a black and white photo of HMNZS Killegray clearing sea mines in the Bay of Islands.
“There’s something quite confronting about this picture which captures these deadly mines bobbing in the water, with the Bay of Islands’ distinctive Ninepin Rock, or Tikitiki, on the horizon,” says Heritage New Zealand’s Northland manager, Bill Edwards.
“It’s a seascape loved by thousands of visitors – and yet here we see a bunch of mines floating in the water where many of us enjoy recreational water activities today.
”It’s a stark reminder that Northland was a fortress on high alert against attack after the bombing of Pearl Harbour.”
The photo was taken by Tudor Collins, who served as a petty officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy during the war.
The Isles class naval trawlers were 164-foot (50 m) long, displaced 740 tons full load, and could manage 12 knots (22 km/h). They had a complement of 40 and were armed with one 12-pdr gun, three 20 mm Oerlikons (3×1) and depth charges.
