From seamen to sea scouts, they came to honour the fallen who served the Merchant Navy, the unofficial “fourth service” that kept trade routes open, most famously during World War 2.
Merchant Navy Day is only in its third year but a strong crowd of around 100 people gathered at Anzac Park on Saturday to pay tribute to the efforts of the Merchant Navy. They heard the tale of thousands who were killed while trying to defend trade routes around England in World War 2 but also the story of four Nelson seamen who survived a German mine in the Hauraki Gulf, just off Auckland.
The men were on the Nelson-owned cargo ship Puriri, which had by then been taken over by the New Zealand Navy to become a minesweeper called the HMS Puriri. Because the seamen knew how to operate the Puriri they were kept on by the Navy to help man the ship. But in May 1941, just eight miles off the Auckland coast, a German mine exploded and sank it, killing five men with a further 26 plucked out of the water, four of them Nelsonians, two crewmen and two engineers.
The story was told by Ben Gibbs and highlighted the sacrifice of hundreds of New Zealand seamen who were a part of the Merchant Navy. The day was supported by the Nelson RSA where vice president Buzz Falconer noted the huge effort of the Merchant Navy during WW2.
Two local Merchant Navy men, Dave Laws and Richard Tidmarsh, say they are thrilled that the service is now officially recognised and were proud to march in honour of those who have served the Merchant Navy. “For a long time we weren’t recognised by the government. The other services were good but we weren’t officially recognised. It’s great that we are now, not for us, this isn’t for us, it’s for those jokers that sacrificed themselves for the rest of us. It’s very important that they be recognised,” says Dave.
The Nelson Merchant Navy association thanked the Nelson RSA for its support.
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