HMNZS Manawanui had been under the command of ex-Royal Navy officer Commander Yvonne Gray (Picture: New Zealand Navy Today)
A former Royal Navy officer who now serves in the Royal New Zealand Navy has been praised for her decision to evacuate everyone aboard the stricken HMNZS Manawanui.
Commander Yvonne Gray gave the order for all hands to abandon ship when it ran aground and caught fire off the coast of Samoa – it then listed heavily and 12 hours later was entirely submerged
Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Garin Golding, said she made the “right decision” to evacuate the 75 people aboard, which “saved lives”.
He added: “Evacuating a ship at night is an incredibly complex and dangerous task.”
Defence Minister Judith Collins says a Court of Inquiry will establish how the Navy ship crashed into a reef.
She called the evacuation “something of a triumph, frankly”, given the difficult conditions.
The decision of Cdr Gray to abandon ship has been praised as all 75 crew and passengers were rescued (Picture: Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority)
Originally from Harrogate in Yorkshire, Cdr Gray took the helm of the RNZN’s dive, hydrographic and salvage vessel HMNZS Manawanui in December 2022.
Her career began in the Royal Navy when she joined in 1993, after spending university holidays at a Sea Cadet facility in the Lake District.
She spent most of her junior career at sea, including on the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible and the minehunters Walney, Bridport and Cromer, after specialising as a Mine Warfare Officer.
After completing the Principal Warfare Officer course in 2004, she joined HMS Westminster as the PWO (Underwater) and Operations Officer, with operational experience in West Africa, Northern Europe and the Gulf.
Cdr Gray said taking command of HMNZS Manawanui in December 2022 ‘was that opportunity that made my eyes light up’ (Picture: Royal New Zealand Navy)
Following a posting to the Maritime Warfare Centre in Portsmouth, she took the opportunity in 2009 to work with the Royal Australian Navy at HMAS Watson, Sydney.
Cdr Gray then moved to New Zealand in 2012 after a campervan holiday where she and her wife fell in love with the country.
Speaking to New Zealand’s Navy Today magazine in 2022, she said: “How do we get to live here, we asked ourselves,” adding: “The most obvious thing was to apply to join the Royal New Zealand Navy.”
On taking command of HMNZS Manawanui, Cdr Gray said: “It was that opportunity that made my eyes light up.”
Intricate knife skills, specialised cooking techniques and refined plating skills were on display at the annual 47th Roy Smith Memorial Trophy Competition last week.
02 October, 2024
Five teams from the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN), New Zealand Army, and teams from the Australian Defence Force competed in the two-day fine dining competition at Devonport Naval Base, which aims to foster catering excellence in the New Zealand Defence Force and across the ditch.
Chefs, or caterers as they are known in the NZ Army, are responsible for delivering nutritious meals whether at home on exercises or away on operations, on ships, or in a tented field kitchen. The competition gives soldiers and sailors an opportunity to learn from each other and strengthen their trade, so they can support personnel to carry out their vital work.
The RNZN team took out the coveted Roy Smith Trophy and Able Chef Jaimee McGahey says she’s ‘over the moon’ to have been part of the winning team.
“I always wanted to be a chef and when I joined the Navy straight from school, I listed chef, chef and chef as my options for what trade I was going to enter,” said the 21-year-old from Papamoa.
“I was most excited about my dessert, which was a blood orange and chocolate bavarois. It was my first time making it so I practised for about a week leading up to the competition. The biggest challenge is you have a clock running in the background which puts the pressure on while you’re competing, but I just thought, it’s just a timer, it’s not like a bomb is going to go off,” she says.
Warrant Officer First Class (WO1) Manu Ferguson, from the Defence Catering School, is the competition controller and says it’s an honour to be part of the historic competition.
“The competition started in 1977, so it’s been a running a long time. I started off in the catering school when I first joined the Army, going from student to now being the chief instructor is an honour and it feels like coming full circle. For me, it’s more than just a cooking competition, it’s a way of life. It teaches our people about team work, work ethic, commitment, and it gives our young soldiers and sailors a chance to be a part of history,” he says.
Each team is made up of two chefs, a front of house steward, a coach and a manager. Over the two days, the front of house is tested on stewarding, serving, setting tables, making cocktails and mocktails and the communication skills between themselves and the chefs.
“There’s one round that focuses on kitchen work, including health and safety around food preparation, team work in the kitchen and the serving of plated up meals. The competition culminates with an eight-course meal, blind-judged by the Defence Force Catering School instructors and also served to diners,” WO1 Ferguson said.
Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Support Operator Harley Seckold, Personal Staff to the Australian Governor-General says he had a positive experience taking part in the competition.
“This is the second time that an ADF tri-service team has participated but it’s my first time in New Zealand and participating in the competition. It’s been great, working with foreign military teams, seeing how everyone does things, having fun, building camaraderie and international naval relations. It’s good watching how the RNZN teams work and bringing any pointers from the winning back to Australia so we can be stronger competitors next year.”
Warrant Officer Ferguson said working with our Anzac partners across the Tasman was vital for international engagement.
“We work with them in operations and field exercise, both land and sea and this is another way we can enhance our relationship,” he said.
Lance Corporal Storm Van Zyl from 2nd Combat Service Support Battalion (2CSSB) at Linton Military Camp competed as a chef in last year’s winning team and this year she’s trying her hand at front of house.
“It’s great seeing everyone’s ideas and learning how other people work. It’s really cool working with Australia as well. I competed at an Australia Defence catering competition called Exercise Golden Plate competition last year in Brisbane. It was a competition based in the field rather than fine dining; more like adventure dining, shooting, going on big walks and then cooking, but it was great learning. This year I’m more nervous about serving coffee in front of house in case it spills over anyone.”
The following teams participated in the 2024 competition:
Royal New Zealand Navy team
2nd Combat Service Support Battalion, New Zealand Army, Linton Military Camp
3rd Combat Service Support Battalion, New Zealand Army, Burnham Military Camp
Australian Army 17th Sustainment Brigade team
Australian Defence Force Combined team
The category winners for 2024:
1st year Chef – Private Taygon Jean-Louise
2nd Year Chef – Lance Corporal Emily Chamberlin
Quizzene Cup – RNZN
Murray Ross – 2CSSB
Harvey Bourne – 17th Sustainment Brigade – Australian Army
Dave Murray – Leading Hospitality Specialist Andre’a Falchi
Fretwell Downing – RNZN
Roy Smith – RNZN
Te Ope Katua O Aotearoa – 17th Sustainment Brigade – Australian Army
Strength and mobility combined with legacy and symbolism when Devonport’s Physical Training Instructors combined for a photoshoot.
19 September, 2024
Physical Training Instructors (PTIs) are seen as inventive moral boosters, even if a bit of sweat is involved.
So it was hardly surprising when Devonport Naval Base’s PTIs got imaginative when they requested a staff photo.
They wanted to pay homage to the staged images of the 1950s and 1960s, where PTIs demonstrated improbable feats that blended acrobatics and gymnastics.
Leading Physical Training Instructor Hayden Rogers, based at the Fleet Fitness Training Centre, says there is still that aspect of gymnastics with PTIs, but times have changed. Mobility and strength are key factors.
Physical Training Instructors at the Fleet Gym, Devonport, in a set piece for their staff picture.
And it’s not all Navy at the Fleet Gym; the instructor in the photo wearing Multi-Terrain Pattern (green camouflage) pants is NZ Army, posted to the gym.
“That, and the red shirts, show that we are a tri-service trade. We’re all the same, apart from the different insignia. The red is also handy because it means instructors don’t blend in with the trainees.”
In the photo, the PTIs are holding crossed Indian clubs. It’s the trade symbol of Navy PTIs, who are known as ‘club swingers’ due to the legacy of a Navy exercise technique.
Originating in colonial India, Indian Club Swinging is a form of rhythmic and circular weight training while gripping two clubs. It was adopted by militaries, including the Royal Navy, as an upper body exercise. It became a fitness fad worldwide in the early 19th Century.
“The clubs shown are gifts from PTI and they are more for show, but they have a great backstory. When the Royal Navy adopted it as part of their training regimen, the Royal New Zealand Navy naturally copied it. If you come into the Fleet Gym, just on the right at the entrance there’s a good write-up about it.”
The photo was tremendous fun, he says.
“There’s not many times we can all get together, especially when there’s a lot going on and we’re everywhere. I currently look after facilitating inter-unit sports and assist in the running of inter-services sport. We’ve even got an E-Sport competition going on next month.”
A Tokomaru Bay man has been appointed as the Royal New Zealand Navy’s top sailor.
18 September, 2024
Warrant Officer Communications Warfare Specialist Darren Crosby, Ngāti Porou, is the new Warrant Officer of the Navy. His role is an advisor to the Chief of Navy, to speak for the sailors, and elevating any matters affecting the people, command, leadership and management of the Regular and Reserve Forces. He is the 10th Warrant Officer in the role, which is for three years.
He joined the Navy on his 19th birthday, 1 June 1988, as a radio operator.
“I had wanted to join the Navy since I was at intermediate school after I visited frigate HMNZS Wellington during an open day in Gisborne. After finishing at Gisborne Boys’ High School I went to the Gisborne Recruiting Office and started my application.” His recruiter was Warrant Officer Reece Golding, the father of current Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding.
From his first posting, frigate HMNZS Southland, WOCWS Crosby served in frigates HMNZS Te Mana, Te Kaha, Canterbury and Wellington. He was promoted to Warrant Officer in 2007 and has held Warrant Officer positions as the Devonport Naval Base Whole Ships Coordinator, Career Manager for the Operations Trades, Warrant Officer Leadership Development and the Command Warrant Officer to the Deputy Chief of Navy.
He describes his best experiences as two consecutive Multinational Interception Force deployments to the Arabian Gulf, enforcing a United Nations embargo on Iraq in HMNZS Wellington in 1995, then HMNZS Canterbury in 1996. It was first time the RNZN had operated in the area.
He says he is both humbled and proud to take up the role, and by the many messages of congratulations. One of them this week was from the former 7th former who just beat him for the Head Boy position at Gisborne Boys’ High.
“I acknowledge the kaitiaki and mahi of our previous WONs – ka pai te ahi! There’s a deep sense of pride and duty in upholding the Navy’s proud traditions. The responsibility of advocating and supporting our sailors and their families is really important to me.”
He says in looking to the future, it is essential to reflect on where the Navy has come from. “It’s the sacrifices, the successes, and the dedication that have brought us to this this point. Our history is not just a record of the past; it is the foundation upon which we build our future.
“Our Navy has a proud tradition of service, excellence and commitment to Aotearoa. But as we look to the future, we must be prepared to evolve, to strengthen and harden, and to lead in new and innovative ways of doing business.”
JS SENDAI conducted a Japan-New Zealand bilateral exercise.
JS SENDAI conducted a Japan-New Zealand bilateral exercise with Royal New Zealand Navy HMNZS AOTEAROA in the East China Sea.
New Zealand is Japan’s important partner to maintain and strengthen the international order based on the rule of law, and we are working together through various opportunities, such as monitoring and surveillance activities against illicit maritime activities including ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean vessels.
The Commanding officer of JS SENDAI, CDR YODA Masahiko said, “Through the exercise, we improved our tactical capabilities and strengthened cooperation with the Royal New Zealand Navy. We also contributed to maintaining the rules-based international order by demonstrating our opposition to attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force in the waters surrounding our country in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
The Self Defense Fleet maintains readiness and contributes to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region, not only for the defense of Japan but also for the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” in cooperation with allied and like-minded navies.
Fourteen NZDF personnel have joined a multinational contingent in Solomon Islands to dispose of dangerous explosive remnants of war (ERW) under Operation Render Safe.
09 September, 2024
The Australian Defence Force-led operation will see up to 250 personnel from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom and United States in support of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) experts from the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) to dispose of the munitions left from the Second World War.
The Kiwi team is made up of seven Royal New Zealand Navy and seven New Zealand Army personnel in EOD, command, medical, logistics and catering roles, supporting the largest ever land-based Operation Render Safe.
Captain S (identity withheld) is the Senior National Officer for the New Zealand contingent and an EOD operator, and says that the operation will make a real difference to the safety of communities in Solomon Islands’ Western Province.
Seven Royal New Zealand Navy personnel are part of the 14 strong NZDF team locating and disposing of explosive remnants of war in Solomon Islands under the ADF-led Operation Render Safe.
“More than 2600 explosive remnants of war have been removed from communities in Solomon Islands’ Western Province so far, and it has been a privilege to be a part of the multinational team dedicated to reducing this number and improving the safety of the local population.
“The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, as regional experts in explosive ordnance disposal, play a crucial role in this effort. We are proud to collaborate with them and our military partners to reduce the potential harm to communities here.”
The Kiwis arrived in Australia in mid-August to conduct Force integration training, which gives all participating nations a good understanding of how each other work, before deploying into the area of operations in Solomon Islands last week.
Reconnaissance operations to locate ERW have been underway since the end of August.
The Kiwis will return to New Zealand in mid-September.
