September 2014, Issue 182

issue 182 September 2014
CN HOLDS
POWERFUL,
UPLIFTING
WHAKAARO
BCT 14/02
GRADUATION
CEREMONY
NUMBER ONE
RETIRES AFTER
57 YEARS WITH
RNZN
T e T a u a M o a n a – w a r r i o r s o f t h eour people
sea
1
contents
NAVY TODAY ISSUE 182 2014
DIRECTORY
Published to inform, inspire and entertain
serving and former members of the RNZN,
their families and friends and the wider Navy
community.
Navy Today is the official magazine of the
Royal New Zealand Navy. Published by
Defence Communications Group, Wellington.
Navy Today is now in its eighteenth year of
publication.
Views expressed in Navy Today are not
necessarily those of the RNZN or the NZDF.
04
Contributions are welcomed, including
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Articles up to 500 words welcomed, longer
if required by the subject. Please consult the
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COPY DEADLINES FOR NT
5PM AS FOLLOWS:
NT 184 November issue
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NT 186 February issue
Subject to change.
13 October
13 November
15 January
EDITOR:
David McLoughlin
Defence Communications Group
HQ NZ Defence Force
Private Bag, Wellington, New Zealand
P: (04) 496 0219 F: (04) 496 0290
E: [email protected]
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12
04 CN HOLDS POWERFUL WHAKAARO
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NUMBER ONE RETIRES AFTER 57
YEARS’ SERVICE
14 BCT 14/02 GRADUATION PARADE
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mcc log
Women’s forum pictorial
24 History: Seizing Samoa in 1914
26 FLEET PROGRESS
cover image:
Motivational speaker Tony Christiansen
at CN’s Whakaaro.
Photo: CPL Paul Firth.
Chief of Navy Rear Admiral J.R.Steer, onzm
yours aye
O
ne of the things that gets me out of bed in the morning
to come to work is the people I get to work with. We have
just over two thousand people in our Navy and every day
someone does something amazing to make my day. When I think
about it, our Navy and its reputation depends solely on our people.
Nothing new there you might say, but it is important that we
consider this every now and then.
Late last month our Navy held a conference known as a Whakaaro
(meaning to think, plan, consider, decide). The theme of this
gathering was “Inspire, Empower, Overcome: Working together for a
Better Navy”. “Wow,” some of you might say, “that is nothing new.”
Well actually, we did try something new. There were guest speakers
from all parts of New Zealand, who told us their tales. They told the
stories of how they approached and overcame the challenges in
their lives. We had videos provided by some who could not be there
themselves. We also had TED Talks, music videos and You Tube clips.
To hear speakers like Dr Sam Hazeldine who, after seriously
injuring himself, went on to develop a most successful business and
turned his life around. David Marquet, a former USN Submarine
Commanding Officer who told us of the way he empowered his
crew and how his submarine became much more effective through
this. Our Minister, the Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman, gave us an hour
of his time and spoke very frankly on a wide range of topics. Tony
Christiansen from Tauranga, who after losing both his legs in an
accident when only nine years old, has attacked life and achieved
so much it made some of us feel like we have done very little.
David Wild talked of a different way to approach dealing with the
future. All these speakers were there to inspire our people and to
help them consider their approach to their work, in a different way.
It was an amazing day. After it I went home incredibly inspired,
wondering how we could top that.
I couldn’t wait for Day Two. Being in a room of 150 or so members
of our Navy whilst listening to a range of incredible speakers had
moved me from tears at times to laughter at other times.
Day Two began with a “Warriors of the Sea” video and then Mike
Wilson from Vodafone spoke about a very important part of
communicating in our Navy; social media. But the best was yet to
come. Eight of our sailors then told their stories about what they
had done to change or overcome a challenge in both their lives and
their workplace. Stories of empowerment, sacrifice, ingenuity and
personal health challenges. This was the highlight of the two days
for me. Hearing our people, our sailors, capture the audience as
they spoke with pride and passion about what they were doing in
our Navy.
The 150 people in that room were privileged to hear the real-life
stories told by our people. It was an absolute confirmation to me
that we have the people with the right stuff to move our Navy
forward. It was confirmation that we have the ability within our
Navy to make the important decisions we need to make as we move
ahead. That throughout our Navy, at all levels, there is the ability
to make a positive change. Most of the Whakaaro was recorded on
video and will soon be available through a number of outlets. Have
a look. I hope you are as inspired as I was. I hope that for all of you,
it brings home the importance of our people and that it gives all
of you the confidence to commit yourselves to making our Navy
better. After all, we are all “Te Taua Moana; Warriors of the Sea”.
He heramana ahau
I am a sailor
Above: CN opening the Whakaaro.
yours aye
3
Chief of Navy’s
Whakaaro
enthrals audience with many
By David McLoughlin, Editor, Navy Today
people doing the work have all the information, but no authority,
ne hundred and fifty Navy personnel were inspired
beyond their expectation by the many motivated
speakers from inside and outside the Navy at the
Whakaaro hosted by Chief of Navy RADM Jack Steer at Devonport
Naval Base’s seminar centre on 21 and 22 August.
so we pushed authority down to them. Everyone is a leader and a
In a change of format from previous such events, this Whakaaro
featured a number of motivational speakers in person and by video
in place of participants sitting around tables in group sessions.
and decisions.”
O
The theme for the Whakaaro was “Inspire, empower, overcome—
working together for a better Navy.”
Opening the event, CN said: “We are doing OK, we are not
doing badly, but we want to move it ahead, to do better for our
shipmates. Will you take this challenge to make our Navy better?
The easy way is just to do what we always do. That is not the way
to make our Navy go forward.”
Embrace dissent
The first speaker was former US Navy nuclear submarine
commander David Marquet who spoke by video about his time
as CO of the USS SANTA FE. His book of his experiences, Turn the
Ship Around, was reviewed in Navy Today 181.
“On SANTA FE we came up with the idea of having a leader-leader
system, not a leader-follower,” David Marquet said. “Traditionally
4
Cn’s whakaaro
follower all the time.
“Listen, be curious, embrace dissent. I want to know what my
people see that I don’t see. We embrace different ideas, dissent;
not uniformity. Everyone is responsible for their own behaviour
The next speaker was Dr Sam Hazeldine, founder of the
MedRecruit doctors’ recruiting agency (see panel for details)
followed by the Minister of Defence, the Hon Dr Jonathan
Coleman, who have a frank speech and answered many probing
questions, all under the Chatham House Rule, meaning nothing
can be reported.
Lunch was followed by one of the highlights of the many Whakaaro
highlights, motivational speaker Tony Christiansen of Tauranga
(again see separate panel for details).
Futurist
Thursday’s last speaker was Dave Wild, a “futurist” from the
consultancy firm Smith & Wild (motto “the best way to predict the
future is to create it”) who had “steps to the future” as his theme.
“You need to begin with the end in mind,” he said. “Think by doing.
Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
powerful moments
Top: Part of the Whakaaro audience.
Left: LT CDR John McQueen taking copious notes.
Above: Futurist Dave Wild.
CN’s Whakaaro
5
The rise and rise of social media
The first speaker on Friday morning was Mike Wilson, head of
digital communications for Vodafone NZ, who discussed the
use of social media — something being increasingly used by the
NZDF and the single services in the form of Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube.
“Social media is a series of platforms that give us the ability to
do things that were never possible. It can be whatever you want,”
he said.
Social media did not fit the way people had always done things,
being used to communicating by the press, radio and television.
“We try to make social media work the same way, but it couldn’t
be further from the truth. Video is the most powerful media in
the world. You can tell a very complex story in a short amount of
time. Digital is number one in New Zealand. People spend 40 per
cent of their time on digital. Sixty per cent of Vodafone’s data is on
YouTube. It’s a massive change.”
Social media and smart phones had become an indispensable
part of our lives, he said. Google and Facebook were megapowerhouses of data.
“Mobile usage is rising through the roof and will soon exceed
desktop traffic.”
Eight Navy personnel inspire with their stories
This year’s Whakaaro was already very different from last year’s
and next up was another innovation, eight Naval personnel from
across the ranks and trades describing their stories of problems,
solutions, success and empowerment.
CDR Rob Ochtman-Corfe said as Fleet Marine Engineering Officer
he realised the boat workshop at Devonport Naval Base was not fit
for purpose, as it was untidy and disorganised. He wanted to make
From top to bottom: Social media expert Mike Wilson. CDR Rob OchtmanCorfe. CPODR Spencer Dimond.
Right: LSA Katie Roestenburg.
6
Cn’s whakaaro
“If losing my legs was
the worst thing that’s
happened to me,
everything else has
been good.”
O
n the Whakaaro’s first day, Master of Ceremonies
LT CDR Kelly Begg introduced the first speaker after
lunch. Her description of Tony Christiansen sounded
straightforward. Among other things he was an author,
successful businessman, former Tauranga City Councillor,
sportsman, surf lifesaver and a climber of Mt Kilimanjaro. But
what happened next was not straightforward at all.
A big man in a wheelchair propelled himself down the aisle
towards the stage, positioned his wheelchair under a trestle
that had been set up on the floor in front of the stage, and
used his arms to effortlessly lift himself to the stage-level
trestle plank. It was immediately obvious Mr Christiansen had
no legs. None at all.
“I lost my footing,” he said as he sat on the trestle, to roars of
laughter from the audience. “I feel like Humpty Dumpty. Sitting
up here, some say I look like him too.”
Mr Christiansen was run over by a train at the age of nine in
1967 when in a railway yard to bag coal for charity. He lost his
legs and was not expected to live long because of his terrible
injuries. But he got on with his schooling and life and is now a
motivational speaker telling audiences all over the world not to
accept their own limitations.
“Accept the challenges life throws at you. I learnt to swim after
I lost my legs. I managed to swim one mile in the pool by age
10. I joined the local surf lifesaving club and conducted many
rescues. I‘ve been in the Paralympics’ Games six times and won
lots of gold, silver and bronze medals.
“I know many disabled people who are far more disabled
than me and I know many able-bodied people who are more
disabled than me—it’s because of their attitude.”
organisational change but did it by getting the staff there to believe
change was needed and make changes themselves.
“The designs they came up with were not the designs I
would have done. But if I imposed my designs it would have
confirmed what they feared, that management was imposing
change on them.”
The changes led to better reliability with Navy boats and the boat
shop was now seen as a key posting.
“It wasn’t my ideas that mattered,” said CDR Ochtman-Corfe.
“It was the team’s ideas. We can all make changes and change
doesn’t have to be big and expensive.”
Tony Christiansen inspiring the Whakaaro
Mr Christiansen played videos of him scuba-diving,
parachuting and flying light aircraft. He described how he built
up a highly successful signwriting business in Tauranga, where
he’d be on scaffolding three floors up and his able-bodied staff
were worried about the height and stayed at ground level.
“I read the other day that the average 17-year-old in New
Zealand has been told ‘no’ or ‘can’t’ 147,000 times. If I had a
dollar for every time I’ve been told I couldn’t do something, I’d
be a billionaire by now.
“I’ve done sky-diving, climbed Kilimanjaro, motor-racing,
speedway. In motor-racing I want to win, so I have to pass
other people. That’s a risk. I’ve had a few crashes. But I’ve had a
lot of wins. I’m a winner not a follower.”
He played a 2002 video of him climbing Kilimanjaro, Africa’s
highest mountain, using his hands to propel himself forward.
The video was made by a Korean television station which
invited Mr Christiansen and two Koreans—one blind, the other
who had lost all his fingers through frostbite—to attempt the
climb. It took 21 days. The audience in the Navy Seminar Centre
gave big applause as the video showed him reaching the
summit as snow fell.
“If losing my legs was the worst thing that’s happened to me,
everything else has been good.”
LSA Katie Roestenburg was sent to Trentham in Upper Hutt to
lead a team of Air Force and Army people unpacking equipment
brought back from the NZDF’s long deployment to Afghanistan.
It was not a sought-after posting.
“We bonded by doing PT together,” she said. “After working with
them it was hard to believe we were from different forces.”
CPODR Spencer Dimond described using the California-based
social learning website Edmodo to set up online classes for divers:
“It is an excellent form of communication and interactivity.”
In 2009, LMT (L) Jemal Bowler was an ordinary rate posted to
South East Asia with HMNZS TE MANA. During the deployment
CN’s Whakaaro
7
he visited USS KIDD where the ship’s Master Chief gave him the
Chief’s personal coin, which was inscribed “Ask the Chief.”
And it went well: “It was awesome to see the smiles of people
coming to pick up their shiny new kit.”
The RNZN had no such trade coin, LMT (L) Bowler said, so he set
about getting approval and a design for one. The engineers came
up with the motto “Nil sine nobis” (nothing without us) and the
inscription “Marine Engineer.”
ADR Darren Shea said he always looked at things to see if change
was needed. He looked at the dive team’s night dive lights, a pole
with lights on it to indicate where divers were in the water at night.
They were not very good. The batteries went flat quickly. Divers
spent more time trying to keep the lights going than in the water.
“It all took a while,” he said. “Then in September last year I chased
it up when I was posted ashore. The idea was sent to Wellington
and finally got approval. We had the coins made but they had
stuffed the motto. They made a new batch—and we now have a
branch coin.”
ENS Nathan Atkinson was charged with getting the new Navy
jacket into service over the last 14 months,
“The Navy provides its people with many opportunities throughout
their careers,” he said. “People working together as a team to
accomplish a shared vision is the way to success. I was empowered
to drive the Navy jacket system, which was a big responsibility for
a midshipman. It was one of the largest clothing projects of the
last few years.”
Below: LMT (L) Jemal Bowler
Right: ENS Nathan Atkinson
Opposite page (clockwise from left): ADR Darren Shea with his new dive
light. Mrs Dawoomi Jung. Attentive audience at the Whakaaro.
8
Cn’s whakaaro
He undertook to create a replacement as a side project from his
normal work. Using off-the-shelf parts from ordinary retailers, he
devised a pole fitted with LEDs and a powerful battery. Its lights
were very bright and long lasting.
He had five sets made in time for the Western Pacific Naval
Symposium Mine Counter-measures Exercise last February where
they attracted much attention from divers in the other navies
present, who took lots of photos of the lights and sought details
about them.
CN’s Whakaaro
9
Civilian Mrs Dawoomi Jung described working with a frigate
missile simulation model to measure frigates’ capabilities without
having to fire a missile: “I learnt a lot from using this tool.”
And one of the most powerful moments of the Whakaaro was the
address from the eighth speaker. LSA David Sanderson, who spoke
from the heart about some of his Navy experiences. He received a
spontaneous standing ovation.
The band plays on… better
After lunch on Friday, the director of the Navy Band, LT CDR
Owen Clark, told how he had worked hard to turn around the
band’s direction and fortunes since he took over in 2012 after
a career with the Air Force Band.
“The band had a lot of talent but it was dead in the water and had
been without a leader and marking time for two years. We raised
the profile and the standard. I got the band out performing more —
to any Navy function we are asked to and to the public.”
The band has produced a CD of its music and played the music
for the official song for the New Zealand team at the 2016 Rio de
Janeiro Olympics.
“We strive to align the Navy Band with the Navy and high-profile
musicians such as Hollie Smith, Roger Fox, Dave Dobbyn. People
like Hollie Smith just don’t sing with anyone.”
TED talks, a panel and closing
The remaining segments of the Whakaaro included several TED
(Technology, Entertainment, Design) videos and a panel discussion
where CN, Deputy Chief of Navy CDRE Dean McDougall and
Maritime Component Commander CDRE John Campbell answered
questions from the floor.
Closing the Whakaaro, RADM Steer said he had not thought the
two days would be so emotional.
10
Cn’s whakaaro
“These two days were about inspiring, empowering and
overcoming and I hope you all found something to inspire and
empower you. We’ve heard some pretty incredible stories.
“Our Navy won’t move ahead if you’re frightened of change or
frightened of making a mistake. You have the power to change the
Navy for the better. When you find something you don’t like, you
can change it.”
Footnote: Most of the Whakaaro was videoed. DVDs will be available
in due course for Navy personnel unable to attend.
Opposite page: Dr Sam Hazeldine.
Above: LSA David Sanderson.
Below: CPOCWS Julie Campbell focuses on the Whakaaro.
Three foundations
for change and success
D
r Sam Hazeldine is a trained doctor who found
MedRecruit, a thriving company which finds locum
and permanent positions for doctors in New Zealand
and Australia. In 2012 he was named Ernst & Young’s Young
Entrepreneur of the Year
“What would you do with this Navy if you knew you couldn’t
fail?” he asked the Whakaaro audience at the start of his
spirited address. “Playing it safe isn’t safe at all. It’s the all-time
way to be condemned to failure. You’ve got to dream and
you’ve got to take action.”
Dr Hazeldine saw 25 per cent of his fellow Otago Medical
School graduates leave the profession, they were do
disillusioned. So he created MedRecruit to help them
professionally. The company grew quickly.
“I haven’t always been successful, far from it. Prior to 2002
I was living dangerously, drinking heavily. I decided to do a
back flip off a wall at a tavern in Dunedin. My parents got the
phone call.
“When I came out of the coma I was told I would never fully
recover, not go back to med school or ski again. Something
needed to change.
“There were lots of reasons for me to change but I was a slow
learner. The head injury taught me that, for my life to change, I
had to change—and change my standards.”
Anything was possible, he said. He had three foundations for
change. The first was: If you want success you’ve got to be
hungry to the point of fanaticism to go after it.
“Most people are interested in success but they are not
committed. With MedRecruit I worked harder than anyone, 14hour days for three years to build the business and I got there.
“Some people will break a shoelace and three months later
they still haven’t got a new one. You have to be outside your
comfort zone. People who succeed ask ‘what would excite me?’
and go outside their comfort zones. When the why is story
enough, the how becomes findable.
“The second foundation is sacrifice. You have to be willing to
give up who you are and what you have for who you need to
be and what you want. You need to invest your time in what
is important, not get caught up in the minutiae. Successful
people just say ‘yes’ to the important things, not the
unimportant things.
“After the head injury I had to decide what I had to sacrifice —
the booze, the good times. I made the right decision because I
sacrificed who I was back then. I realised the problem was the
booze so I gave up. Then I thought moderation was the answer,
so I tried moderation but I can’t do anything in moderation so I
don’t drink.”
The third foundation: “If it’s hard, then do it hard. You will
make mistakes, but defeat is optional. If you fall over, you get
up. That’s what success is. Too many people like it easy. They
want it immediately and comfortably. Creating great things is
not about doing easy things.
“What will you do now you know you can’t fail? Go out and do
it because anything is possible.”
CN’s Whakaaro
11
Number One retires
after 57 years of service with the RNZN
By David McLoughlin, Editor, Navy Today
A
Navy tradition has passed into history with the retirement
of laundryman Shiu Hang Che — known to all as No 1 —
after 57 years of sea and shore service with the Royal
New Zealand Navy.
Chief of Navy RADM Jack Steer hosted a retirement function
for Mr Shiu in a packed Vince McGlone Galley, Devonport Naval
Base, on 1 August.
Mr Shiu served on 10 RNZN ships from 1957 to 1996, the last being
the old HMNZS WELLINGTON, then commanded by RADM Steer.
RADM Steer said when he joined the navy, Mr Shiu was always
there. “It was quite a different thing going to sea then, you knew
that you didn’t have to worry about your civvies or your uniform
being un-ironed or unwashed.”
“I see you are a rear admiral now!” Mr Shiu said to CN at the
function. “But I am still No 1!” He said much the same to Deputy
Chief of Navy CDRE Dean McDougall.
Having Chinese laundrymen on Navy ships to wash and iron
sailors’ uniforms and other clothing became a Royal Navy feature
when Britain had many ships operating from its former colonies
of Hong Kong and Singapore. Other navies, including New
Zealand, followed suit.
A ship’s head laundryman was always known as No 1. When a ship
had more than one laundryman, they were known as No 2, No 3,
and so on.
Royal Navy ships also traditionally had Chinese tailors and
cobblers, which the RNZN also followed.
“I was on OTAGO for its South-east Asia deployment in 1971,”
recalls WOEWS Roger Sheehan. “We carried two laundrymen, one
tailor—Mr Chang Kei—and a cobbler. The cobbler used to have a
12
NUMBER 1 RETIRES
space where he lived in behind the gun bay and the tailor lived
down aft. I believe this was common practice on our ships going
to South-east Asia before this.”
The laundrymen lived in their small laundries. Sailors had to pay
for their laundry service. When money ran out after “a good run
ashore,” sailors would often “dhobi” their own clothes until the
next pay day. However, the laundry prices were not expensive.
In a 1996 interview, Mr Shiu said the Navy paid for the laundry
equipment and washing powder, and he charged 70c to wash and
iron a shirt, and $2.80 for trousers.
In 1947, mainland China-born, Hong Kong resident Mr Shiu
started his sea career as a Royal Navy laundryman, working on six
RN ships for 10 years before moving to the RNZN. His first New
Zealand ship was the cruiser HMNZS ROYALIST.
He went on to serve in BLACKPOOL, ROTOITI, PUKAKI,
TARANAKI, OTAGO, WAIKATO, CANTERBURY and
WELLINGTON, former ships’ names that will bring back
memories to the old salts who also served.
Not a fan of Navy food, Mr Shiu—and most other Chinese
laundrymen—cooked their own food, often treating delighted
sailors to it.
A 1987 CANTERBURY voyage to Shanghai was his first time back
in the country of his birth, and also took him to Hong Kong,
where he had four days with his wife and family.
Mr Shiu has always been philosophical about being separated
from his family for much of his Navy life, seeing them usually
only on his annual one-month holiday visits back to Hong Kong.
He has a daughter and three sons. He used his laundry earnings
to put them through higher education, with one son going to
Oxford and becoming a Hong Kong surgeon, the other two
becoming high-ranking police officers, also in Hong Kong,
He became a New Zealand citizen in 1989. In 1992, his wife, Boon
Shau, and daughter, Wai Lai, moved to New Zealand, leaving his
sons in Hong Kong. However his wife later returned to Hong Kong.
“We only got to see him once a year, usually around Christmas
time,” said Wai Lai, at the retirement function. “We are always
happy to see him and we feel proud about his job with the New
Zealand Navy and everything he has achieved.”
Mr Shiu was so well respected across the Navy that he was
recommended for an honour and was awarded the Queen’s
Service Medal for public services on Queen’s Birthday 1988.
While working for the RNZN, Mr Shiu built a substantial business
managing 14 laundrymen on Royal Navy ships and up to six on
New Zealand ships. However, the days of sea-going laundrymen
have passed. Sailors now wash and iron their own clothes in the
substantial laundries on modern ships.
When Mr Shiu came ashore in 1996, he worked from a laundry at
Devonport Naval Base until his retirement last month,
On his retirement, Mr Shiu was without doubt the oldest serving
member of the NZDF.
The Navy Facebook post of Mr Shiu’s retirement function drew
many appreciative comments from sailors who had known him.
Just some of them:
Danny Kett: “In 1978 on WAIKATO on our trip up to the states you
only charged me half price for my laundry, cos you said I was half
the size of everyone else. Cheers #1. Enjoy your retirement.”
Bryan Durrant: “A man who touched so many lives and respected
by so many. I thank you.”
Dudley Thompson: “Good ol Number 1, enjoyed having some of
his Kai rather than Scran lol. Nga mihi Rangatira.”
John Gabrielle Brown: “I worked in the laundry with him on
WAIKATO. He was training me to take the laundry while he
went home to Hong Kong for a holiday Ray Jensen, Loopy Lee
and myself a perky job for a couple of years. You deserve all the
accolades that you get No 1, have a happy retirement.”
Paul John Firth: “This guy spent most of his life away from his
family to earn enough money to educate his children, all of
which are now very successful in their careers. Well done and an
excellent character to boot.”
Mike Wiig: “Special thanks and cheers for the amazing dishes you
used to make for us all. Even the flying fish off the forecastle in
roughers ended up in your feeds.”
Opposite page: Mr Shiu in the laundry at Devonport Naval Base.
Above: Mr Shiu with his daughter Wai Lai, CN and framed cap tallies from
the RNZN and RN ships No 1 served in.
Left: CN wishing Mr Shiu well in his retirement. “I see you are a rear admiral
now, but I am still No 1,” quipped Mr Shiu.
Number 1 retires
13
Unbreakable bonds
from BCT 14/02 graduation day
By LT CDR Rob McCaw, Recruit Training Officer
T
he weather throughout the country left a lot to be desired
in the early hours of Friday 15 August and Auckland was
no different with driving rain and wind. As the morning
progressed however, the clouds cleared and the members of Basic
Common Training (BCT) 14/02 made their way onto the parade
ground at the North Yard in front of their families to graduate from
their 13-week Basic Common Training course.
The parade was attended by some 320 family members of the
graduating class along with members of the Leadership Development
Group, invited guests and members of ships’ companies.
BCT 14/02 has a record ratio of recruits graduating with 64 of the
attested 66 recruits passing out of BCT. This was credited to the
strength and endurance of the trainees as well as the hard work
from both the instructors and the trainees.
Deputy Chief of Navy CDRE Dean McDougall was the reviewing
officer. Addressing the graduates, he compared the 64 graduates
14
BCT 14/02 GRADUATION
this day to the 60 young Kiwis who were a part of HMS PHILOMEL’s
Ship’s Company almost 100 years ago to the day. He said the
training they received would have been very similar and they would
have been taught to develop the same skills as 100 years ago.
“The seas will not always be flat, there will be rough patches, you
may get sea sick. You may even encounter a tropical storm along
the way. You can recover from all of them through self-belief and
remembering why you joined in the first place—to feel the pride
you are feeling now.”
After CDRE McDougall’s address, the parade was dispersed and the
crowd was treated to some displays of skill from the RNZN Band,
the BCT 14/02 general drills squad, PT squad and parade squads.
The BCT 14/02 graduation parade concluded with the recruits
forming up and, all together, reciting the Navy Creed and performing
the Navy Haka. The recruits were then dismissed, threw their caps in
the air and proceeded to hug each other. A group of people who 13
weeks earlier were strangers now have an unbreakable bond and, on
their day of triumph, shed tears of joy together.
LPTI WAYNE (BUCK) SHELFORD, MBE TROPHY
Awarded to the trainee who demonstrates Physical Training
Excellence during BCT
Winner: OMT Henry Ekdahl, Auckland
CPO GUNNERY INSTRUCTOR JACK DONNELLY, BEM CUP
(THE ‘TOP GUN’ TROPHY)
Awarded to the trainee who achieves the highest aggregate score in
the IW Steyr shoot during Range Week.
Winner: Ordinary Diver Ethan Bray, Tauranga
STOKER FIRST CLASS WILLIAM DALE CUP
Awarded to the most improved trainee during BCT.
Winner: OCWS Grace Hughes, New Plymouth
SPEDDING CUP AND TANKARD
Awarded to the trainee gaining the highest marks in Parade Training,
and acts as the Parade Commander at the Graduation Parade.
Winner: OCWS Ethan Jackson, Auckland
RECRUIT TRAINING SQUADRON MARINER SKILLS
EXCELLENCE AWARD
Awarded to the trainee who demonstrates the highest level of skills
during mariner training.
Winner: OMT Troy Pemberton Whangarei.
ff
icer o
f
rrant
Warrant Officer of
the Navy Steve Bourke
o
e n av y
CAPTAIN FLEET PERSONNEL AND TRAINING BASIC
COMMON TRAINING ACADEMIC PRIZE
Awarded to the trainee who achieves the highest academic marks
during BCT
Winner: OMT Aaron Young, Whakatane
WON REPORT
th
SPENCER TEWSLEY CUP AND TANKARD
Awarded to the best all round Basic Common Trainee
Winner: ODR Dean Rowlands, Auckland
wa
Awards and trophies presented
at the graduation parade
L
eadership development occurs in the workplace. For this to
occur it must be supported by the Divisional Officer and the
supervisor. Is this any different to how it has always been,
or perhaps more to the point, always should happen? We have a
Divisional System in place for a reason.
At the recent Divisional Officer Conference, thoughts were aired that
the divisional system is broken and we are not supporting those we
lead. Warrant Officers and Divisional Senior Rates play a critical role
in developing the leadership bench of the Navy and NZDF.
The Chief of Navy with his ‘With All Dispatches’ 09-14 ‘Setting the
Course for Leadership Development in the RNZN’ and Commander
Leadership Development Group with information to Commanding
Officers/Divisional Officers recently advised of the introduction of
the RNZN Leadership Development System (LDS) and what it means
to us as a Navy.
The Leadership Development Group (LDG) will be delivering the
Leadership Development Framework programmes through the
courses the LDG provides. The following table provides the LDF
programmes and when they are delivered;
LDF PROGRAMME
Rank/Rate
Receiving Training
LDG Course
Lead Self
Midshipman/
Ordinary Rate
JOCT / BCT
Lead Teams
Midshipman/
Leading Hand
JOCT / LRCPC
Lead Leaders
Sub-Lieutenant/
Petty Officer
DMC / POCPC
The LDS does not just apply to those junior leaders (Officer and
Rating) participating in Basic Common Training, Junior Officer
Common Training, Common Promotion Courses and the Divisional
Management Course. It applies to us all. The principle of the LDS is
to support continued career leadership development. This applies to
every member of the Navy.
Outside of the RNZN the NZDF Institute for Leader Development
(ILD) delivers a comprehensive pan-NZDF approach to continued
leader development. The ILD provides leader development
programmes and works with single service leadership training
organisations to promote and support the NZDF Leadership
Development Framework.
The additional Leadership Development Framework programmes
provided by the ILD are Lead Systems (MAJ(E)/WO), Lead Capability
(LT COL(E)/WO), Lead Integrated Capability COL(E) /CMD WO and
Lead Defence (COL/Strategic WO).
The programmes are not all classroom-based activities. In some of
the leadership programmes provided, opportunity allows for a unique
Experiential Leadership Development Activity (I wont spoil the
surprise) that will absolutely ‘blow you away’ in what you do and what
you never thought you where able to achieve.
As Divisional Officers, Supervisors and Managers we all have a part to
play in shaping the personal development plans of those we lead. We
need to contribute, we need to support, and we need to get on-board.
The LDS is a holistic approach to engaged leadership development.
Opposite page (clockwise from top): On parade. CDRE McDougall inspects
the guard. The mighty Navy Haka.
Above: ODR Dean Rowlands with the Spencer Tewsley Cup for best all round
recruit, and his proud dad.
This month, to support my own leader development, I will be
participating in the Lead Defence level programme. To best
understand the system I strongly encourage you to engage in the
opportunities that the programmes provide.
He heramana ahau, I am a Sailor.
WON Report
15
01
02
05
04
07
Women’s Forum: Deputy Chief of Navy CDRE Dean McDougall hosted the 2014 RNZN Women’s Forum on
28 August at the Spencer on Byron Conference Centre, Takapuna. Whilst a Women’s Forum, it was open to all
RNZN personnel, uniformed and civilian. It was a continuation of the support and development of women
serving in and working for the RNZN, with its main theme the ‘leadership and development of women’.
All but one of this month’s Our People photos are from the forum.
16
Our People
06
03
08
09
1. Some of the attendees at the forum. 2. From left CPOCH Maylene Booker, CAPT Mark Worsfold and MID Emily Keat (with
microphone). 3. ASCS Hayley May celebrates her success stories. 4. LT CDR Nina Field gives a ‘Women’s recruiting initiatives update’.
5. LT CDR Kelly Begg. 6. CO HMNZS ENDEAVOUR CDR Sandra Walker (centre) making an enthusiastic point, flanked by CPOCH
Maylene Booker (left) and MID Emily Keat. 7. LT CDR Vicki Rendall gives an introduction to the forum. 8. One of the guest speakers,
Dr Ai Ling Tan from the NZ Gynaecological Cancer Foundation. 9. Meanwhile, far from the forum in Washington DC, LPTI Lou Thyne
visits the Pentagon office of Vice Chief of Naval Operations ADM Michelle Howard USN and presents a book on the RNZN. LPTI Thyne
was in the US visiting Navy installations as part of her award of Sailor of the Year.
our people
17
Navy assumes
command of
international
piracy task force
R
esponsibility and command of an international counterpiracy task force rests with the Royal New Zealand Navy for
the next four months after a Change of Command ceremony
in Bahrain on 29 August.
Command of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) was passed from
the Republic of Korea Navy to the Royal New Zealand Navy, led by
CDRE Tony Millar.
Twelve RNZN staff, one NZ Army lawyer and three other
international staff (from Japan, the Netherlands, and Singapore)
will command the CTF-151 counter-piracy taskforce ashore. Their
role is to coordinate Combined Maritime Forces efforts to disrupt
piracy and armed robbery at sea, and build regional capacity
through the 30 participating nations, as well as with Task Groups
from NATO, the European Union and independent nations.
CDRE Millar says that the NZ Defence Force team are prepared
and ready to make a valuable contribution leading the maritime
surveillance efforts in the region. “When over 85 per cent of New
Zealand’s trade by value is transferred by sea, maritime security is
integral to New Zealand. Our four-month deployment reinforces
the NZ Defence Force’s commitment to global maritime security.
“Many of our team have deployed to the Gulf of Aden onboard our
ships during previous counter-piracy patrols. That experience will
be invaluable in ensuring that our command and planning from
ashore runs smoothly. I am proud to lead our small team, and to
make a difference in a large international task force.”
One RNZAF P-3K2 Orion and a detachment of 55 personnel are
already deployed in the region supporting multi-national maritime
surveillance activities in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Earlier
this year, HMNZS TE MANA conducted 91 days of counter-piracy
operations in the Gulf of Aden region.
Below: CDRE Millar (right) receives the symbol of command for CTF-151
from his Korean predecessor RADM Cho Young Joo, watched by VADM
John W. Miller, Commander Combined Maritime Forces.
18
News
Large model warship display
Ngataringa Sports Club
A
display of large model warships will be held at
Ngataringa Sports Club on 11 and 12 October, with
everything from battleships to minesweepers.
The models include the old HMNZ Ships CANTERBURY, OTAGO,
WAIKATO and ROTOITI to name a few. The sports club will be
open from 10am to 4pm each day with a gold coin donation.
Above: Sports Club committee member Brian Henman close up to the
model of HMNZS ROTOITI F625.
Below: Model of the Loch-class frigate HMNZS ROTOITI. The frigate was
bought from the Royal Navy in 1948 and finally decommissioned in 1965
Padres’ soup kitchen
a warm winter welcome
T
he Devonport Naval Base chaplains held a series of soup
kitchens around the base during the cold depths of midAugust, ladling their pumpkin, bacon and kumara soup to
grateful sailors.
Says Chaplain Michael Berry: “It’s just our way of spreading a little
good will and warm food during the cold winter months, and also our
way of letting people know that we appreciate the work they’re doing.”
Locations for the pop-up kitchens included the HMNZS PHILOMEL
Quarter Deck, the Fleet Personnel Training Organisation Building,
the Fleet Engineering Centre, the Maritime Warfare Training Centre
and a combined kitchen for HMNZ Ships OTAGO and ENDEAVOUR.
“The pot has been emptied every time,” added CHAP Berry.
“It seems we’ve found a winning recipe!”
The only warning sailors had of the padres coming was when they
went around on the morning of each soup kitchen with posters,
humorously written to give people a laugh.
Above: In the Maritime Warfare Training Centre from left, CHAP Michael
Berry stirring the soup, CHAP Chris Haines unpacking the cups, and OCSS
David Lepou and CHAP Colin Mason raising their cups.
Learning Evaluation –
the Partnership Approach
T
he New Zealand Defence College Performance and
Evaluation Team has been working with Land Operations
Training Centre HQ and their schools to identify
improvement opportunities for their courses.
manner that allows command
to identify indicators
and warnings to exploit
opportunities or mitigate risks.
Land Operations Training Centre (LOTC) XO, MAJ Shaun
O’Connor, says LOTC and the defence college have, since their
creation, developed a close working relationship in many of the
areas where they work together to ensure effective support to
School House learning outcomes.
These advances contribute to
the Key Performance Indicators
and Measures of Effectiveness MAJ Shaun O’Connor,
Land Operations Training Centre
that LOTC is developing to
ensure it continues to improve its performance. Whilst LOTC’s
School Houses had already identified many of the issues raised,
P&E has assisted by providing the evidence to support change.
As part of this relationship the college’s Performance and
Evaluation (P&E) team, as part of Training Education Support,
has continued to evolve the support provided. Primarily
this has been through Level One—Student and Instructor
Evaluations and close engagement with the training providers.
P&E are now developing Level Three—External Evaluations
which will improve the validity of the current data set and
analysis outcomes. LOTC acknowledges that P&E have
contributed to LOTC’s performance through better collation
of the evaluation data collected and displaying this in a
Evaluation and improvement is a never ending process.
Accordingly the defence college, P&E and LOTC remain
committed to an on-going relationship that will enable LOTC
to embed a system and culture of evidence-based continuous
improvement.
If you would like to know more about college’s Performance
and Evaluation services visit their intranet pages which can be
accessed from the NZ Defence College homepage or contact
the local evaluator on your base or camp.
News
19
POSTCARD from
Clearance
Dive Officer
School,
Royal Navy,
Portsmouth
By SLT Wesley Moir, RNZN
T
he Mine Clearance Diving Officer course is a 15-month
intensive programme broken down into three specific
areas; Clearance Diving Officer (CDO), Explosive Ordnance
Disposal (EOD) and Mine Warfare (MWO). Each phase delivers
a hard and fast learning curve which has kept me and my fellow
course mates up late into the early hours weekly.
Whether it be studying for exams or clearing a ship’s hull of limpet
mines (for exercise) during Underwater Force Protection, we were
consistently working long days at a respectable tempo. The end
product of CDO phase has qualified course members as diving
supervisors of mixed gas diving, air diving and recompression
chamber operations. The course builds the foundation to Mine
Clearance Diving and only having completed this will you progress
forward to the next phase.
EOD course is exactly how it sounds, disposal of explosive
ordnance, which focuses on the identification of both surface
and sub-surface ordnance, render safe procedures and overall
command management of Mine Clearance Diving. This course is
balanced with both theoretical and practical phases and like any
real time operation, requires 90 per cent of thorough planning
and 10 per cent attention to detail action in order to pass
assessments safely.
As I have not yet reached MWO course I can only pass on
information you would find on the Navy webpage, however, the
course is designed to train Mine Clearance Diving Officers in the
overall command and control of a mine warfare environment.
During this course we utilise one of Her Majesty’s Royal Minehunters applying every strand of knowledge learnt over the
15-month programme through testing assessments.
Aside the intensive training over here, I do get weekend leave
often and have been able to utilise the time to see how the other
side of the world looks. To the young Officer’s of the Watch taking
a bearing down the GLX career pipeline, make no mistake this is
without a doubt the most physical and mentally testing subspecialisations you can do within the Warfare branch.
Nothing easy is worth getting so if you’re interested in being
part of a critical aspect of the CDF 2035 Amphibious Vision, set
yourself achievable goals, seek the information you need and
get stuck in.
Above left: SLT Wesley Moir
20
News
Influencing the Youth of Today
By LT CDR Warren McLuckie, RNZN, Weapon Systems Engineer,
Logistics Command (Maritime)
O
ne of the defining values of professional engineers, and
indeed members of all professional bodies, is the concept
of ‘giving back to the community’. So what better way to
give back to the community than to influence the futures of young
students by sharing what we do in our everyday lives?
Futureintech is a Government-funded IPENZ Institution of
Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) initiative that
encourages people working in the fields of engineering, science
and technology to visit schools and talk to students about what
they do.
challenging. A 10-year-old will struggle to contain their
excitement whereas many 15-year-olds are too cool for school.
Creating and maintaining audience engagement can require some
quick thinking.
But what’s in it for the Navy? Free advertising for one! Raising the
profile of the Navy and building the brand is easy when sharing
any number of the cool and exciting things that we do every day.
Would you rather be a hair dresser or a Weapons Engineer?
These Futureintech ‘Ambassadors’ give students an appreciation
of what it’s like to work in various industries by sharing
experiences and connecting with students on a personal level.
The NZDF has been a strong supporter of the Futureintech
initiative over the years contributing a number of Ambassadors
from the services and Defence Technology Agency, but we need
more. Futureintech provides all the training and resources that
you could possibly need as well as the opportunity to meet
and interact with like-minded people. If you are a young and
enthusiastic engineer or technician wanting to make a difference,
go to www.futureintech.org.nz and check it out.
Ambassadors not only make a difference in the community,
helping address the global shortage in engineers, scientists and
technologists but they also develop personally and professionally.
Speaking in front of students can be both rewarding and
Above: LT CDR McLuckie with pupils at Manuka Primary School in
Glenfield, Auckland.
News
21
New leader at helm of VANZ
By Judith Martin
V
eterans’ Affairs New Zealand’s new General Manager
wants to widen the understanding of who veterans are
and to ensure they feel appreciated for their service.
Jacki Couchman has been with VANZ since May 2014. She
is responsible for implementing new legislation which will
modernise the War Pensions Act 1954 to make it more relevant
for today’s veterans who include serving personnel.
It is the implementation of that new legislation which has
prompted the organisation to challenge the way New Zealanders,
including members of the NZDF, think of veterans.
“It surprises people to learn that New Zealand veterans can be
aged from 19 to more than a hundred years old,” she says. “That
you can be currently serving and be a veteran and you can be
working as a civilian and be a veteran,”
It is important, she says, that younger veterans and serving
personnel are aware of VANZ and what it does because, while
they may feel it is irrelevant to them now, that situation could
change at any time.
From conflict in Bosnia to Bougainville, Afghanistan to Sudan,
the past two decades have been among the busiest in the NZDF’s
history. An operational tempo as high as it has been brings with
it a slew of veterans, many of whom are still serving and a good
number of whom are now civilians.
The new legislation which is currently being considered by
Parliament will see the introduction of new types of entitlements
and support for veterans. It will give VANZ the ability to
introduce more health, social and vocational rehabilitation for
current and former servicemen and women.
Jacki Couchman
My priorities for VANZ are that
we appreciate and thank our
veterans for their service; that
we ensure veterans and their
families get the right support; and
that we recognise and understand
the way our population of
veterans is changing.
Ms Couchman says she has been impressed with the care and
support the VANZ team provides to veterans.
Jacki Couchman
“In the future we will be able to support veterans to train for
another career if that’s in their best interests,” Ms Couchman
says. “This recognises that it is not all about just the health of
the veteran but about their career, their family and their general
well-being. VANZ will work with the other groups within the
NZDF which support the health and wellbeing of service people
and their families.”
Ms Couchman is meeting as many veterans as she can, both
serving and civilian, to spread the message.
22
News
“My priorities for VANZ are that we appreciate and thank our
veterans for their service; that we ensure veterans and their
families get the right support; and that we recognise and
understand the way our population of veterans is changing.”
“They are devoted to what they do, and do their very best for
our veterans and their families, and that’s inspiring. This job is all
about recognising and supporting extraordinary New Zealanders
and their families. I’m really enjoying the new role and being part
of the NZDF.”
Jacki Couchman is a former lawyer with an MBA and extensive
experience with change and modernisation in government agencies.
Her sister and brother-in-law served with the Australian Army.
Her six-year-old son has wanted to join the army (like his uncle),
since the age of three.
Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand provides veterans and their
families with professional services that recognise veterans’
service to the nation, their sacrifices, their diversity, and their
individual needs. VANZ ensures veterans are able to access
the services they need to support them in their everyday lives.
It administers, manages and processes a range of statutory
entitlements, delivers a range of services to individual veterans
and their families, and advises the government on veterans’
issues. It also provides opportunities for veterans to have their
service acknowledged and recognised
Seizing Samoa
A lost naval opportunity to sink the German East
Asiatic Squadron
On Friday 29 August, an official ceremony with the Navy as lead service was held at the
Auckland War Memorial Museum, recalling the 100th Anniversary of New Zealand’s
seizure of what was until 29 August 1914 known as German Samoa. The seizure of the
German colony was at Britain’s request in the early days of World War I. New Zealand was
to rule Samoa until its independence in 1962. This article by Murray Dear takes a naval
view of events of a century ago.
O
n the advice of his British Ministers, King George V made
a declaration of war on Germany on 4 August 1914. On
the morning of 6 August, a cipher telegraph arrived from
the Colonial Secretary in London addressed to the Australian
Governor General:
“If your Ministers desire and feel themselves able to seize German
wireless stations at Yap in the Marshall Islands, Nauru on Pleasant
Island, and New Guinea, we should feel that this was a great and
urgent Imperial service. You will, however, realize that any territory
now occupied must be at the disposal of the Imperial Government
for purposes of an ultimate settlement at the conclusion of the
war. Other Dominions are acting in a similar way on the same
understanding; in particular, suggestion is being made to New
Zealand in regard to Samoa.”
Both the Australian and New Zealand governments needed only the
hint of a suggestion to commence preparations for Imperial glory.
There was, however, a potential significant impediment to these
proposed amphibious operations. Vice Admiral Graf von Spee’s
powerful East Asiatic Squadron was known to be on a Pacific training
cruise somewhere to the north of Australia and New Zealand. Von
Spee’s two armoured cruisers, SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU
were heavily armed (8 x 8.2”, 6 x 5.9” guns) and incorporated lessons
learned during the Russo-Japanese War. With von Spee was the
light cruiser NURNBERG, while his other light cruisers EMDEN and
LEIPZIG were respectively at Tsingtao (now Qingdao) and operating
off the west coast of Mexico protecting German interests.
Rear Admiral Sir George Patey RN commanding the powerful
Australian Squadron regarded the destruction of the German
squadron as his prime duty and sought permission of the Australian
Naval Board to search for von Spee. In essence there were now three
competing immediate naval objectives namely:
•
The Australian seizure of New Guinea, Nauru and Yap.
•
The New Zealand seizure of Samoa.
•
The destruction of the East Asiatic Squadron.
Above: Ceremony at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on 29 August 2014
marking New Zealand’s seizure of Samoa on 29 August 1914. Navy Honour
Guard and HE the Governor General, LTGEN the Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae.
NAVY HISTORY
23
a prospective New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. In command
of PHILOMEL was Captain Percival Hall-Thompson RN who was
also Naval Advisor to the New Zealand government. The other
two cruisers were HM Ships PSYCHE and PYRAMUS (8 x 4” guns),
which were basically cut-down, less capable repeats of the Pearl
class. With good cause, these ‘P’ class cruisers had been described as
“unspeakably useless” by Australian Rear Admiral Sir William Creswell.
With great trepidation, the New Zealand Government agreed that
the Samoa Expeditionary Force should depart Wellington on 15
August and proceed up the east coast of the North Island towards
Suva. It was recognised that if the weakly protected expeditionary
force had the misfortune to encounter von Spee’s squadron it would
be slaughtered within minutes.
The intention was that RADM Patey with units of the Australian
Squadron would join the transports and escorts at Suva before
sailing north-eastward to Samoa. Unfortunately, a furious Patey was
not informed of these arrangements and (without informing the
New Zealand government) CAPT Marshall’s small force was instead
redirected to Noumea where it arrived on 19 August.
Destination Apia
Unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of coherent thinking in London or
on either side of the Tasman as to how these conflicting objectives
were to be managed.
New Zealand prepares to seize Samoa
On receipt of British Secretary Sir Lewis Harcourt’s cable, New
Zealand Governor General Earl Liverpool promptly responded “My
government agree to seizure of Samoa”. On Saturday 8 August,
the Union Steam Ship Company’s Dunedin head office received a
telegram from the New Zealand Minister of Defence asking for two
steamers fitted to carry 2,000 troops to be ready at Wellington the
following Tuesday morning. The MONOWAI was at Auckland with
cargo aboard and ready to embark passengers for southern ports.
The MOERAKI was at Port Chalmers about to leave with cargo
and passengers for Melbourne. These two ships were chosen and
the company’s staff at Auckland and Port Chalmers responded so
energetically that both ships were almost ready for government
service when they arrived at Wellington on Monday 10 August.
Thanks to compulsory military training, the “Advanced Force of
the New Zealand Expeditionary Force” was formed within days.
Units from the 5th Wellington and 3rd Auckland regiments made
up the 1363 strong force which included a field artillery battery, a
machine gun unit, engineers, doctors, nurses and two dentists. The
commanding officer was Colonel Robert Logan, the commander of
the Auckland Military District.
On 22 March 1909, the New Zealand Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward
had offered to gift a Dreadnought-type battle ship to Britain. The
ship New Zealand ultimately gifted was the Indefatigable-class battle
cruiser HMS NEW ZEALAND, a sister ship of HMAS AUSTRALIA.
It was intended that NEW ZEALAND be stationed in New Zealand as
the flagship of the China Station but the Admiralty reneged on this
arrangement and the battle cruiser was retained for operations in the
North Sea. Instead, New Zealand ended up with three elderly, small,
slow, weak cruisers under the command of Captain Herbert Marshall
RN to escort the Samoa expedition.
PHILOMEL (8 x 4.7” guns) was the last surviving Pearl-class cruiser
and had been taken out of reserve at Singapore and transferred to
the New Zealand Government as a training ship and the nucleus of
24
navy history
At Noumea, the puny escort was strengthened by Patey’s squadron
comprising the battle cruiser AUSTRALIA (8 x 12” guns), light
cruiser MELBOURNE (8 x 6” guns) and French armoured cruiser
MONTCALM (2 x 7.6”, 8 x 6.4” guns). The two Australian warships
were modern fast vessels and, while the MONTCALM was inferior
to von Spee’s two big ships, it was a useful force multiplier. With
renewed confidence the expeditionary force sailed for Suva where it
arrived on 26 August.
Some additional troops were embarked in Suva before departing for
Apia. AUSTRALIA led the two troopships with PSYCHE, PHILOMEL
and MONTCALM to port and PYRAMUS and MELBOURNE guarding
the starboard flank. At night the escorts closed to single file with
PYSCHE scouting ahead.
On the morning of 30 August the transports and their escorts arrived
off Apia (Samoa was 23 hours behind New Zealand standard time so
it was still 29 August locally). PYSCHE was sent into the harbour to
sweep for suspected mines and then to send a party ashore under a
flag of truce to get a German capitulation within half an hour.
“I have the honour to inform you that I am off the port of Apia with
an overwhelming force, and in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed
I will not open fire if you surrender immediately,” RADM Patey wrote
to Erich Schultz, the German Governor of Samoa.
Schultz did not intend to surrender but had nothing to defend the
colony with so he left town. He later recorded: “We realised from
the outset that surrender was inevitable, because of the primitive
defences of the place. Our forces consisted of 20 soldiers and special
constables, and our fortifications of one gun. This was religiously
fired every Sunday afternoon, and took half an hour to load. Our only
other defensive weapons were 50 rifles of an 1871 pattern” (In 2005,
the author noted a German gun mounting in the grounds of the
Hotel Kitano Tusitala, Apia but is unable to confirm that this is the
site of the weapon referred to by Governor Schultz).
Eventually, acting Governor S N Rimberg sent a note protesting at
the threat to bombard the town adding that “no resistance is to
be offered.” Landings were made on a sandy strip of beach on the
eastern side of Apia and by 12.30pm the town had been occupied.
Late in the afternoon a detachment from the Auckland Regiment
and some troops from the Fiji Defence Forces headed for the AEG
Telefunken wireless station in the hills behind Apia. This was seized
around midnight but to the dismay of the New Zealanders some
of the radio equipment had been smashed and the engine boobytrapped with dynamite.
No resistance to the occupation had been encountered and the
German colony was now firmly in New Zealand’s hands. While
German rule had been relatively benign, New Zealand’s stewardship
of Samoa was to be shamefully incompetent and oppressive.
von Spee responds
On the outbreak of war, VADM von Spee was at Ponape in the
Caroline Islands with his three cruisers. He immediately sailed
north-westward to Pagan in the Mariana Islands where he met
with EMDEN, the auxiliary cruisers PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH and
CORMORAN (ex Russian mail steamer RYAZAN captured by
EMDEN), the liner YORCK and four supply ships. At the request of
its captain, Karl von Muller, EMDEN was dispatched to undertake
independent operations in the Indian Ocean. After learning that
Japan was about to enter the war von Spee sailed to the south-east
having been advised by Berlin that “Chile is a friendly neutral”.
After coaling at Eniwetok Atoll lagoon, von Spee detached the two
auxiliary cruisers southward to independently attack shipping in
Australian waters and NURNBERG to Honolulu with mails and
signals to be cabled to Berlin. It was here on 1 September the
Germans learned that Samoa had been occupied. After rejoining von
Spee, NURNBERG was detached again on 6 September to destroy
the cable station on Fanning Island and then given the task of
escorting the squadron’s colliers.
Meanwhile, von Spee with SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU sailed
to Apia with the objective of sinking whatever ships were to be found
in the harbour. He was hoping to catch RADM Patey by surprise and
plans were made to attack AUSTRALIA with torpedoes and other
ships with long range gunfire. On the morning of 14 September von
Spee arrived off Apia to find the harbour empty of shipping apart
from an American schooner and a small sailing vessel.
The transports and their escorts had sailed away two days after the
landings. RADM Patey had sailed westward to cover the seizure of
New Guinea, while the transports escorted by PHILOMEL, PYRAMUS
and PYSCHE had returned to New Zealand. Von Spee realized that
any bombardment of Apia would probably result in the death of
German citizens so held his fire. In turn, the New Zealanders wisely
resisted any urge to fire on von Spee’s two ships with their artillery.
Eventually von Spee sailed away, feinting northward before setting
a south-eastward course to Tahiti. On 22 September, he arrived off
Papeete where he bombarded the town’s defending guns and sank
the French gunboat ZELEE. Von Spee then proceeded eastward to
South America where he was to achieve victory off the Chilean port
of Coronel and then suffer defeat, resulting in his own death, off the
Falkland Islands.
Conclusions
The complete lack of a coherent naval strategy for the South Pacific
could have had disastrous consequences. The Admiralty may have
been the guiltiest party but both Australia and New Zealand did not
help the situation by pursuing their own colonial ambitions with little
or no consultation with each other.
Australia entered World War I with a small but powerful navy
comprising a battle cruiser, two modern light cruisers (with a third
under construction), an older light cruiser, three destroyers (with
a further three under construction), two submarines and sundry
other vessels formerly in the service of the Australian colonial
navies. Despite New Zealand concerns that von Spee might attack
the Royal Navy coal reserves at Westport, the German admiral had
no intention of operating in Australian or New Zealand waters and
risking battle with the superior Royal Australian Navy. This was
indeed fortunate in view of the muddled naval operations planned
on both sides of the Tasman.
It would have been a comfort to the New Zealand government
if HMS NEW ZEALAND had been available to escort the Samoa
Expeditionary Force but such a deployment was probably unrealistic
in view of more pressing strategic needs in the North Sea. The
Admiralty was certainly guilty of treating von Spee with disdain
by stationing elderly, weakly armed cruisers to counter him in the
Pacific. If a pair of more capable cruisers had been allocated to the
New Zealand Station then the Samoa Expeditionary Force could have
proceeded with more confidence. The Admiralty’s flawed policy was
brutally exposed off Coronel on 1 November 1914 when RADM Sir
Christopher Cradock RN perished along with the entire crews of the
armoured cruisers GOOD HOPE and MONMOUTH.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is evident that RADM Patey should
have waited off Samoa for von Spee. Based on the outcome of the
Battle of the Falklands on 8 December 1914, it is very likely that
Patey’s force would have prevailed over von Spee’s two big cruisers.
This wait would have resulted in a delay of a few weeks in the seizure
of New Guinea but the Germans were not going anywhere and Japan
was in no position to exploit Australia’s absence. In the meantime, a
smaller naval force could have been despatched to seize Nauru and
its strategically important phosphate deposits.
Regretfully, any extension of Patey’s presence off Samoa would not
have been politically acceptable to an Australian government intent
on seizing New Guinea at the earliest possible instance. In conclusion,
an opportunity was lost for a great naval victory off Samoa.
Opposite: HMS PYRAMUS going alongside at Lyttelton.
Above (from top): The armoured cruiser SCHARNHORST. Officers on
HMS PSYCHE.
Navy history
25
fleet progress
HMNZS Canterbury
crossing the line as the youngest sailor onboard
By ACH Meagan Ward Hartstonge
B
eing the youngest on ship was very intimidating while
crossing the line as CANTERBURY headed south after
finishing Ex RIMPAC in Hawaii. When we first sailed it was
the last thing on my mind; but it soon grew to be my biggest fear,
with dits (rumours) flying around the ship that all the females’ hair
would be shaven off, including our eyebrows. We tadpoles decided
to make costumes to get us hyped up against the bears. We would
not go down without a fight. Little did we know, neither would they!
The summoning occurred the night before crossing the line. This
consisted of nervous clutters of tadpoles scattered around the ship
and the mighty bears eager to capture everyone. A simple knock on
the door would result in screams followed by a relief of laughter, as
it was just another tadpole. After an interesting encounter, and a
lot of mustard sauce, I was well on my way to the new salty creases,
soon to be in my epaulettes. I was completely unaware that I would
be singled out from every other tadpole the next day.
With my hair tied as tight as I could get it and my overalls on, I
made my way to the flight deck for the ceremony. It seemed to be
going well until I got called up, with a special mention. So there I
was kneeling, waiting to see what I had to do.
Red-faced and very embarrassed I had to sing a song to Ship’s
Company, something along the lines of ‘I am the youngest
member of the crew, I’m the youngest member of the crew, I’m
the youngest member of the crew, so this is what I have to do’;
followed by biting a rather strongly flavoured piece of sea food.
Everyone cheered and I was carried, whilst gagging, over to the
tadpole’s mixture. Here I was dunked three times followed by the
mix being poured over me.
To this day I still can remember the taste of the fish and every time
I take gash to the garbage store the memories come flooding back.
For the 16 months I have been in the RNZN, this was one of the best
experiences I have had. I look forward to being a bear and hope I can
make the next youngest sailor on ship enjoy it as much as I did.
Footnote: “The line” is the equator and RNZN ships traditionally
have a line-crossing ceremony featuring King Neptune and his court.
The “bears” are Neptune’s helpers. “Tadpoles” are sailors who have
not crossed the line before. Once having crossed, tadpoles become
“shellbacks”. On this trip even the CO, CDR David Turner, was regarded
as a tadpole as his previous such crossings had been in RN ships.
26
fleet progress
fleet progress
Exercise
CROIX DU SUD
A
fter leaving Pearl Harbor in early August at the
end of Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2014,
HMNZS CANTERBURY sailed for Townsville to
collect a fleet of Army trucks taken there for an Army
exercise pre-RIMPAC.
That done, CANTERBURY sailed for Noumea for Exercise
CROIX DU SUD (Southern Cross), arriving 22 August for the
exercise which ran from 25 August to 5 September.
CROIX DU SUD is a French Armed Forces of New
Caledonia-sponsored, joint and combined Field Training
Exercise, conducted biennially in New Caledonia.
As well as HMNZS CANTERBURY, the ships taking part
were FS VENDEMIAIRE (which earlier this year underwent
extensive maintenance at Devonport Naval Base), FS LA
GLORIEUSE, HMAS LABUAN, HMAS TARAKAN, RVS
TUKORO (Vanuatu) and VOEA PANGAI (Tonga).
The next Navy Today will have a full report of CROIX DU
SUD, meanwhile, here are some photos from the exercise.
Opposite page from top: ACH Meagan Ward Hartstonge recites a special poem to King Neptune, an honour bestowed upon the youngest member of the Ship’s
Company. Saturday 9 August 2014; The Commanding Officer CDR David Turner officially crossed the line for the first time on a RNZN ship, where before being
accepted as a Kiwi Shell Back, he must first be cleansed using King Neptune’s special wash and then have a dose of King Neptune’s special medicine; From left,
King Neptune’s Barber (WOWT Nick Rowe), Doctor (POCSS Quentin Monk), Daughter Ganette (POSCS Gan Elphic-Moon), King Neptune (POMED Aaron
Gibbs), his Wife (WOTR Lynette Bokany) and Royal Scribe (POET Stu Hair).
Above (top): CANTERBURY in port in Noumea.
Above (from left to right):Armed and ready to protect CANTERBURY’s flight deck, ACWS Lachlan McCann during a Force Protection exercise; A French Air Force
Puma lands on CANTERBURY watched on by POMP Nicole Mattsen.
fleet progress
27
fleet progress
HMNZS te kaha
in and out of dry dock
D
uring August HMNZS TE KAHA returned to the dry
dock at Devonport Naval Base for some minor hull
repairs in anticipation of sea time in late 2014 and a
busy 2015 programme.
Dry-dock is an incredibly busy time, but even the hard working
Marine Engineering Warrant Officer, Dave Hellriegel, managed
to spare some time to share a birthday cake with the Marine
Engineering team.
The ship came out of dry dock on 22 August, but not before
displaying a red weather balloon through the centre bullring on
the forecastle to highlight that day’s Red Nose Day in support
of Cure Kids.
Forty members of Ship’s Company conducted the Red Nose Day
burpee challenge to raise $400 for the charity. That consisted of
completing 2208 burpees as a group.
TE KAHA has an eye to sea trials in mid September.
From top to bottom: HMNZS TE KAHA with red nose, about to come out
of dry dock on 22 August. WOMT (L) Dave Hellriegel (in white) with his
birthday cake. TE KAHA in the dry dock as seen from the stern.
Opposite page (clockwise from top right): LT CDR Clarkson (left) takes
command of MANAWANUI from LT CDR Driver. CN with TS LEANDER
Officers & Cadets. CN with Padre Bruce Thompson.
28
Fleet Progress
fleet progress
MANAWANUI
HMNZS
MANAWANUI
Change of Command
I
n one of Chief of Navy’s new low-key changes of command
ceremonies, LT CDR Jonathan (Jono) Clarkson assumed
command of HMNZS MANAWANUI from LT CDR Kerry
Driver on 8 August.
The ceremony took place onboard MANAWANUI alongside at
Devonport Naval Base with CN, RADM Jack Steer, presiding.
Ship’s Company fell in on the deck for the ceremony and
farewelled LT CDR Driver, who had been their commanding
officer since November 2012, sharing adventures such as the
recovery of a light plane with two bodies off Raglan in April
2013 and the disposal of unexploded World War II bombs in the
Solomon Islands in mid-2013.
LT CDR Clarkson joined the RNZN at the age of 23 in 2000
as a Midshipman Seaman Officer. On completion of his Basic
Training at the Officer Training School and following successful
completion of his Bridge Watch Keeping professional courses
in 2001, he commenced his professional sea-going career in the
Royal Navy on-board the type-42 Destroyer HMS CARDIFF.
The experience gained on this exchange posting which included
completing a comprehensive work-up based out of Plymouth,
numerous exercises with NATO nations and part of an
operational deployment to the Persian Gulf set the scene for an
interesting and rewarding career to date.
TS LEANDER
has a visit from Chief of Navy
By LT CDR R.D Gilvray, RNZN
T
he Narrow Neck-based TS LEANDER Sea Cadet unit was
honoured to host the Chief of Navy, RADM Jack Steer at their
weekly parade on 7 August. CN began the night by inspecting
the TS LEANDER cadets at divisions where he took the time to
individually chat with all 20 cadets on parade.
CN then made two special presentations to members of TS
LEANDER. The first was to TS LEANDER honorary chaplain Padre
On return to New Zealand Jono was promoted to LT and
commenced a substantial period at sea on operational
deployments and exercises. He was promoted to LT CDR in
2008 and next year assumed command of HMNZS TAUPO,
commissioning it in to service.
He conducted Warfare Training with the Royal Navy and
graduated as a Principle Warfare Officer in February 2012. On
return to New Zealand he consolidated his warfare training
on HMNZS TE KAHA as PWO and conducted major warfare
exercises including RIMPAC 2012 before taking on the role as
Operations Officer.
His most recent posting has been ashore in a staff role as the
Officer in Command of the Naval Operations Support Unit
where he was exposed to Defence Intelligence and operating
with other Government agencies and allies.
Bruce Thompson, who was presented with a New Zealand Cadet
Forces stole. Padre Thompson has been the honorary chaplain for
TS LEANDER for nine years but was also a Sea Cadet himself joining
the Auckland Branch Sea Cadet unit in 1949 prior to joining the
RNZN as a 15 year old boy stoker in 1952.
The second presentation was made to ex WOCDT Louise Davidson.
This was in recognition for her outstanding long service as a TS
LEANDER cadet over a period of seven years and 5 months.
Miss Davidson is back with TS LEANDER as a supplementary
Instructor and will commission as an NZCF officer in November.
CN ended the night chatting with cadets who were thrilled to have
him in their presence.
CN has made a promise to visit all 16 Sea Cadet units in
New Zealand.
Fleet progress
29
Reserves
fleet progress
Wellington reservists complete first aid course,
welcome new doctor
By LT CDR Michael Stephens, RNZNVR
W
ellington Naval Reservists of all ranks recently
undertook the RNZN Workplace First Aid Course
instructed by former Navy Medic Lee Matravers
of Professional Resuscitation Services as an integral part of
required Navy training.
Delivered over two days in August at HMNZS OLPHERT, the
Wellington Naval Reserve HQ, the training combined a good
mix of both theory and hands-on practical training. The syllabus
covered a wide range of first aid topics and skill sets, including
scene assessment and initial safety checks, safe casualty
evacuation, the appropriate use of specific CPR techniques
and Automatic Emergency Defibrillator equipment for infants,
children and adults.
During the course the participants were introduced to a number
of useful acronyms, including checking levels of response
“AVPU” (casualty Alert, responds to Voice, responds to Pain or
Unresponsive) and for checking vital signs “Every Snake Bite
Causes Pain (Eyes, Skin, Breathing, Consciousness and Pulse rate).
All participants passed and were certified to the required NZQA
Unit Standards. Congratulating them LT CDR Ian Wells, CO
HMNZS OLPHERT said: “I am very pleased to see our personnel
not only receive training that could save lives anywhere, but
also that the knowledge and skills gained are valuable to both
the RNZN and their civilian employers.”
30
Fleet Progress
August 12 was a very special day for the Navy’s newest doctor,
Surgeon LT Greg Brown RNZNVR, and for HMNZS OLPHERT
when Chief of Navy RADM Jack Steer paid a call to formally
promote him, following Greg’s successful completion of the
RNZN Specialist Officer Induction Course.
Ably assisted by Greg’s wife, Julie, and children, Isaac (8),
Abigail (7) and Matthew (5), RADM Steer changed over Greg’s
rank slides from Midshipman to SGNLT on the main deck of
OLPHERT, where the personnel welcomed Greg on board as
their new Medical Officer.
Originally from Sheffield, UK, where he completed his medical
and general practice training, Greg came to New Zealand in
2011. He has been working as a civilian Medical Officer at the
Trentham Medical Treatment Centre since June 2013.
“Joining the Naval Reserve is an exciting prospect for me,”
Greg says. “It’s about having the opportunity to serve the
organisation and my adoptive country more broadly, potentially
practise medicine in some unique situations, and learn some
new skills along the way. My wife is already impressed at the
standard of cleaning and ironing I can now attain, following my
stint at Whangaparaoa. OLPHERT have been very welcoming,
and I’m looking forward to playing an active role in the unit.”
Above (left to right): ABSEA Blair Hesp and SLT Sean Audain practise using an
AED. Chief of Navy RADM Jack Steer has family help to promote Surgeon Lt
Greg Brown from wife Julie, and children Isaac, Abigail and Matthew.
1975 RNZN Intake Reunion
Saturday 17 January 2015, in Auckland, venue TBA
Calling all BCTs, ART APPS, WRNZNS and Officers, Instructors and
Divisional Officers who enlisted in or were involved with this 1975 group.
Probable ship/Naval Base tour followed by dinner and city sights.
Register your interest either by FB 1975 RNZN Intake Reunion or email
[email protected] and should there be sufficient interest, further
detail will be promulgated.
New Zealand Defence Industry Association
(NZDIA) Forum 2014
Theme for 2014: Driving NZ Economic Growth – Defence and
industry’s role.
21 and 22 October 2014, Wellington, New Zealand
In association with New Zealand Government, local and international
industry members, Ministry of Defence and NZ Defence Force.
Now open for registrations at www.nzdia.co.nz
Email: [email protected] Phone: +64 27 600 1229
Large model warship display,
Ngataringa Sports Club
Battleships to minesweepers
Ngataringa Sports Club, 11 and 12 October 2014.
Models include, HMNZS CANTERBURY< OTAGO< WAIKATO< ROTOITI
to to name a few. The sports club will be open from 10am to 4pm each day.
Gold coin entry.
Contact Brian Henman, committee member Ngataringa Sports Club
Phone: 09 236 0119 Email:[email protected]
Selected RNZN rank abbreviations
With the various Navy trades, the trade has the same title
across all relevant ranks, so, for example, a LSCS (Leading
Seaman Combat Specialist) is the same trade as a CPOSCS
(Chief Petty Officer Seaman Combat Specialist), and so on.
Men and women have the same rank titles—a Midshipman
or Leading Seaman Combat Specialist can be (and are) men
and women. A quarter of Navy personnel now are women,
up to the rank of Captain.
RADM: Rear Admiral
CDRE: Commodore
CAPT: Captain
CDR: Commander
LT CDR: Lieutenant Commander
LT: Lieutenant
SLT: Sub Lieutenant
ENS: Ensign
MID: Midshipman
WOCH: Warrant Officer Chef
WOMED: Warrant Officer Medic
CPOWTR: Chief Petty Officer Writer
CPOEWS: Chief Petty Officer Electronic Warfare Specialist
POPTI: Petty Officer Physical Training Instructor
POCSS: Petty Officer Combat System Specialist
HMS ACHILLES—Battle of the River Plate
LSCS: Leading Seaman Combat Specialist
75th Memorial buffet luncheon, 13 December 2014
LSA: Leading Stores Accountant
Commerce Club, Greenlane, Auckland. Limit 200 tickets, open to all.
$30.00 per head. Contact Gerry Wright at [email protected] or
Box 9352 Newmarket 1149
LMT (P): Leading Marine Technician (Propulsion)
AMUS: Able Musician
ADR: Able Diver
RNZN Engine Room Branch Reunion
6-8 November 2015, Napier
This Reunion will be held in Napier on the weekend of 6–8 November 2015.
For details please contact:
Dennis Zachan, 12 Norrie Place, Tamatea, Napier
Phone: Home: 06 8442201 Mobile: 021 673242
Email: [email protected]
AHCM: Able Helicopter Crewman
OSTD: Ordinary Steward
OMT (L): Ordinary Marine Technician (Electrical)
OCWS: Ordinary Communications Warfare Specialist
Jackspeak—Navy slang
Royal New Zealand Naval Women’s
Association Reunion
BZ: The flag signal Bravo Zulu, meaning “well done.”
17-19 October 2014, James Cook Hotel, Wellington
EMAs: Early Morning Activities—running, swimming etc for
new recruits
Non-members are welcome; the only qualification is current or past service
in the RNZN or Commonwealth navies. Registration $35.00.
Friday 1800 to 2000 Meet and Greet. Saturday morning tours in
Wellington, one to Weta Studios another to Government House. Both tours
then go to the National War Memorial and lunch at HMNZS OLPHERT.
Afternoon at leisure. Gala Dinner at the James Cook Hotel in the evening.
Sunday morning church service at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul’s.
Contacts for registration forms:
Marie Reille: [email protected]
Pauline Patterson: [email protected]
Margaret Snow: [email protected]
Brow: Gangway between ship and wharf
Gash: Rubbish
Goffas: Non-alcoholic drink
Heads: Toilets. In sail days they were under the figurehead.
MOET: Maritime Operational Evaluation Team
Oppos: Shipmates
Oscar: The flag signal for “man overboard.” The name of the manoverboard dummy used for drills.
RHIB: Rigid hull inflatable boat, jetboat carried on our ships
Rig: Uniform
Scran: Food
Work-up: Intense exercises working a ship up to its full
operational capabilities, conducted by MOET.
NOTICES
31
As of 31 July 2014
20 TRADES
2,583
32
WARRIORS
OF THE SEA
TE TAUA MOANA