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"THE LAST SURVIVORS" SURFACE AGAIN BY RUSSEL WARD I n the May/June issue of Professional Skipper, there is a lovely article on the return of HMFS Viti to New Zealand d in 1959. I love those pictures, they bring back so many memories of roly-poly stuff in HDMLs, but Pony More is incorrect in saying that particular HDML was a writeoff and was scrapped when she arrived home: She lived to serve another day and was, in fact, refurbished and allocated to HMNZS Ngapona who had had performed a serious act of impact hydrography with their HDML P3561. Here is the story: Bear in mind that the numbering was changed in the early Boats changed their "P" numbers 60s, with the introduction of the "Fish Boats", and that the on occasion and was a number bo P3561 rne by the HMS Viti after Decemb reserve divisions had their boats rotated when previously er 1959 they had had the one boat which was taken up to Auckland for major refurbishment. Thus, boats like the ones in question, stion, Ngapona had been changed their P numbers on occasion which makes for confusion. usion badly damaged – it had run onto a reef at New Zealand apparently had 16 HDMLs supplied by North full speed (the reef was well marked on the chart too) A load American boat yards and shipped here. We were to get more, of empty 44 gallon drums soon appeared with two berthing but a shipment from the United Kingdom was lost when the catamarans from the dockyard." transporting ship Port Hunter vanished in a vast explosion in The navy diving tender Manawanui towed her off the bricks July 1942 between the Canary Islands and the Azores. A late on November 12 and beached her in Te Kouma. The catamarans 1942 proposal for Charles Bailey to build them here after the and empty drums were secured alongside and, at low tide, the Fairmiles were done was abandoned. holes were made good with copper tingles as the picture shows Viti (ML1348) was P3555 – the ML attached to HMNZS – the image was given to me many years ago by Des Scofield, Pegasus the Christchurch VR unit from December 1951. who was in the navy at the time. Although the 1300 numbered boats apparently originally had The minesweeper HMNZS Stawell arrived shortly after and, 275hp Hercules engines, she had the standard 165hp Gray in deteriorating weather, towed the crippled ML back to the Marine diesels. These were handed, had LH and RH versions, dockyard on November 14, no doubt at full speed. Regrettably, and were the forerunner to the ubiquitous 6/71 GMs. Brilliant the berthing pontoons moved and seriously damaged the hull, engines but noisy and thirsty. Still lots around – just listen! and with the damage from the grounding, the ML was later In October 1955, Viti was seconded to Fiji and sailed there written off as beyond repair. escorted by HMNZS Kaniere, arriving at Suva after an uneventful She was the only ML written off despite all the efforts of a six-day voyage. Her service there had few blemishes: Grounding number of personnel over the long time of their service with the on mud at Mosquito Island, Suva, November 1955, and again a RNZN. Rather than being buried in Ngataringa Bay, she was grounding near inner channel Suva, both with minimal damage. reportedly broken up and burnt. HMFS Viti (P3555), the subject of Pony More's graphic By 1958, urgent repairs were needed and when the Fiji shore article, having been overhauled after her voyage back to New base went into recess in 1959, HMFS Viti (P3555) – as Pony Zealand, was recommissioned in December 1959 and transferred More relates – came back to New Zealand escorted again by to Ngapona to replace their wrecked ML. She thereby assumed Kaniere. She was refitted at the Dockyard. the number P3561. I recently spoke to lieutenant commander Frank Arnott (retired) who was in HMNZS Kaniere escorting Let's backtrack a bit: Viti home and he confirmed the story and that she lived to fight One Saturday, November 8, 1957, the duty watch at HMNZS another day, but did not recall the heavy weather on the trip back Philomel were alerted that an ML was on the rocks near from Fiji or her colliding with the bigger ship en route. I guess Coromandel. It was south end of Rangipukea Island. Garry you don't notice these things when you are towering overhead. Wright recalls the event in his book Salty Dits (some tales from I think Ngapona's new boat became HMNZS Tamure and is the those who served on the MLs) at page 220. It's a good read. one up at Te Atatu now, I may stand corrected on this – it is Garry was on watch that night and recalls: all a bit complicated. "It was not long before several of us were on our way in someone's private launch being the duty Coast Guard vessel, Sources: New Zealand Naval Vessels by R J McDougall, 1989 heading down harbour. Shortly before dawn, a light flashed ahead. Salty Dits (Some tales from the MLs by those who served in A bit more flashing and we had found Ngapona's ML (original them) by Gerry Wright, 2010 number 1194 now with number P3561) with another civilian Verbal retelling from Frank Arnott RNZN Rtd launch standing by. On joining the group, it was soon clear that www.skipper.co.nz September/October 2013 Professional Skipper 43