Tag Archives: the News and New Zealand Military

HMS/HMNZS Janie Seddon – another story of one of the early naval vessels in New Zealand

  HMS/HMNZS Janie Seddon Built in Scotland 1901 for NZ Government with a sister Lady Roberts. She is reported to have laid a minefield at Wellington in WW1 and was used as an examination vessel in WW2. She was HMS Janie Seddon 1939-1941 and HMNZS Janie Seddon 1941-1944 She is a twin screw submarine miningContinue reading “HMS/HMNZS Janie Seddon – another story of one of the early naval vessels in New Zealand”

HMNZS[ Monowai (F59) was a former Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) merchant vessel. At the outbreak of World War II she became an armed merchant cruiser of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). She subsequently became HMS Monowai, a Landing Ship, Infantry and mostly operated as a troopship. In 1946 she returned to her old trade as a passenger ship.

Pennant photo courtesy of Chis Northcott who had both his grandfather and great uncle serving on her together  SS Razmak was built at Greenock yard for P&O by Harland and Wolff, launched in 1924 and completed on 26 February 1925.[1] She was designed for service between Bombay and Aden and spent several years in the Mediterranean Sea. When demand on her original route dried up,Continue reading “HMNZS[ Monowai (F59) was a former Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O) merchant vessel. At the outbreak of World War II she became an armed merchant cruiser of the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). She subsequently became HMS Monowai, a Landing Ship, Infantry and mostly operated as a troopship. In 1946 she returned to her old trade as a passenger ship.”

HMS AUCKLAND -EGRET-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton under 1936 Estimates on 5th March 1937. This ship was laid down on 16th June 1937 and intended to be named HERON but when selected for use as an unarmed Survey Ship in New Zealand waters the name was changed to one more suitable for this duty. She was launched as HMS AUCKLAND by Mrs W Denny on 30th June 1938 as the second RN ship to carry the name, previously borne by a frigate built at Bombay in 1840. However because of the deterioration of the international situation it was necessary to change this requirement and she was completed as a fully armed EGRET Class Sloop on 16th November 1938 and sailed to relieve HM Sloop LONDONDERRY at Simonstown in January 1939.

HMS AUCKLAND EGRET-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton under 1936 Estimates on 5th March 1937. This ship was laid down on 16th June 1937 and intended to be named HERON but when selected for use as an unarmed Survey Ship in New Zealand waters the name was changed to one more suitable for thisContinue reading “HMS AUCKLAND -EGRET-Class Sloop ordered from Denny at Dumbarton under 1936 Estimates on 5th March 1937. This ship was laid down on 16th June 1937 and intended to be named HERON but when selected for use as an unarmed Survey Ship in New Zealand waters the name was changed to one more suitable for this duty. She was launched as HMS AUCKLAND by Mrs W Denny on 30th June 1938 as the second RN ship to carry the name, previously borne by a frigate built at Bombay in 1840. However because of the deterioration of the international situation it was necessary to change this requirement and she was completed as a fully armed EGRET Class Sloop on 16th November 1938 and sailed to relieve HM Sloop LONDONDERRY at Simonstown in January 1939.”

HMS Torch was an Alert-class sloop of the Royal Navy, built at Sheerness Dockyard and launched in 1894. She served in Australia and New Zealand and was transferred to New Zealand as a training ship in 1917, being renamed HMS Firebrand at the same time. She was sold in 1920 and converted to a refrigerated ship with the new name Rama. She ran aground in the Chatham Islands in 1924 and was abandoned.

 In August 1914 she became part of the New Zealand Division of the Pacific Station. HMS ‘Torch’ and armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’, Farm Cove, Sydney, 1904-1905, Glass plate negative of Royal Navy’s sloop HMS ‘Torch’ and armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’, Farm Cove, Sydney, 1904-1905, MadeKerry and CoSydneyNew South Wales Australiac. 1884-1917 This image from a glass plate negativeContinue reading “HMS Torch was an Alert-class sloop of the Royal Navy, built at Sheerness Dockyard and launched in 1894. She served in Australia and New Zealand and was transferred to New Zealand as a training ship in 1917, being renamed HMS Firebrand at the same time. She was sold in 1920 and converted to a refrigerated ship with the new name Rama. She ran aground in the Chatham Islands in 1924 and was abandoned.”