to the Accredited Employer programme Unit (AEpU) which deals with all work-related injury claims for the NZDF.

The long-term consequences of simple musculo-skeletal injuries can be serious, with repeated 'minor' injuries resulting in people having pain and stiffness in their joints, even to the point of requiring joint replacements at a relatively young age.

The reasons for high injury rates in Navy are not well understood, although there have been suggestions that it could be due to recruits being less physically fit than they used to be and so are prone to injury, or that the basic training course itself has become more intense and physically demanding than previously. Some people have even speculated that the 'obesity epidemic' is responsible and that as recruits tend to be heavier these days they are more likely to get injured.

The truth is likely to involve a combination of several factors, but it's in the interests of the Navy and the recruits themselves to reduce the injury rate. That will be an important target over the next few months. Other armed forces have done similar research, so their results will be used as well as NZDF data. The factors that have been shown to be effective in reducing injuries in basic training will be adopted by the Navy where appropriate.

Another area where we can make a difference for personnel is in the management of non-work injuries. When military personnel get injured outside of work like twisting an ankle while playing rugby at the weekend, they often go to health centres at camps and bases for treatment.

The NZDF is required to report such non-work related injuries and the treatment provided to ACC so that the person is covered by ACC for their treatment, both now and should it flare up in the future. The NZDF aims to ensure all military personnel who have had non-work related injuries have access to future care and entitlements.

injuries may require further, unforeseen treatment in the future and therefore, it is important that the health centres that treat them submit accurate and complete documentation with ACC to begin with. This aspect of better injury management is being addressed as part of the Defence Health programme, and involves the collaboration of staff undertaking a variety of project work throughout Defence, including information technology changes and process improvement.

cutting our injury rate a priority in 2013

Top: WO Shailes with his wife Cynthia

18 our people

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04

07 09

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1. Sailors from Devonport Naval Base collected donations for the Child Cancer Foundation around the local shopping centre on 22 March. Here, AET Jacob lambert gets a donation from a passer-by. Our sailors raised $1766 for the charity. 2. OET Himaui Tamati on duty during HMNZS TAUpO’s Wellington open day. 3. AWTr Nicole Booth and lMT (p) rawiri Brightwell at HMNZS TAUpO’s open day in Wellington. 4. lMT (l) Jemal Bowler and OCO Gina Kingi greeted visitors during HMNZS TAUpO’s Wellington open day. 5. First he was a Dwarf in The Hobbit, then lT Mark Hadlow rNZNVr is Toad of Toad Hall in the Christchurch production of Wind in The Willows held in Christchurch Botanic Gardens during the Sommertimes festival. A truly memorable performance on the riverbank. 6. looking fit, the new recruits of Basic Common Training 13/01 arrive at the Chapel of St Christopher’s for their course’s family Church Service 7. HMNZS rOTOiTi was in Napier for Art Deco weekend. Seen on Marine parade are SlT Alisha King, MiD Alexandra Barnett, AET Chris Heays and ASCS Jacob Biddle. 8. The crew of HMNZS rOTOiTi enjoy cupcakes brought out to the ship by the family of ASCS Jacob Biddle when the ship called by his home

19our people

10

06

03

town, Whakatane. Says CO lT Kane Sutherland: “The best cupcakes i have ever had! Jacob’s dad is a local Kawarau police Officer and his police colleagues came down to the waterfront (with three police cars) to see if he was telling the truth when he said he was not at work because he was on a warship just off the Whakatane harbour entrance. This was a very proud day for the Biddle family.” 9. Able Seaman Barry Dulieu first joined the rNZVNZ in 1972 then re-enlisted in 2005 to enjoy the sea, Navy life and explore the New Zealand coastline. Here he is at work on HMNZS TAUpO where he was a member of Ship’s Company during its most recent Operation MUlTUS, which he describes as a career highlight with its visit to Fiordland. 10. The newly appointed Director Naval reserve Captain phil O’Connell (left) is promoted by the Director General of reserve Forces and youth Development for the NZDF, Brigadier Sean Trengrove. CApT O’Connell joined the Naval reserve and Ship’s Company of HMNZS OlpHErT in Wellington as an Ordinary rate in the Seaman specialisation in August 1983. He was commissioned in 1990 in his current specialisation, Maritime Trade Operations.

20 Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

By SLT Sarah McWilliam, RNZN

From the outside the rate of change onboard CANTErBUry likely appears slow but personnel-wise CAN is in a period of swift and intense change. Despite the flexibility in the date

for sailing, all preparations are now underway to return our Ship's Company to sea-going status and this means a rapid influx of new joiners on an almost daily basis.

The return of the stewards and chefs in March has been the most noticeable addition, After many months of quiet kitchens, they are now back to being the busy, sparkling clean areas that a hungry Ship's Company are always so pleased to see.

We have also seen the welcome return of a Ship's medic and increased numbers in the administrative support areas while still awaiting the return of the pTi and many more OJTs who will continue to join us. For those of us posted to CAN throughout the remediation, it is a most palpable increase in liveliness.

There is no doubt that when we sail we will be essentially a new ship. The Command team is almost unrecognisable from 2012 with a new CO, XO, SO, OpSO and NO along with a new DEO, DSO and OOWs by the time we sail. Combine this change with the further significant changes among the Senior rates of CWO/WSC, Buffer, CpOCH and pOrS and we have a real chance to put a new stamp on effectively a new ship.

As our new CO, Commander David Turner, rNZN, promised at the

change of command, CANTErBUry really is starting to wake up from her period of dormancy. There is no doubt that people are our primary resource onboard and it is easy to see the return of a complete Ship's Company driving this process. However, such crew and readiness changes require significant training and refreshing. Duty Watches are busy training understudies and external and whole-ship training in Damage Control is pushing towards ever larger evolutions. Externally we have also had first aid training, sea survival training and most recently the Weapons Handling Tests followed by live firing at range week for all onboard.

CAN has also just successfully completed the organisational audit which put the ship’s Senior rates and Officers through their organisational paces. This is a big step in the right direction for getting the ship back to sea. Despite the high workload onboard, numerous personnel have been released for representative sport including inter-Service touch (male and female), golf and even lawn bowls! No doubt this will be involvement that will increase with the return of a pTi to further boost morale and physical involvement.

The personnel are almost here, the boxes are being ticked and the end point of so much change and so much hard work is in sight; now it's time for our Ship's Company to prove we're ready.

hmnZs canterBuryheading back for sea after remediation

Above: Coming back to life—CANTERBURY (foreground) alongside at DNB.

21Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

hmnZs otagocadets sea-ride on hmnZs otago from Dunedin to Devonport

Above: CDT SGT Booth working lines.

By CDT SGT Danielle Booth, CDCU

While the Cadet Forces offer many various opportunities, nothing can quite compare with the chance Dunedin Cadets were offered by HMNZS OTAGO to sea-ride

from Dunedin to Devonport.

Fourteen of us joined the ship while she was berthed in Dunedin on 1 March. We were a mixed bunch with seven Corp Cadets, five Sea Cadets and one Air Training Cadet, accompanied by a Sea Cadet officer.

While the sway of the ship initially had a couple of us bedridden for a day, most gained our sea legs in time to enjoy the activities onboard.

Confronted with the plentiful good food, we stuffed our faces before we were given tours of the ship. As part of this we got to meet the crew and see what they did during daily life at sea.

We started with training from lMED Kayla Sargeant and learnt the protocol of first aid, followed by a walkthrough of the Officer of the Quarter rounds with lWT Nick Wright. We saw the ammunitions and pyrotechnics gear and got hands-on with the ship’s small arms. This experience included stripping Steyrs and viewing the many pistols and shotguns they had onboard. Some of us were introduced to ‘watch’ duties on the Bridge and, geared with binoculars, we were given opportunities to steer and help operate the ship. We all enjoyed it, and were present throughout each watch for the duration of our stay. When the Cadets settled down for an early night, we were rolling side to side enough to be afraid the top member would fall off their bunk!

The next morning we awoke to find we were near the top of the South island. We continued learning about the ship’s routine, including the many safety exercises (like fire drills and engine failures) that could happen at any time. As we moved further up the coast of the North island we helped out Engineering, Chef and Operations branches in their roles. The highlight of the day for most was seeing a very large pod of dolphins surrounding the ship. Our cameras quickly became swamped with photos of them as they passed.

‘Challenge Day’ was the day to remember most however, despite having to complete the beep test to the rNZN standard (which we all did). We cooled down afterwards with a swim during Hands to Bathe at Great Mercury island. While some had reservations about jumping off the flight deck, most eventually tasted the salty water.

During the day the medic threw casualty exercises at each section of cadets (ACHillES, lEANDEr and SOUTHlAND). Our stunned faces as we saw the patient had the crew in fits of laughter. later our flag knowledge and hoisting skills were tested. part of this included flying a trouser belt from the mast. Starboard side forgot to clip both ends of the halyard on and managed to get the belt stuck at the top, forfeiting points.

There was also much anticipation to see the NZSAS members who boarded the ship that day, and many of us were in awe at how much more they ate than us.

The Sea Cadets gained good insights to their possible futures, and the ATC and Cadet Corps (while not in our element) had a great time. We all gained a huge amount of skills and some even have to consider whether we should keep to our own Services or join the Navy.

The cadets would like to hugely thank all of OTAGO’s crew who helped, taught and took care of us during our time. A special thanks to our “go-to guy” Midshipman Sione Manuolevao, rNZN. We appreciated everything and will take word back to our unit of the fantastic time we had. Maybe someday those we met will see us onboard again, in Navy uniform. Cheers!

22 Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

in a rather unusual fashion, on the same day Ship’s Company returned from leave and normal routines resumed, ENDEAVOUr became home to 11 royal Australian Navy

personnel. We were supplemented with three ACHs, one lCH, one ACO, two lMTs, one pOMT, two ASCSs and a Navigating Officer.

The first few weeks for the whole Ship’s Company were busy! As well as training for Fleet Divisions and undertaking individual branch integration training for the rAN pers, we all went through Damage Control refresher training onboard. At DC school we did sea safety training and a tanker familiarisation course all in preparation for the upcoming Safety and readiness Checks (SArC). We also formally welcomed the rAN contingent at our Marae, took them to see the Navy Museum and enjoyed an afternoon of sporties.

After all of this, ENDEAVOUr was ready within weeks to conduct her SArC assessments. By the start of week three the Ship was ready for her SArC Sea assessment. The Maritime Operational Evaluation Team (MOET) embarked with a comprehensive assessment plan. However, in typical fashion, the ship (not her crew) had plans of her own and so it was that by the end of the afternoon watch MOET had not been able to instigate a single exercise.

‘Safeguard’ incidents of smoke in the engine room and emergency anchoring meant that by the time MOET assessment could commence we had ticked half the required boxes for the SArC(S) already. in the end, it was a great result, the ship was assessed as SAFE and CDr MOET CDr Keith robb said “it was the best prepared ship his team had seen in a long time”.

This effort along with some more sea training and defect

rectification in the week following was all in preparation for ENDEAVOUr to transit to the East Australian Exercise Area (EAXA) in company with HMNZS TE MANA. in order to facilitate some more family time, the Commander Task Group CDr Shane Arndell, rNZN (CO of TEM), ordered both TE MANA and ENDEAVOUr to run tropical routine for the final week before we deployed. This meant starting work at 0700 and finishing at 1300 and allowed people to get a lot of their personal administration sorted.

Since deploying and looking back on this period, it’s amazing what has been achieved and how at home the rAN personnel now feel as part of Ship’s Company. There has been some excellent knowledge exchange in the various departments where the rAN personnel are employed and with good learning coming from our respective differences in practice, it’s become most obvious that it’s in the seamanship side of things, both on the bridge and on the deck, where we are extremely similar.

ABCiS Armes, our rAN augmentee for the Able Communications Operator billet, has this to say on her integration into the Communications Department in END:

“When i was presented with the chance to work with the rNZN for three months i was thrilled to be given such an exciting opportunity in only the early stages of my career. i travelled to New Zealand as the sole communicator within our group of 11 Australians. My fellow Aussie sailors had at least one other alongside them in their given trade. i joined the small department of four communicators on ENDEAVOUr, which has only one pOyS, one lCO and two ACOs, a vast change from my department of 16

hmnZs enDeaVouraussies on board to australia and back

Since the last issue of Navy Today, hmNzS eNDeAVOUR has been to Sydney and back—with 11 Royal Australian Navy personnel on board gaining experience while the RAN tanker hmAS SUCCeSS undergoes maintenance. SLT Simon Dickson, RNZN reports.

ENDEAVOUR

23Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

Above: LMED Linders.

Opposite page: Nine of the 11 RAN personnel pose in front of the Auckland Cityscape. Back row from left: POMT(P) Darron Chatfield, ABBM Elliott Smith, LT Robert Short, RAN (Navigating Officer), ABCK Jason Naylor, LSMT Drew Craven, LSMT Dominic Empson. Front from left: ABBM Matthew Foster, ABCIS Lauren Armes, ABCK Stephen Harrison.

Communications and information Systems sailors on our tanker HMAS SUCCESS.

“On arrival i was assigned a New Zealand ‘buddy’, ACO Shaynah Keenan, who helped in my transition from a SMNCiS (rAN) to an OCO (rNZN), explaining any foreign rNZN terms, procedures and routines. Having a buddy helped greatly with my integration into my new workplace and i felt a part of the team instantly.

“There are two different sides to the communications role: the communications centre (commcen) side and the bridge side. Between the messaging systems, communications equipment and job responsibilities, i quickly learnt how different the commcen side was on END compared to SUC. However, the bridge side of flashing light, tactical voice and flag procedures is near identical to the way the rAN operates and i believe i have slotted in well in this respect—even if i had trouble understanding the NZ accent on the other side of tactical voice the first couple of times!

“There is nowhere to hide, working within such a small team, and i have taken on a lot more responsibility than in my previous posting. This has been beneficial to my training and growth as a sailor and i believe the time at sea has helped me become even more confident within myself and within my trade. i am exceptionally lucky to have been given this opportunity and i hope to take many stories and new formed knowledge and friendships with me back to Australia.”

ABCiS Armes’s Supervisor, lCO David Carpenter has this to say of the integration process:

“When i joined END myself and realised that we had Australians working and living onboard, it was a delightful discovery, particularly as this was my first posting in the rNZN after completing my engagement within the royal Navy.

“There have been some amusing times within the Comms Department onboard, particularly with the language barrier, which is understandable as there are three Kiwis, one Aussie and one ex-Brit, even though we are all meant to be speaking English! This has also been quite fun whilst using Tactical Voice when working with HMNZS TE MANA. ABCiS Armes really did have difficulty at first with some of the different accents and some quick speaking operators, but has managed to get the lingo since.

“Flashing light, voice and flags have all been used and there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference between the three Navies. However most of the equipment within the MCO is different for both her and me, so that’s been a steep learning curve for us both.

“Whilst it seems like we have been preparing for some time, in reality the ship has effectively created a rNZN/rAN Ship’s Company in a very short space of time. This is a credit to both navies that such integration can happen so seamlessly.

“Having Australians onboard has been an enjoyable and pleasant experience, especially as we visited their normal home port of Sydney during this deployment.”

ENDEAVOUr completed phase One of Operation Crucible with TE MANA before detaching for return passage to DNB via New plymouth where she arrived for a four-day Home port visit on 21 March. The visit was squeezed in as we hadn’t managed to get back there in three years.

ENDEAVOUr returned to DNB on 27 March for the Ship’s Company to enjoy Easter with their families before END commences the lloyds Survey and DSrA periods planned.

taranaki sailor face of the naVy for new plymouth VisitHawera-raised sailor lMED Catriona linders was the face of the Navy when she sailed into New plymouth for a Home port visit on 21 March, the ship’s first visit there since 2010.

lMED linders is following in the footsteps of her father, David linders, who served in the Navy some 20 years ago.

“Dad was always telling me his stories of his travels. i just wanted to experience what he had been boasting about, the life experiences, camaraderie, and doing something for our country,” lMED linders said.

lMED linders has found the varied Navy lifestyle suits her well. “i joined in March 2007 when i turned 17, and i have never looked back.”

lMED linders joined ENDEAVOUr in January 2013 as the sole charge medic onboard. “i enjoy helping people, and i love being part of a massive team.

“My day starts at 0800 with ‘sick parade’ which is when Ship’s Company come to me if they’re feeling off colour. i have a range of daily checks around the ship, making sure the defibrillator is charged, oxygen bottles are full, and medical supplies are still in date and well stocked.

“Some days i will do some training with my three Ship’s Medical Emergency Team members to ensure their training is up to a high standard. They are the ones who initially respond to medical emergencies while we are at sea.

“i love that every day in the Navy is different, and i am always learning something new,” says lMED linders. “i’ve gained a lot of medical experience, and the Navy has given me the opportunity to complete my Bachelor of Health Science. i have made friendships that will last my lifetime, life skills, and people skills. i have learnt how to be a good leader, and i strive to be a good role model to my juniors.”

24 Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

hmnZs te kahaplatform systems upgrade

By SLT Thomas Young, RNZN

HMNZS TE KAHA came home from a busy 2012 to face the realities of almost a year alongside at Devonport Naval Base to undertake scheduled maintenance and phase Two of the

platform Systems Upgrade (pSU). The majority of TE KAHA’s crew posted to other units leaving the ship with the bare minimum crew of about 50 for most of 2013. Despite this, the ship has been busy.

Many of the Ship’s Company from 2012 returned to the Ship in early 2013 to say farewell to the outgoing CO, Commander Jon Beadsmoore and welcome the new CO, Commander David McEwan.

Almost immediately after the Change of Command, TE KAHA formally entered phase Two of the pSU. phase One, implemented from 2009 to 2010, gave both Anzac frigates increased stability and new, more powerful engines. phase Two, being installed on TEK this year and TE MANA in 2014, will see the integrated platform Management System (ipMS) and new air conditioning plants installed. ipMS will substantially increase the automation of the machinery on-board, thereby reducing the training burden on the engineers. New functionality, such as the Onboard Operator Trainer, will help reduce the internal training disruption on the ship while the air conditioning plants will make the ship much cooler to work in.

The reduced crewing has required some improvisation. TEK is now running a revised Duty Watch system that has a substantially smaller impact on manning and allows the ship to be locked up on completion of each work day. As for the Naval patrol Force, TEK’s Duty Watch is now based after hours in the Naval Base Command Centre with the Naval Base Duty Watch.

TE KAHA has continued the strong trend of 2012 in training. Five Switchboard Operator Certificates and Auxiliary Machinery Certificates have been awarded in the first three months of 2013, an impressive achievement given that the ship has been required to run machinery solely for training. Ship’s Company are using the time alongside to complete courses necessary for promotion and career advancement.

When gaps in the maintenance and training schedules have allowed, Ship’s Company have proved that the Navy is not just all work. lunch time circuits in the Fleet Gym and sporties have been well attended. Ship’s Company enjoyed events like the Navy Beach Day. lT CDr Matt Tinnelly and AMT Simon Triezenberg represented the rNZN and TE KAHA at The rumble mountain bike race, and lWT Jeremy rees represented the rNZN at inter-Services cricket. Some of Ship’s Company assisted in building the ‘World’s Biggest Waterslide’ to support the charity live More Awesome—which is raising awareness of depression.

looking ahead, preparations are underway for TE KAHA to send a contingent to our namesake town Te Kaha in the eastern Bay of plenty for ANZAC Day. Two EXpEDs will be conducted in April and May to Mount Maunganui to promote team building.

Top: TE KAHA Bridge consoles being replaced as part of PSU Phase II.

Middle: WOET Richard Henstock tries out the World’s Largest Water-Slide.

Bottom: CDR Beadsmoore, left, has just passed the TEK symbol of command to new CO, CDR McEwan.

25Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

By LT CDR Al McHaffie, RNZN

i’ve given many tours of TE MANA since being appointed Executive Officer (XO) and—with the interest in the platform and Systems Upgrades—a recurrent theme from visitors has

been the difference between one of our Anzac frigates and the rest of the rNZN. There really is a lot of ship squeezed into a pretty small package and then there are all the hidden features—shock mounting, redundancy, increased watertight integrity, damage control systems and lots of different weapons. We are, after all, the combative arm of the Navy and must be able to go into harm’s way to fight and survive to fight another day.

Materially TE MANA came out of her extended period alongside at the end of last year in great shape and with some significant upgrades on the horizon all looks very promising for our Naval Combat Force. The real challenge, as i am discovering, will be the regeneration and maintenance of our knowledge and experience of frigate operations in our Navy, where this capability represents only 20 percent of our platforms.

For probably the first time, as an example, we have leading Hands posting to Anzacs with no frigate experience. This situation isn’t wrong, but reflective of our exciting Navy and the myriad of opportunities presented by the various ships with various roles. What it does mean is that the importance of personnel posting with their core mariner skills sorted is imperative. This is so that we can concentrate on what frigates do best, the application of military power in the maritime domain, and most importantly in combat!

i can describe what this means in real terms. Within three days of sailing for the first time this year we were right into it, with firings of our close-in weapons and 50cal systems. later that week we conducted Naval Gunfire Support training east of Great Barrier island and a Maverick firing from the Seasprite helicopter. you might have seen some of our photos on Facebook—we were practising replenishing at sea with ENDEAVOUr, another

important warfare function that enables frigates to remain at sea in company or on task delivering combat effectiveness indefinitely. These activities had to be overlaid on the catch-up of individual and basic team training required of all ships all the time, recognising a very significant rotation and the addition of new personnel over the Christmas break.

Since sailing to Sydney in company with ENDEAVOUr we’ve been able to work on speeding up our efficiency at replenishment, but the focus has really been on re-learning how to defend the ship in a warfare environment. Opportunities have presented to operate with the NZ Army from 16 Field regiment, practising supporting troops ashore and the royal NZ and Australian Air Forces exercising both maritime patrol and defence against fighter aircraft. The latter is an essential part of our being able to remain in operational environments. it is a defining feature of a complex warship, and is an opportunity never missed by our frigates noting we cannot practise this effectively in NZ waters.

Aligned with some of the warfare activities have been periods at Action Stations exercising damage control. When worked up a frigate is expected to manage six separate fires or floods concurrently within 45mins, damage resulting from unsuccessful air defence or shock damage from an underwater explosion such as a mine or torpedo. Whilst the ship comes fit for purpose as described earlier, integrating our 173 personnel—with their varying levels of experience—into a cohesive team takes lots of work. We’ve been repeating some of the basic activities such as searching for damage, dealing with minor incidents, running emergency power cables and of course, managing multiple human casualties. The sight of someone with simulated injuries can cause quite a fright in the middle of an action scenario. Over the next few

hmnZs te manaregenerating a warship

TE MANA

Above: TE MANA in Sydney Harbour.

26 Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

weeks we expect to be able to ramp this up to the more intense action damage scenarios, trying to give everyone a taste for what to expect in our Work Up in August. it has certainly been an eye-opener providing support to the guided-missile frigate HMAS NEWCASTlE, at the end of her training cycle prior to a deployment to the Gulf, dealing with 30 casualties in damage scenarios and taking many hours simply to get under control. Our time will come.

We recently completed our first Anti-Submarine Warfare exercise, in company with NEWCASTlE, ENDEAVOUr and the Spanish tanker ESpS CANTABriA, with both our Seasprite and an Australian Seahawk dropping torpedoes and participating in the simulated engagements. This is a capability we are expecting to get to a higher level by operating with an Australian submarine in April.

it’s been a busy time, but there are limited opportunities between now and August to upskill our Ship’s Company to a level where we can confidently enter Work Up—the time when individual training must be completed and the focus is on teamwork, decision-making and command and control. There are a myriad of separate activities that must be perfected from the traditional warfare functions such as air defence and naval gunfire support to the routine activities of safe navigation and peacetime firefighting, but we’re heading in the right direction and looking forward to some of the challenges ahead! Above: ASCS Emily Maxwell defending TE MANA against low flying aircraft.

By OEWS Mark Jamieson

The thrill, the excitement of not knowing what's coming next. That's what you can expect on your first deployment on one of our frigates. Being posted to TE MANA was a dream come

true for me, a chance to get to sea, put all my training into action and finally to do the job that the Navy has spent so much time teaching me to do. Not for the faint at heart at all. Fighting fires, repairing flood damage and working long hard 18-hour days with the hope that tonight you might just get to sleep a little earlier.

This is what we are trained for though. Once you are in the deep end it all kicks in and becomes a part of who you are, with an instant reaction to run towards the fire and not away from it. Aircraft screaming at you from all angles trying to take you out, floods happening below decks that you have to stop to ensure the safety of your shipmates. putting your body on the line to defend the ship and keeping it alive to fight another day. Do you give up? NO! Because in the back of your mind you know that the cheffies are slaving away in the galley amidst all the madness making sure that we are well fed and boy do they know how to put a smile on my face—well, that's how it goes for me anyway.

Have no doubts though, despite the hard work and long watches, there is so much more fun to be had and discovered (but i'll leave you to find out for yourself).

To all my colleagues who have not yet had the great undertaking that is to serve on the mightiest of ships our navy has to offer, i say this: "Hold Fast"

“hands to action stations!”

16 fielD regiment on exercise with te manaBy SLT Regan Harris, RNZN

in Sydney in early March, TE MANA was joined by four personnel from the 16 Field regiment, royal New Zealand Artillery. Capt Brent Morris, lance Bombardier russell McGrath, BDr Tony Vroonhoven and BDr Jerome Kingi posted aboard to practise provision of Naval Gunfire Support by the spotting of naval gunfire in a live fire environment. TE MANA sailed from Sydney to practise firing live rounds with her 5 inch gun onto the Beecroft range in the East Australian Exercise Areas (EAXA).

On the Monday afternoon two members of 16 Field regiment were boat-transferred ashore to the range for NGS spotting. Throughout the week TE MANA exercised naval gunnery with spotting from both 16 Field regiment personnel ashore on the ground and airborne spotting from TE MANA’s Seasprite helicopter.

Although the time with 16 FD rEGT onboard their affiliated Anzac frigate was short, the experience gained was invaluable for the Navy and NZDF as we work towards CDF’s vision of Joint Operational Excellence.

Above left: The four members of 16 Field Regiment onboard TE MANA.

27

ROTOITI

TAUPO

Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

Left: Sea Cadets from TS CHATHAM pictured with the Commanding Officer (right) and Executive Officer (left) with Mount Maunganui in the background.

During February when rOTOiTi was alongside in Tauranga, six Sea Cadets from TS CHATHAM came onboard. They were given a full tour, including seeing the living

conditions onboard, the engine room, weapons and the highlight: getting a ride and capability demonstration of the J3 rigid hulled inflatable boat in Tauranga Harbour. On completion of the tour the Commanding Officer exchanged cap tallies with the Cadet Unit.

hmnZs rotoiti

hmnZs taupo

By MID Jeff Handcock, RNZN

During HMNZS TAUpO’s recent Operation MUlTUS she scheduled two days into her busy patrolling period to help Department of Conservation efforts in the

Marlborough region.

After leaving Wellington on Monday 25 February, TAUpO crossed Cook Strait and anchored in picturesque pelorus Sound off Maud island. This was the first of two islands where shore parties were used to provide a service to the island reserves in the region.

While on Maud the rNZN personnel were used in track cutting as well as weeding the island of old man’s beard. A large section of walking track was cleared through the bush, aiding in the general upkeep of the island’s many walking tracks. We had the opportunity to get close to such native species as takahe, giant weta and the curious weka. The island is also home to kakapo but none were seen during the day. The DOC rangers used the opportunity to educate as they worked and shared their passion for the bush and the conservation of New Zealand. For the rNZN personnel it “gave us a greater appreciation of our country’s natural beauty and the man-hours DOC workers contribute to protect it,” as Ensign Matt James said.

Next day the ship transferred the shore team to Stephens island which is home to 90 per cent of the world’s tuatara population as well as New Zealand highest lighthouse. We had a wider range of activities, from track cutting to weed-eating, painting, mowing, and picking the native seeds. The island presented a picturesque backdrop to a day of hard work hiking up the island’s steep paths in the hot Wednesday sun.

Stephens island is just north of d’Urville island and has a high perch overlooking Tasman Bay to the west and the Marlborough Sounds to the southeast. The island is home to two DOC rangers in charge of its rejuvenation and preservation. Around 10,000 native seedlings are planted annually from seeds collected from the island. like the previous day the rangers took every opportunity to educate in their

line of service which was refreshing for much of the crew who took a keen interest in both the wildlife and history of the island.

For the three royal Canadian Navy sailors currently embarked, it gave them a close look at not only the wonderful coastline of the country but the native bush and species that New Zealand has to offer. For the Ship’s Company of TAUpO the days ashore not only gave the crew a change in working environment but also a unique opportunity play a small part in the conservation efforts of our country.

Top: LMT Bowler at Stephen's Island mowing the lawns next to the highest lighthouse in NZ. Above: HMNZS TAUPO on patrol.

28 Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

Below: 1 Fighting a MOET-lit “fire” from left AMT Christopher Lord, ASCS William Smart, LSA Samuel Blackmore.

By MID Benjamin Fairweather, RNZN

During March the newly fashioned crew of HMNZS WElliNGTON moved to the fast lane of Safety and readiness Checks (SArC) and Directed level of Capability

(DlOC) with the Maritime Operational Evaluation Team (MOET). The crew have been working feverishly to achieve a high level of success and achievement. With our first deployment looming, we have been focused and determined in reaching this goal at the highest standard possible.

The Commanding Officer, lT CDr phil rowe, has worked as much flexibility into the short programme as is possible and has a firm belief that WElliNGTON and her Ship’s Company will be ready for all challenges faced over the coming months.

For many of the crew this will be their first time serving on an Offshore patrol Vessel and for a few their first time at sea. A flying serial involving an SH-2G Seasprite was a first for many of the crew and the chance to train with the Seasprite was used to full advantage including exercise reactions and whole ship’s responses to a crash on deck.

Boat drills have also been practised and many a man overboard simulated, to ensure that the response is quick and efficient should we ever be unlucky enough to deal with a real incident of this type.

The ‘engineering readiness’ has probably been of the greatest concern since exiting reduced Availability period, as there was no historical knowledge or data to suggest how a ship of this class would react to having been berthed alongside for so long. it seems like the routine maintenance schedules run throughout rAp have paid off; the engineers have seen fewer problems than they might have anticipated. However, they have still been put through their paces, having to deal with simulated and some real machinery breakdowns. They have proved so far they are ready for the challenges that will be faced both throughout the Work Up, but also some of problems that may be encountered in the varying climates WElliNGTON will face throughout the rest of the year.

Damage Control is a key element in daily sea life and WElliNGTON certainly has had her fair share with many exercises

being run with MOET coverage to get Ship’s Company up to speed. The incidents have started to get more complex, with serials starting to overlay each other in order to prepare the ship for the intensity about to be encountered and the proficiency required to successfully complete the Work Up.

With a crew of many nations, including representatives from the Canadian and Australian navies, there is a continuous flow of information and skills being exchanged and discussed advancing the knowledge of all onboard. Our Australian and Canadian counterparts have been vital to the success of WElliNGTON so far and will continue to be a part of her future endeavours, showing that tradition is still is present and strong in our Navies.

MOET has been a key resource in providing not only evaluation but also a high level of experience and commitment in training the Ship’s Company. progress has been witnessed in all areas, both at sea and alongside and it is hoped this development will continue through Work Up.

With a home-port visit to Wellington in May and the pacific deployment in June, the challenges facing WElliNGTON throughout the DlOC process will be taken with enthusiasm and commitment.

hmnZs wellingtongetting back to sea

29Fleet progress

fLeeT PROGReSS

commonwealth compositionBy LT(N) Daniel Fletcher, RCN

As HMNZS WElliNGTON manoeuvres her way through Auckland Harbour, outbound for sea, it is quite apparent there is something different to the normal routine of a New Zealand warship conducting pilotage. There is a splash of grey and light blue uniforms in the midst of a sea of navy blue. Additionally there are a number of accents amongst the crew that are not local.

On the bridge this morning you will find a British Commanding Officer, lT CDr phil rowe rNZN, an Australian Navigator, lT Tom Williams rAN and a Canadian Watchkeeper, lT(N) Dan Fletcher rCN.

you may think that all of those countries are part of the Commonwealth and that as such there would not be any major differences in how Seaman Officers are trained, but you would be wrong. Training programs are moulded to fit the requirements of individual countries, with organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) being one of only a few links where a common standard exists. There have been many discussions onboard over common practices and procedures that range the gamut from Standard Operating

procedures and Emergency reactions to simple activities such as the dishwashing and dishwasher loading routine.

you may also be thinking that the English language is the same across the globe, minus those weird North American accents. Truth be told it is all of you, including the Aussie and the Brit, who have the accent. Additionally i have learned that dinner, the mid-day meal, is called lunch, and that supper, the evening meal, is called dinner. i have also learned that tea, one milk and two sugars is “NATO Standard”, and tea, no sugar is a “Julie Andrews” (white nun). interestingly the ship follows a “route” (pronounced ‘root’) and the CO loves “tea and stickies”—the wonderful English language.

The important thing to take out of is that even though life at sea can be quite different, it is our bond as Commonwealth brothers and sisters that keeps the professionalism and dedication the same, whichever Navy you are from.

God save the Queen!

Above: Commonwealth crew on the Bridge of HMNZS WELLINGTON from left, LT Dan Fletcher (Canadian), LT CDR Phil Rowe (Brit), LT Tom Williams (Aussie), SLT Matt Wilson (Kiwi). At rear, LT Benjamin Langley (Kiwi).

30 naval History

70 years on paea steams as gooD as eVer

Stepping aboard the 70 year old Harbour Defence Motor launch pAEA p3552 is like an excursion into the past.

The familiar aroma of an old wooden ship, a mix of Stockholm tar, diesel and Navy rum, is one of the first things to hit your senses when boarding this vessel from yesteryear.

pAEA was on display in the Auckland Viaduct over the weekend of 9 and 10 March, celebrating her 70th birthday. The current owners, Keith Nicholson and Heather reeves welcomed many people aboard to view this piece of New Zealand’s naval history dating back to WWii.

The Torpedo Bay Navy Museum enjoyed the opportunity to support the anniversary and provided a pavement display alongside the ship, giving passers-by an overview of the roles of HDMls in the rNZN and a succinct history of pAEA.

The old painted, wood-panelled interior, full of Navy memorabilia, has a feel about it that evokes memories of the good old days for many of the 100 or so old salts who served on Mls in the past and visited pAEA over the weekend.

During World War ii the fear of Japanese invasion prompted the royal New Zealand Navy to establish a fleet of 16 Harbour Defence Motor launches to patrol the our harbour entrances and pAEA was one of these.

She was commissioned as Q 1184 into the 124th Ml Flotilla on 9 March 1943 as an anti-submarine patrol vessel operating out

of Auckland. Q 1184 had a twin 50 calibre machine gun, a 20mm

Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun, four Vickers mounted machine guns,

submarine detecting sonar (ASDiC) and eight depth charges. She

carried 10 crew.

in addition to her wartime coastal patrol duties, she made a trip

to Fiji in November 1944, escorted by HMS ViTi, for service out of

Suva and returned under escort from HMNZS KiWi to Devonport

Naval Base at the end of 1944.

Her post-war years were spent at pHilOMEl Naval base assigned

to general duties. She was transferred to HMNZS TAMAKi in 1947,

fitted with seating and used as a liberty boat on the TAMAKi run

between Motuihe island and Devonport Naval Base.

The HDMls were re-classed as Seaward Defence Motor launches

in 1950 with new numbers allocated to the fleet, her official

number changing from Q1184 to p3552. in 1955 she was re-named

pAEA (Swordfish) and became part of the Navy’s Fisheries

protection Squadron where she spent the next 20 years patrolling

the New Zealand coastline enforcing the 12-mile fishing zone.

pAEA joined the Navy’s Hydrographic Survey fleet in 1975 and

carried out coastal surveying which included survey work in

Tory Channel. She ended her Navy days in 1985 after eight years

in Auckland as a training ship for the royal New Zealand Navy

Volunteer reserves.

She has been in private ownership since 1985 and the current

When the harbour Defence motor Launch PAeA P3552 was built for anti-submarine patrols in 1943 she was expected to last just six years. Remarkably, her Navy career carried on continuously until 1985 and now, in private ownership, she is still showing no signs of retirement. in this article, Torpedo Bay Navy museum Photographic Archivist Paul Restall describes PAeA’s fascinating history.

31naval History

owners, Keith and Heather, are committed to keeping her as close to original as possible. They have her for four years and, with neither of them having a Navy background, you’d have to wonder why they would take on a ship of this size.

Keith says he was initially attracted to pAEA because of her “beautiful hull and sea keeping qualities. We sailed her up from picton to Auckland and it blew a 50-knot southerly almost constantly the whole way up and she handled it wonderfully,” said Keith, his faith in the ship fully vindicated.

They were also captivated by the ship’s history and have spent countless hours researching and buying back as many of the original fittings as they can find.

There is still a long list of original parts, removed during de-commissioning, that they would like to track down including original engine controls, steering wheel, voice pipe, interior cabinetry, crockery and cutlery and anything else that would help to complete the restoration job.

So what’s it like to handle a boat that is 22 metres (72 feet) long with a crew of just two?

According to Keith, who has spent the last 50 years mucking about in launches up to 12 metres in length, she handles like a breeze. “She can turn in her own length”.

The twin Foden 110 Hp, supercharged six-cylinder diesel engines give her a cruising speed of 12 knots with a top speed of 14.5 knots.

She costs around $40 an hour to run. Not bad for a vessel that

displaces 54 tons.

As far as maintenance goes, Keith says “you just have to bite the

bullet on that one.”

They have slipped her twice to replace 60 metres of the oregon

hull planking, portside belting that was damaged and a worm

shoe on the keel. She needed a small amount of recaulking, her

hull being carvel-planked on the outer of the two skins and she

soaked up 100 litres of anti-foul paint below the waterline. Future

projects are a re-fit of the wheelhouse and steering station and

new stanchions and rails around the decks.

For Keith and Heather, pAEA is a labour of love and there seems to

be no shortage of either. Keith does all his own maintenance and

engineering work and Heather is no stranger to a caulking mallet

and a paint brush.

They are passionate about sharing the ship’s history with anyone

who will listen, and plan to live aboard and cruise around the coast

giving New Zealanders a chance to see this living piece of naval

history.

For a ship designed and built during the war, with a life expectancy

of only six years, pAEA has done exceptionally well to celebrate her

70th birthday and, in the words of Keith and Heather, “she’ll see a

fair few more yet.”

Above left: Keith in the engine room. Above top right: As Q1184 in WWII. Above bottom right: PAEA at Viaduct Harbour.

Opposite page: PAEA in 1958.

32 culture anD sport

By CPOCSS John Kohi

Softball has always been a popular code in the rNZN but with

commitments of naval personnel to sea-going platforms,

Navy has struggled to make up men’s and women’s inter-

service teams. Therefore we have not been able to show our full

potential. This year was no exception and naming teams that could

be a potential threat to Army and Air Force was going to be a huge

challenge. Add to the mix the invitation of two additional teams—

NZ police (who were a regular in the old Combined Services

tournaments) and the Australian Defence Force—meant this was

always going to be a very competitive tournament.

However, through the efforts of a few of our more senior people

we managed to field both a Men’s and a Women’s team. Navy Men

under the coaching of CpOCSS(U) John Kohi were a mixture of

Navy softball club players past and present. The Women’s team

however had little or no experience in the softball arena. A big

mention should therefore go to pOET Tamara Dudley who took the

lead role in getting the Women’s team together.

With three hard training sessions, both teams learnt more about

the game than some people learn in a season. Throughout the

inter-Services tournament, both teams performed well above their

skill levels and at the end of the tournament could hold their heads

high with the achievements made.

Navy Men finished third overall, with NZ police winning the final

against Army. Navy Men also finished the NZDF competition

second behind Army losing in that final 9-3. The two tournaments

were run together with ADF and NZ police excluded from the

NZDF prizes as they were both invitational teams.

Navy Women finished fourth overall and gained a special mention

from tournament organisers for the work put in to organise their

team. ADF took the tournament honours with a win over Army

in the final. in the NZDF competition our women finished third

behind Air Force.

Rosedale Park With the Tournament over, all eyes focused on the ADF/NZDF

fixtures at North Harbour’s rosedale park which was also hosting

the World Softball Championships. That was the incentive for all

rnZn softball teams at inter-service and nZDf level

Above: The NZDF team and the Black Sox at Rosedale Park

Left: Navy reps in the NZDF team: Back row from left ASA Michael Nuttal, OSCS Joseph Campbell, CPOCSS John Kohi. Front from left POMED Kim Mordecai (VR), AHSO Julie Butler, LSA Kelli Aspin and LSTD Maria Pahulu Jnr

33culture anD sport

softballers throughout the NZDF to make the teams to face off for

the “test matches.”

With the teams assembled at Whenuapai Base, it was a step up

from inter-services and the seriousness could definitely be felt. The

first morning everyone gathered, teams were issued the NZDF kit

and then mustered for the learning of the NZDF Haka. previous

Defence Force teams performed the haka Ka Mate but over the

past few years, members of the NZDF Kapa Haka Group have

composed the new NZDF Haka which incorporates all services and

can be performed by both Men’s and Women’s contingents when

appropriate.

With all of the preparations out of the way, Saturday 9 March was

our D-Day. Teams finally arrived at rosedale, an awesome venue

for a very prestigious event. As the teams made their way to the

Softball Diamond we were greeted by friends and family, past

and present players and even people who were there to see top

softball. The feeling was amazing at people just saying “hello” and

“good luck”. No matter what language they were talking in, you

knew what they meant. The atmosphere was indescribable.

The Women’s game was at 1300 and both contingents gathered on

the Softball Diamond to lay down the traditional challenge. From

the start both teams, ADF and NZDF, could see the magnitude

and what was at stake. The Kaea’s ( haka leader) war-cry rang out

over the diamond and people watching the adjoining game against

Australia and Argentina on Diamond One, all came rushing to the

top of the grandstand to see what the commotion was; when the

haka started people were flocking to catch a glance of NZDF in full

flight, both men and women.

To commemorate this, Chief of Army, Major General Dave Gawn

threw out the first pitch to start the battle between all teams. Both

games were played in high spirits and all teams played to the best

of their abilities. As in all sports there had to be a winner and a

second-place getter.

Unfortunately the NZDF Women went down in a hard fought

match in the seventh innings. The Men however squared the series

with a shaky start but came back with an emphatic win in the end.

After the prizegivings were completed teams were able to sit in

the grandstands and watch the NZ Black Sox square off against

Venezuela for a spot in the World Softball Championship Final.

On completion of the game we were asked if the NZDF would

like to go onto the field to get a team photo with the Black Sox,

who at the time were finalists but in all our minds were already

World Champs again. A great finish to a great day and an awesome

tournament.

Many thanks to all those who made the tournament possible. To all

the supervisors and Divisional Staff who released their personnel

to partake, thank you. Softball is not a sport where you can just

pick up a glove or a bat and be a natural. it requires a certain skill

set and i take my hat off to all the players who represented the

rNZN, you did yourselves proud. if you are interested in getting

into the softball scene, the Navy Softball Club has teams of

different skill levels for both Adults and Children.

Go to the Navy Softball Club Website for more information: www.

sportsground.co.nz/navysoftballclub

pors tapene in te matatiniPetty Officer Radio Supervisor David Tapene represented Whangarei-based hatea in the national senior kapa haka competition Te matatini 2013 held in Rotorua 22-24 february. hatea’s overall placing was 16th out of 42 teams. Of the items they were placed in they were first in Waiata-Tira (Choral) and Second in haka Composition. PORS Tapene writes here about his experiences.

My involvement with Hatea and the preparations towards the 2013 Matatini National Senior Kapa Haka competitions were a hard journey. Difficult sacrifices were made, including the Tag Footy nationals and importantly, time away from partner during needed times.

This allowed commitment to full weekend practices starting from early January and couldn’t have happened without family, partner and Navy support.

i travelled every weekend from Auckland (depending on duty work commitments) north to Whangarei, as well as making flights one weekend from Blenheim Friday evening to Wellington and Auckland to make practice on Saturday and Sunday, then flying back to Blenheim for a course that Sunday. Grab-a-Seat worked out!

To perform at Matatini representing Hatea, Te Taitokerau and the Navy was the pinnacle of kapa haka art and culture (the best of the best). There were over 40 groups, in which each group had to qualify through their regional kapa haka competition to reach the national stage.

The groups are based not only in New Zealand but also in Australia. A maximum of 40 performers was allowed on stage, performing their set programme consisting of a Waiata Tira (Choral), Whakaeke (entry), Moteatea (chant), Waiata-a-ringa (action song), poi (female item), Haka (male item) and Whakawatea (exit). These were marked by selected judges for each item.

Special mention to my partner and Navy pers on HMNZS WElliNGTON, who allowed me the time to attend practices in weekends. Cheers, Tarps.

34 notices

Rotary auction of 48 hours on a Navy ship to help parents and childrenBy RA Jack Welch, RNZN (Rtd) Member, Rotary Club of Takapuna North

The rotary Club of Takapuna North will auction 48 hours on a Navy ship as the major prize in a fundraising gala evening in May 2013 for the Home interaction programme for parents and youngsters (Hippy).

Chief of Navy responded very positively to a request we made for this prize and quickly approved a package for two to three people over a period of 48 hours at sea in a naval ship. As you can imagine, such an experience would be priceless for a civilian, making it a very attractive and hopefully valuable prize.

Hippy is a home-based programme that supports parents in becoming actively involved in their four- and five-year-old children’s learning. parents and children work together for 15 minutes a day with storybooks, puzzles and learning games that help children become successful learners at school. As a result, children arrive at school ready to learn and settle into the learning environment. Many other benefits are realised through Hippy.

Although government-funded to a certain extent, Hippy requires further funds to grow and expand in the community. it has already demonstrated itself as a most successful programme and worthy of support by the community.

The rotary Club of Takapuna North is most grateful to the Navy for its assistance in providing a unique prize for this thoroughly worthwhile activity.

Contact rA Welch by email welchfam@clear.net.nz

RSA membership now free for serving personnel Serving uniformed members of NZDF are entitled to free membership of the royal New Zealand returned and Services’ Association.

The 2012 rSA National Council resolved that local Associations remit subscriptions under rule 38(d) of the standard rules for local Associations for all serving uniformed members of the New Zealand Defence Force and the New Zealand police currently eligible for membership under rule 8(a) and 8(b) of the rNZrSA rules; and that rNZrSA not charge capitation for this class of membership.

NzDf field humint Selection 2013The School of Military intelligence and Security (SMiS) will be running a Field HUMiNT Course in the second half of 2013. This course is open to serving military personnel from all three services.

• FHSelection:24–28JuneinWaiouru.

• FHTri-ServiceCourse:29July–20SeptinTrentham.

personnel wishing to attend the FH course need to:

• Becommand-clearedtoattendtheCourse.

• Beavailableforpostingto1(NZ)MICoyonsuccessful completion of the course for a period of 2-3 years.

A roadshow is coming to a base near you soon.

For more information Email 1NZMiCoy@nzdf.mil.nz

NZDF intranet: Army Command post/Formations/HQTrADOC/land operations Training centre (lOTC)/School of Military intelligence and Security (SMiS)

hmNzS TOROA 85th Year ReunionDUNEDIN 2013

25, 26 and 27 OCTOBER

persons interested Contact HMNZS TOrOA 211 St Andrews St, Dunedin phone (03) 477 8883 Email amanda.buchanan@nzdf.mil.nz

mururoa Veterans ReunionThe Mururoa Veterans’ Society is holding a reunion dinner at Tauranga rSA on Saturday 20 July 2013 to mark the 40th Anniversary of HMNZS OTAGO and HMNZS CANTErBUry being at Mururoa Atoll. All information and an application form is on the website www.mururoavet.com

please contact peter Mitchell, president Mururoa Veterans’ Society to indicate your interest, by the 15th of April at Get_over_it@xtra.co.nz

hmNzS OTAGO 53rd Anniversary Reunion All aboard for a fun weekend!

3, 4 and 5 MAY

Naval Clubrooms

44 Broadway, Newmarket Auckland

reunion accommodation HQ: rose park Hotel/Kingsgate parnell phone 09 377 3619

A full program arranged.

Contact Noel Davies 8 Awatea rd parnell Auckland phone 09 377 0662 Email noel_davies@xtra.co.nz

All shipmates, partners and friends welcome

hmNzS Taranaki, All Ships Reunion 2013Papatoetoe Cosmopolitan Club, Auckland

1, 2 and 3 November 2013

Shipmates from all rNZN Ships are invited to attend.

Expressions of interest to: reunion2013@hmnzstaranaki.org

Or contact

Bill Sedgwick pO Box 72831, papakura 2244 Auckland phone: 09 296 3022

Bob Gage: 09 483 8502

Charlie Govind: 09 299 8089

raniera (Dan) Bassett 09 263 7247

35

By three authors: Damn Riddles of Mr E. Brice, MBE (7,9,8) (anag.) with special guest setter: A Grand Hammer (6,6) (anag.)

Cryptic and standard clues are provided for this crossword. Both sets of clues have the same set of answers.

crossworD

TWO-SPEED NAVAL CROSSWORD Cryptic and standard clues are provided for this crossword. Both sets of clues have the same set of answers.

By three authors: DAMN RIDDLES OF MR E. BRICE, MBE (7,9,8)(anag.) with special guest setter: A GRAND HAMMER (6,6)(anag.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8

9 10 11 12

13

14 15

16

17 18

19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27

28 29 30 31

32 33

two-speeD naVal crossworD

Cryptic Across Clues

7. lift to a lever was arranged. (8)

8. indian tribe played uplifting role in Vietnam. (8)

9. Flyer or introductory episode? (5)

10. repair rig, akin to produce 42 Sqn workhorse. (4,3)

11. Enzo should provide safety assurance. (3)(abbr.)

14. Mythical creature made biscuits. (7)

15. Gout arranged with a french masculine type gives the advantage in armament. (6)

16. Shhhh... it sounds like he is a bit under the weather! (4)

17. Chatty bovines or Soviet trainers? (4)

18. Not the top team. (4)

19. Air Force boss heard to replenish with skill. (9)

20. Our Annabel was at the heart of such effort. (4)

22. reveal performance. (4)

23. Maybe i heard phil and Gees pulls along. (4)

26. Seize transposed chants. (6)

27. possibly i’m a liar – it’s the fastest way to get the post there. (7)

28. initial aircrew selection board, you can bank on it! (3)

30. Halfway up the stairs at the end of the flight? (7)

31. Coffee without the hit works for ‘19’. (5)

32. A capital aircraft. (8)

33. Transmit with some singers heard in military locations. (8)

Cryptic Down Clues

1. Airborne apparatus without which those magnificent men would be more down-diddly-down than up-diddly-up! (6,8)

2. Aircraft electronics assembled Visa icon. (8)

3. yeager’s office – prepare gun to shoot mine! (7)

4. Childhood flying hero untangled big legs. (7)

5. Company trial screening produces second high flyer. (2-5)

6. lone pilot of the Millennium Falcon! (4)

12. Does quarrel and could be a major? (8,6)

13. Calculations performed in 3 for estimates. (4)

16. Throws up Kupe’s arrangement. (5)

21. Fundraiser heard to be destined. (4)

22. ‘Second’ precedes fast bowler who’s out of this world. (8)

23. Shocking threat with closure of The Globe perhaps? (7)

24. ‘The Breeze’, on talkback, can’t stop talking. (7)

25. Collar style fashioned from drawing tips. (4-3)

29. riverside turn. (4)

Standard Across Clues

7. lift. (8)

8. indian tribe. (8)

9. Aviator. (5)

10. Transport aircraft. (4,3)

11. Occupational Safety and Health. (3)(abbr.)

14. Mythical creature with wings of an eagle and body of a lion. (7)

15. possess superior firepower. (6)

16. Attract attention surreptitiously. (4)

17. Tibetan oxen. (4)

18. Team. (4)

19. Current Chief of Air Force. (9)

20. Cook. (4)

22. Demonstrate. (4)

23. pulls. (4)

26. Grab. (6)

27. letters carried by air. (7)

28. Aircrew Selection Board. (3)(abbr)

30. Alighting. (7)

31. Caffeine free. (5)(slang)

32. Australian capital city. (8)

33. Military airports. (8)

Standard Down Clues

1. Aircraft. (6,8)

2. Aircraft electronics. (8)

3. pilot’s compartment. (7)

4. Fictional British flying ace. (7)

5. First Officer. (2-5)

6. Unaccompanied. (4)

12. Air Force officer. (8,6)

13. Estimated time of arrival. (4)(abbr.)(pl.)

16. Vomits. (5)(slang)

21. Gala. (4)

22. Astronaut. (8)

23. playhouse. (7)

24. Talkative person. (7)

25. Collar style. (4-3)

29. Depository. (4)

Across: 7. Elevator, 8. iroquois, 9. pilot, 10. King Air, 11. OSH, 14. Griffin, 15. Outgun, 16. psst, 17. yaks, 18. Side, 19. Stockwell, 20. Chef, 22. Show, 23. Tows, 26. Snatch, 27. Airmail, 28. ASB, 30. landing, 31. Decaf, 32. Canberra, 33. Airbases

Down: 1. Flying Machines, 2. Avionics, 3. Cockpit, 4. Biggles, 5. Co-pilot, 6. Solo, 12. Squadron leader, 13. ETAS, 16. pukes, 21. Fete, 22. Spaceman, 23. Theatre, 24. Windbag, 25. Wing-tip, 29. Bank

36 mcc log

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