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These pictures was
taken at the HMS VERONICA memorial in Napier New Zealand, 3rd May
2009.
Doc attended a
church service to remember the crew that helped the citizens of
Napier in 1931 during a large earthquake, that devastated the city,
with many deaths & casualties.
The VERONICA was
alongside at the time and was left high & dry on the mud. the crew
worked diligently for 4 days & nights before 2 cruisers arrived from
Auckland with hospital, medical staff, medical & food supplies.
This memorial was
built by the people of Napier as a thanks & remembrance of all the
Veronica crew. A service is held every year on the date of the
earthquake.
Flo & Doc were in
New Zealand for 10 days, spending 4 days in Napier attending HMS
GANGES Australasian Association reunion.
A South African
member attended as did a member & wife from UK.
HMS GANGES
Australasian Association hold a reunion every 2nd year, the next
being in 2011 The venue is Harvey bay Queensland.
Note: At this time
of the disaster, the New Zealand Navy didn't exist, it was know as
the Royal Naval New Zealand Squadron.
HMS VERONICA
was one of a pair of ships based at Devonport in the twenties and
thirties. She was a Royal Navy ship whose main function was to
'show the flag' at British possessions in the South Pacific. In
this role, they visited many New Zealand ports and exercised with
the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. An escort sloop of the
Flower class, VERONICA was built by Dunlop, Bremner & Co., Glasgow
in 1915. She was based at Devonport from 1920 to 1934, and became a
regular visitor to most New Zealand ports. VERONICA was in Napier
on the morning of 3rd February 1931 when the disastrous earthquake
struck and it was her radio signals that alerted New Zealand to
Napier's plight. Her crew helped in the initial relief efforts.
She departed the New Zealand Station in February 1934, arriving at
CHATHAM to pay-off. VERONICA was sold for scrap in 1935. This
broadside view of HMS VERONICA shows her small size and simple
design.
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