Royal New Zealand Naval Reserve (RNZNR) Officers
1939-1945
before 01.10.1941: Royal Naval Reserve (New Zealand Squadron)

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Note. In naval circles it is custom to refer to the commander of a vessel as Captain. The Navy List bears the phrase "in command".
Strictly out of practical considerations CO (Commanding Officer) is used here on this site. More explanation & other abbreviations can be found at the help page
 
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Blacklaws,
Douglas William
D.W. Blacklaws D.W. Blacklaws
D.W. Blacklaws
Son of William and Georgina Hunter Blacklaws.
Married (25.09.1937, Auckland) Ruth Aline Scott, of Herne Bay, Auckland; one daughter, one son.
20.04.1903
Aberdeen, Scotland
-
14.05.1941
(MPK) [age 37]
[New Zealand Naval Memorial, Devonport, Auckland, panel 7]
Prob. Lt. 13.01.1935
Lt. 1936?, seniority 13.01.1935
Trained as a naval cadet in the UK. Came to New Zealand while serving in the mercantile marine (2nd Mate, 19.03.1924), and for four years was navigating officer in the "Aorangi".
23.10.1939 - 1941? Navigating Officer, HMS Monowai (armed merchant cruiser)
1941? - 1941? First Lieutenant & Navigating Officer in a minesweeper
05.1941 - 14.05.1941 Commanding Officer *, HMS Puriri (minesweeper) (ship sunk by a German mine on in the Hauraki Gulf, off Auckland)
* given command for this one sweep while the regular CO was ashore on sick leave
Bourke,
Leo Patrick
L.P. Bourke
Married; two sons (Cdr. Geoffrey John Bourke, MBE, Dip Mgt, AFNZIM, RNZN & Denis Hamilton Bourke, university tutor).
05.04.1905
Amyton, South Australia
-
26.05.1992
Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand
Prob. S.Lt.
23.02.1928
S.Lt.
?, seniority 23.02.1928
Lt.
18.07.1932
Lt.Cdr.
18.07.1940
Cdr.
30.06.1945
Capt. RNZN
30.06.1950 (retd [05.04?].1960)
Cdre.
1959
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) OBE
09.06.1949
HM's birthday 49
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
19.12.1944
probably sinking U-boat Western Approaches 08.01.44 [award presented]
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
15.05.1945
action with U-boats North Sea 02.45 [award presented]
Royal Naval Reserve Decoration (pre-1941 model) RD
1930s?
?
01.01.1919
-
31.12.1921
Cadet Midshipman, Permanent Naval Forces of Australia (RAN College)
Made redundant through the cuts in public expenditure ("Geddes axe"), he joined the Merchant Navy (eventually becoming a Master Mariner), and in the late 1920s joined the Royal Navy Reserve (New Zealand Division).
20.11.1939
-
(06.)1943
Gunnery Officer, HMNZS Monowai (armed merchant cruiser)
07.08.1943
-
12.1943
Commanding Officer, HMS Dacres (frigate) [based at HMS Eaglet (RN base, Liverpool)]
15.12.1943
-
(07.1945)
Commanding Officer, HMS Bayntun (frigate)
03.1946


transferred to RNZN
(04.1946)


HMS Ausonia (repair ship) *
25.03.1946
-
(07.)1948
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Tamaki (RNZN training establishment, Motuihe Island, Auckland) **
18.08.1948
-
(05.1949)
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Taupo (frigate) **
11.08.1949
-
(05.1950)
[Commanding Officer?], HMS Philomel II (Navy Office, Wellington)
?
-
(05.1950)
also: Naval ADC to the Governor-General
30.11.1951
-
(05.)1953
HMNZS Philomel (additional; as Naval Attaché, Melbourne)
1953
-
1955
attended Imperial Defence College (London) [HMS President]
24.01.1955
-
(01.)1957
Naval Director, Senior Officers' War Course, RN College, Greenwich [HMS President]
25.02.1957
-
(01.)1959
Commanding Officer, HMS Sheffield (cruiser) & as Flag Captain to Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean (Suez crisis)
1959
-
1960
Naval Officer-in-Charge, Auckland
Head of Northern Zone, Civil Defence of New Zealand, 1960-1970.

* indexed, but not listed as such
** After leaving HMNZS Tamaki in 1948 he first took the Flower Class corvette flotila HMNZS Arabis (in Command) and HMNZS Arbutus back to the UK, and brought out the Loch Class frigates (11th Frigate Flotilla) as Cdr F11 in HMNZS Taupo, with HMNZ Ships Hawea, Kaniere, Pukaki, Rotoiti and Tutira in company - or he may have brought out four, with the last two arriving later.
Bradley,
Samuel Clive

S.C. Bradley
(12?).1905
Kings Norton district, Staffordshire / Warwickshire / Worcestershire
-
T/Lt. RNVR
09.11.1940
T/Lt.
06.1942, seniority 09.11.1940
T/A/Lt.Cdr.
> 08.1942, < 02.1943 (reld > 04.1946)
09.11.1940
-
(12.1941)
HMS Reading (destroyer)
06.1942
 
 
transferred, RNR
15.06.1942
-
(06.)1943
HMS Beehive (Coastal Forces base, Felixstowe) (for miscellaneous services, later for motor launch duties)
> 02.1943

< 06.943
transferred, RNZNR
07.08.1943
-
04.1944
Commanding Officer, HMS Caicos (frigate)
(10.1944)
 
 
HMS Caicos (frigate) *
?
-
(07.1945)
Commanding Officer, HMS Cayman (frigate) [date of appointment given as 22.01.1944]
(04.1946)
 
 
no appointment listed
       

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Fitzpatrick,
John
J. Fitzpatrick
?
-
T/Lt. 14.11.1940
03.04.1941 - (10.1944) HMNZS Gale (minesweeper)
(01.1945)     no appointment listed
(07.1945)     no appointment listed
(04.1946)     no appointment listed
       

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Holden,
Andrew Douglas
A.D. Holden
?
-
died between 07.1962 and 08.1973 ??
Lt.
01.03.1925
Lt.Cdr.
01.03.1934
A/Cdr.
> 04.1940, < 02.1941
Cdr.
30.06.1940
Capt.
31.12.1945 (retd > 01.1956, < 07.1959))
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) OBE
01.01.1943
New Year 43
Distinguished Service Cross DSC
01.01.1946
New Year 46
Royal Naval Reserve Decoration (pre-1941 model) RD
?
?
04.03.1940
-
(02.1941)
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Wakakura (trawler)
01.04.1941
-
21.08.1944
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Matai (minesweeper) & Senior Officer, 25th Minesweeping Flotilla
12.1944
-
(07.1945)
Commanding Officer, HMS Hound (minesweeper)
(04.1946)


HMS Fraserburgh (minesweeper) *
* indexed, but not listed as such
       

 
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Jensen,
Gerard Douglas Gordon
G.D.G. Jensen
(12?).1907
Dartford district, Kent
-
T/Lt. 03.10.1942 reld > 04.1946)
(10.1944) - (04.1946) no appointment listed
[spent most of his time at Navy Office in Wellington, involved with the naval control of merchant shipping]
       

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MacMillan,
W
W. MacMillan
?
-

T/A/Lt.Cdr.
?
29.07.1941
-
(08.1942)
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Wakakura (trawler)
[perhaps only till 04.1942]
* indexed, but not listed as such
Morse,
Evan Roger
E.R. Morse (Photo courtesy of Mr Stephen Morse)
Son of George Francis Morse (1857-1917), and Isabella Maud Davidson (1865-1933).
Married Maggie Preston (1897-1989); two sons.
21.12.1899
Fordell, Wanganui, New Zealand
-
30.11.1968
Auckland, New Zealand
T/Lt. (E) RNR 26.04.1942
T/Lt. (E) 20.05.1943?, seniority 26.04.1942
T/A/Lt.Cdr. (E) 30.09.1944 (reld 24.06.1946)
03.10.1940 - 21.08.1941 Sergeant, 20th Field Company, NZ Army Engineers (Fiji)
05.09.1941 - 25.04.1942 19th Field Company, NZ Army Engineers (Egypt)
26.04.1942     transferred from NZ Army to RNR
26.04.1942 - 19.05.1943 HMS Nile (RN base, Alexandria, Egypt) (additional; for disposal, special services; for duty Officer (Engineer) as Engineer Officer-in-Charge NCI". CO Number 1 Mobile Land Repair Unit (Naval Party 871))
20.05.1943?     transferred from RNR to RNZNR
20.05.1943 - 31.12.1943 HMS Hasdrubal (RN base, Bizerta & Ferryville, Tunisia)
01.01.1944 - 14.09.1944 HMS Byrsa (RN base, Naples, Italy)
15.09.1944 - 18.03.1945 HMNZS Cook (RNZN depot & training establishment, Wellington, New Zealand)
19.03.1945 - 1945 HMS Victory (RN base, Portsmouth)
1945 - 1945 HMS Royal Albert (RN base, London, UK/Berlin, Germany, for Naval Party 1749)
1945 - 1945 HMS Royal Edgar (port party, Hamburg, Germany)
1945 - 23.12.1945 HMS Royal Rupert (Naval Party 1735, Wilhelmshaven, Germany; as Engineer Officer-in-Charge)
24.12.1945 - 24.06.1946 HMNZS Cook (RNZN depot & training establishment, Wellington, New Zealand; additional, for dispersal & release)
From his obituary: "Mr E.R. Morse, well known as a marine engineer on British and New Zealand ship, has died in Auckland at the age of 68. During the Second World War Mr Morse served with the Royal Navy as officer in charge of a repair and salvage unit in the Mediterranean holding the rank of lieutenant commander. After VE day he was responsible for the remaining ships of the German Navy, as engineer officer in charge of the Wilhelmshaven naval dockyard. When the war ended he became manager of a large chemical and phosphate works and consulting and design engineer to the Fletcher Construction Co., Ltd. Mr Morse was marine and engineer superintendent to the Department of Island Territories and was responsible for surveys, repairs and maintenance of Government vessels in the Cook Islands service. He was a member of the Prince of Wales Lodge, the Mission Bay Bowling Club and was a foundation member of the Onehunga Rotary Club."
       

 
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Roberts,
James Gilmour
J.G. Roberts
?
-
T/Lt.
28.12.1942 (reld ? 04.1946)
16.01.1944
-
(07.1945)
Commanding Officer, HMNZS Wakakura (trawler) *
(07.1945)


no appointment listed
* starting date indicated as 16.01.1943, but not listed under the ship in 1943, so possibly 1944 in stead of 1943
       

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Tattersfield,
Felix Maxwell

Brother of J.W. Tattersfield, RNZNVR.
13.04.1914
-
06.10.1942
(KIA) [age 28]
[New Zealand Naval Memorial, Devonport, Auckland]
Ord.Sea. RNZNR
1940?
T/S.Lt. RNZNR
14.08.1941
T/S.Lt. RNZNVR
01.06.1942
Education: Mount Albert Grammar School; diploma in banking
?
-
1940
bank officer before joining the RNZNR
(12.1941)
 
 
HMS Beehive (Coastal Forces base, Felixstowe) *
01.06.1942


changed to RNZNVR
29.06.1942
-
06.10.1942
Commanding Officer, HM MTB 29 (motor torpedo boat) (4th MTB Flotilla) [HMS Beehive] (missing in action, reclassified 30.01.1945 as missing, presumed killed)
* indexed, but not listed as such

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Vickers,
Thomas Andrew
T.A. Vickers (Photo courtesy of Mr Todd Skilton)
Son of Thomas Vickers.
Married; two sons.
08.05.1897
Durham
-
15.03.1961
Eastbourne, Sussex
T/Midsh. RNR
(1915?)
T/S.Lt. RNR
16.07.1917 (demobilised 10.01.1919?)
Lt.
01.03.1925
Lt.Cdr.
01.03.1933
Cdr.
01.03.1936
Capt.
08.05.1947
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) OBE
01.01.1957
New Year 57
Royal Naval Reserve Decoration (pre-1941 model) RD
1940
?
1914-1915 Star 14|15 St
-
-
British War Medal 1914-1920 BWM 14|20
-
-
Victory Medal VM
-
-
1939-1945 Star 39|45 St
-
-
Atlantic Star Atl St
-
-
Pacific Star Pac St
-
-
Italy Star It St
-
-
British War Medal 1939-1945 BWM 39|45
-
-
George V Silver Jubliee Medal 1935 JubM 35
-
-
Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1953 CorM 53
-
-
28.12.1914


joined RNR (possibly at RN College Keyham)
20.04.1915
-
10.01.1919
HMS Orcoma
Went on to a career in the Mercantile Marine, firstly on 4 Apr - 27 Sep 1919 joining SS Laurel as second officer before joining the New Zealand Shipping Company, served on various ships as Navigating Officer, before leaving the NZSC because of the indifferent health of his wife. Joined Pacific Cable Board, 1925. Transferred to the Cable and Wireless Ltd in 1929, and over his career (till 1956/57) would serve on Cable Ships - Recorder, Cable Enterprise, Retriever, Pacific, Lady Denison-Pender, Noreseman and Mirror. 
12.09.1926
-
09.10.1926
training, HMS Diomede (cruiser)
06.01.1927
-
10.05.1927
HMS Iris (cable ship)
18.09.1939


placed at the disposal of the Admiralty, but Officers of Cable Ships were exempted from active war service because of the specialist nature of their work, hence:
(04.1940)
-
(12.1941)
no appointment listed



during WW2 he served on Cable Ships in West Indies, Singapore and Mediterranean, including the CS Mirror, which laid submarine telegraph cables to support the communication systems after the Allied landings in North Africa
       

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