HMNZS Awatere (T25) (T397)- New Zealand minesweeper from the period of World War II , one of the thirteen built units of type Castle . The ship was launched on September 26, 1942 at the Patent Slip shipyard in Wellington , and entered the Royal New Zealand Navy in June 1943. The unit was withdrawn from service in 1946. "Awatere" served in the RNZN for only 3 years, initially marked with a side mark T25, then changed to T397 . It was written from the fleet list in 1946 and then sold to the fishing sector.

 Photos below show HMS Vox, a submarine which exercised with the Castle Class sweepers

HMNZS Awatere (T 397) Only photo I can find

MS Trawler of the Manuka class

Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy

Type MS Trawler

Class Manuka

Pennant T 397

Built by Parten Slip (Wellington, New Zealand)

Ordered Aug 1941

Laid down

Launched 26 Sep 1942

Commissioned 26 Jun 1943

End service

History

Sold in 1946

Commands listed for HMNZS Awatere (T 397)

Commander From To

1 Lt. Eric Mortimer Conrad Stevens, RNZNR 26 Jun 1943 25 Mar 1944

2 Lt. David Lennox Millar, RNZNVR 25 Mar 1944

Notable events involving Awatere include:

8 Aug 1945

HMS Vox (Lt. W.E.I. Littlejohn, DSC, RANVR) conducted A/S exercises off Wellington with HMNZS Awatere (Lt. D.L. Millar, RNZNVR), HMNZS Maimai (T/Lt. W.W. Gunson, RNZNVR) and HMNZS Pahau (T/Lt. W.H.K. Mollard, RNZNVR). (1)

HMS Vox

HMNZS Awatere 

HMNZS Pahau (T28)(T 351)

HMNZS Maimai

9 Aug 1945

HMS Vox (Lt. W.E.I. Littlejohn, DSC, RANVR) conducted A/S exercises off Wellington with HMNZS Awatere (Lt. D.L. Millar, RNZNVR), HMNZS Maimai (T/Lt. W.W. Gunson, RNZNVR) and HMNZS Pahau (T/Lt. W.H.K. Mollard, RNZNVR). (1)

13 Aug 1945

HMS Vox (Lt. W.E.I. Littlejohn, DSC, RANVR) conducted A/S exercises off Wellington with HMNZS Awatere (Lt. D.L. Millar, RNZNVR), HMNZS Maimai (T/Lt. W.W. Gunson, RNZNVR), HMNZS Hautapu (T/Lt. W. Strong, RNZNVR) and HMNZS Pahau (T/Lt. W.H.K. Mollard, RNZNVR). (1)

Sources

ADM 173/20355

ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Awatere