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Pipiwharauroa
Local resident Don Hay grew up on a small dairy farm in Waipaoa, Gisborne. Although he barely saw the sea, at only 15 years old, and encouraged by two of his schoolmates from Te Karaka District High School, he enlisted as a seaman boy in the Royal New Zealand Navy where he served for eight years. His key Don Hay in his Navy days motivation in joining was to get out of school but, to his dismay he found himself spending half a day of his first six months of training back in the classroom doing the schoolwork from which he had planned to escape.
Previously seaman boys only served on the big ships and cruisers however, with the start of the Korean War, they were placed on the much smaller frigates resulting in Don in 1950, at only seventeen years of age, sailing on the frigate HMNZS Rotoiti to Korea, a place he previously did not even know of its location on the map of the world. Their first port of call was Darwin harbour where they saw the wrecks of ships sunk by the Japanese during World War Two. From there they sailed to Hong Kong and through to Japan which was their base from which they patrolled the Korean coastal waters, escorted convoys, sailed up the North Korean controlled Hans River and bombarded North Korean targets. The Rotoiti was called upon several times to drop off Royal Marines landing parties and it was during one of these excursions in 1951 that Don’s friend and crewmate, Bob Marchioni died on a North Korean beach while supporting the landing party, Bob was the only New Zealand naval casualty of the entire conflict. On its trip back to New Zealand in the same year, the Rotoiti rescued a British merchant ship, the SS Hupeh that had been captured by pirates.
Don holding a copy of ‘The War that Never Ended’ which tells the stories of 12 of our country’s Korean War veterans, including him, and is dedicated to all New Zealanders who served in Korea
Following his return home and while serving out his tenure, Don sailed to Britain on the Black Prince for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11 in June 1953. There the Black Prince participated in the Spithead Review as part of the Coronation Celebrations. When the Queen sailed past on the Royal Yacht, HMS Surprise, the New Zealand crew, as did the crews of the other ships, manned the guardrails then raised and rotated their hats three times calling ‘Hip hip hooray’ as they did. On the way back home they took part in earthquake relief duties on the Greek Ionian Islands. A fuller story of his involvement with the Korean War is captured by Pip Desmond in the
HE RAUMAHARA
book ‘The War that Never Ended’ which tells the stories of 12 of our country’s Korean War veterans and is dedicated to all New Zealanders who served in Korea.
Since the war Don has served the RSA and other military organisations for many years despite the fact that, at one time, he resigned after experiencing what many Korean War veterans did, being contemptuously dismissed for his war service during the Korean conflict. He served as Gisborne RSA president from 2001 to 2009 and was on, and the last president, of the King’s Empire Veterans’ Association and the Korean’s Veterans’ Association before they both closed due to declining membership. He was also the last chairman of the local TS Sea Cadets and current president of the Gisborne Ex Royal New Zealand Naval Association.
Lt Cdr Tony Pereira, Gisborne NROs, Rob Burgess, Don Hay and the CO Manawanui Muzz Kennet
While the RSA president Don also served for nearly 10 years as Gisborne naval relations officer for the Royal New Zealand Navy holding the honorary rank of lieutenant commander and was fortunate to be able to combine his duties for both roles at times. They included, among others, chairing meetings, overseeing the running of the Gisborne RSA club and the RSA Welfare fund, attending formal functions and welcoming navy ships to Gisborne, he sat on the committee for the Blackpool scholarship for high achievers and the Resolution scholarship for people of good character needing support along with the Mayor, the Chief Executive of the Gisborne District Council and other local prominent citizens. These scholarships have now been combined to become the Royal New Zealand Navy Scholarship. His previous role as Gisborne naval relations officer is now in the hands of Lieutenant Commander Tony Pereira, also an ex-navy man. Tony led a rare event this ANZAC Day commemorations in Gisborne of a special stand-alone platoon of naval veteran and serving sailors parading the RNZN colours. Being the 75th anniversary year of the Royal New Zealand Navy, the RSA approved the naval colour party’s addition to the local parade. Numbers at our local commemorations were swelled with the naval veterans in Gisborne for their reunion. The naval contingent re-enacted a historical event from the Gallipoli campaign by raising their caps and giving three hearty cheers to acknowledge the Anzacs and all the men and women of every war, campaign and conflict. At the actual historical event, as the boats were lowered for the troops to be transported to Anzac Cove, the hundreds of sailors from the Royal Navy battleship, HMS Prince of Wales, manned the guard rails and raised their caps then rotated them 360 degrees in a clockwise direction three times producing a very subdued whisper with barely a sound being heard. “It was a sailor’s way of acknowledging and giving those brave young men a silent salute,” says Tony. Another moving feature of the local commemorations was the sounding of an “over the top ‘trench whistle before the laying of wreaths, ode, silence and reveille ensuring that this poignant sound of such historical significance is not forgotten. Don still plays an active role with the Gisborne RSA supporting local war veterans including visiting the Gisborne Hospital with Ora Peipi seeking out exservicemen to provide support where required. In doing this they have made veterans aware that they can apply for service medals no matter whether they were in the national service, territorials or the regular forces. An interesting observation that he has made over time is the number of ex-service people who say they are too young to be considered war veterans believing that one had to serve in the either of the two World Wars not realising that the term also includes those who have served for New Zealand in every war since. Don also attends, on invitation,
veterans’ funerals with local bugler Doug Cooper, where he lays wreaths and poppies, reads the ode and calls all ex-servicemen there present to pay their respects. He and his wife Fay help out tending the roses outside the RSA building and with the annual Poppy Day appeal the proceeds from which, Don says, stay with the RSA branch that collects them to maintain a local welfare fund. It pleases him to see the resurgence of interest in Anzac over the past few years particularly with the young people who want to know about their grandparents’ involvement in the numerous conflicts throughout time. Like many RSA members he is concerned for the future of the Association and the local club. In response to declining membership they have built the restaurant up to be a first class facility, developed excellent facilities for patrons to play pool and darts as well as maintained a strong focus on host responsibility including management of their gaming machines. The plan is to further develop a more homely atmosphere and for the club to become increasingly family orientated.
EX-ROYAL NAVALMEN’S ASSOCIATION This branch of the ex-Royal Navalmen’s Assn. was convened in 1946. The convenor was Pat Blair, Judge Advocate of the Arbitration Court, and now resides in Wellington. Pat was the first President of the Assn. and Bob McGuiness the first Secretary. (Unfortunately the minutes of the first meetings from 1946 to 1951 have been misplaced.) The next President was Phil Balfour. The Presidents from 1951 are as follows: 1951-53 Gus. McDonald; 1953-55 Bert Hanlen; 195557 Dick Twistleton; 1957-58 Bruce Duckworth; 195865 Dick Twistleton; 1965-66 Frank Laing; 1966-68 Ben Nickerson; 1968 – Dick Twistleton. In 1969 two of the members, Bruce Duckworth and Dick Twistleton, were made Life Members of the Assn. In the early days after the War the Assn. was prominent for its annual Shipwreck Ball, a highlight of the year in Gisborne. The Assn. provides entertainment to visiting naval ships, the most prominent in the latter years being the Cabaret held in conjunction with the adoption of the H.M.N.Z.S. Blackpool by the City of Gisborne. Over the last few years our members average about fifty, although there are many more ex-matelots in the district. Source: Golden Jubilee Returned Services Association 1916 - 22 * 1926- 70 (Inside Cover)