Skip to content

HDML – Q1186 – In 1946 H.D.M.L. Q1186 was dismantled for spares by the R.N.Z.N.

The only photo I found of HMNZS Q1186, the other two – HMNZS Paea Ex Q1184, HMNZS Tarapunga Ex Q1187 alongside HMS Philomel – the original Philomel

Madden and Lewis Company – Sausalito – California

(Contract Number, D.A.N.O.B.S. 585)

This company built four, which were Q1183, Q1184, Q1185, Q1186. They were shipped to Wellington N.Z. from San Francisco as deck cargo on the ships Frank Joseph Irvin and the Pere Marguette, arriving in Wellington on the 16th of January 1943 and the 5th of March 1943

          Q1183, Q1184, were commissioned on the 9th of March 1943.

          Q1185, was commissioned on the 8th April 1943.

          Q1186, was commissioned on the 14th April 1943

124th FLOTILLA AUCKLAND AREA

Because of the late commissioning of the Anti-Submarine Fixed Defenses at Worser Bay, the following H.D.M.L. were sailed to Auckland from Wellington on the 16th May 1943 via Gisborne, arriving in Auckland on the 20th May 1943.

Q1183, Q1184, Q1185, Q1186, Q1187 were the Five designated and they joined up with Q1191, Q1192, Q1193, Q1194, thus collectively making up the 124th Flotilla.

The only incident recorded is on the 6th September 1943, H.D.M.L. Q1186 made an ASDIC contact while on patrol off Cape Brett, and dropped Depth Charges, but a search revealed no sign of any submarine.

By HMS Medusa / 28 October 2021

HDML 1186

Madden & Lewis, Sausalito, California, USA 5/4

Known Crew

  • TLt A R Joughin RNZNVR TLt 13/10/42 124th ML Flotilla Commanding Officer HDML 1186 22/4/43
  • TLt F A Bamford RNZNVR TSLt 30/10/42 FS Paris (Plymouth) 124th ML Flotilla HDML 1186 23/2/44 HMNZS Philomel
  • TSLt D C Oram RNZNVR 124th ML Flotilla First Lieutenant HDML 1186 14/5/43 TLt 22/8/44

Wartime Activities

  • Royal New Zealand Navy
  • 124th ML Flotilla
  • 6/9/43 Made an asdic contact while on patrol off Cape Brett and dropped depth-charges, but search revealed no sign of any submarine.
  • 7/45 Based at HMS Philomel

Post War History

  • 5/47 Sold

HDML – Q1185 – Manga (P3567) Laid up 1945. Trans’d to NZ Army as Bombardier. Returned from Army 1959. Fishery protection 1960-74. Transferred to RNZNVR 1974. Converted for Survey mid-late 1970s. Sold 1982.

Left RNZN 1980. Said to be at Kaipara for rebuilding. Owner bought boat ashore and bulldozed.

HMNZS Manga
HMNZS Paea P3552 with HMNZS Mako P 3551 and HMNZS Manga P3567 off North Head

HDML – Q1184 – Paea (P3552) Laid up 1945. Fishery protection 1946-72. Survey 1972-76 Auckland. Reserves 1975-77. Sold 12/84.

HMNZS PAEA

In Picton 2005 being restored to wartime configuration by private owner. Purchased by Keith and Heather in 2008 and brought to Auckland. Now moored at Kauri Point in Auckland and used regularly for pleasure.

Paea in her new life.

HMNZS Q1186, HMNZS Paea Ex Q1184, HMNZS Tarapunga Ex Q1187 alongside HMS Philomel – the original Philomel – HDMLs1184 and Q1187 and Q1186 alongside Philomel

From the archive: Image taken at Devonport Naval Base during WW2 shows a group of Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) with HMNZS Philomel she was used as a patrol launch base from late 1942 to 1945.
L-R: Q1184 – HMNZS Paea, Q1194 – HMNZS Ngapona, Q1192 – HMNZS Maroro, Q1193 – HMNZS Tamure, HMNZS Philomel
Image: ABF 0015

HMNZS Paea P3552 with HMNZS Mako P 3551 and HMNZS Manga P3567 off North Head

HDML – Q1184 – Paea (P3552)
HMNZS Paea Auckland 6/8/1983
Keeping anti nuclear protest boats away from USS Texas

Harbour Defence Motor Launch later reclassed in 1948 as a Seaward Defence Motor Launch

Completed 1943 as HMNZS Q1184
She was built at San Francisco and arrived Wellington onboard Liberty ship Frank Joseph

HMNZS Paea on rocks at Great Barrier

The old and the new… one of the new patrol boats – photo taken from the front deck of Paea.

HDML – Q1348 – Kuparu -(P3563) Laid up 1945. Fishery protection & Survey 1972-84, Christchurch(Lyttleton). Sold 1984.


Fairly heavily rebuilt after collision with Admiralty Steps in mid 80’s. Ended service 1989. Mothballed for museum but not used and sold by RNZN in 2002. Has been rescued from her previous sorry state, extensively renovated and rebuilt and is now back at sea as ML KUPARU.

HDML-Pontoon -Dockyard
Q1190 Parore (P3562) – Q1185 Manga (P3567) – Q1188 Takapu I (P3556) – Q1187 Tarapunga I (P3566) – Q1348 Kuparu (P3563) – Q1184 Paea (P3552)

Kuparu during refit

Wellington man keeps RNZN frigate on course

A former Onslow College student is showing the way to go as Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) frigate HMNZS Te Kaha builds up capability for future missions.

LT Julian Grimmett

25 JUNE, 2024

Lieutenant Julian Grimmett, from Khandallah in Wellington, is the navigating officer on board Te Kaha, which visited Wellington recently.

The navigating officer is a warfare officer of four to seven years’ experience who specialises in navigation. They are responsible for the safe passage and navigation of the ship at sea. 

Lieutenant Grimmett studied Information Technology at Weltec in Petone but realised it wasn’t for him. 

“It wasn’t what I was passionate about. I looked at the police and looked at the Defence Force and applied for both. To coin a phrase, I was looking for better work stories, I wanted something active.”

 He joined the Navy in 2013 and found he really enjoyed the 22-week officer training course.

“You might not appreciate it at the time, but it was really cool.”

Part of the training included a stint aboard training ship Spirit of New Zealand, taking the vessel to Sydney for the Royal Australian Navy’s 100th anniversary.

“It was 10 days over there, in tough seas. It was also my 21st birthday when I was there, so there was a 100-gun salute at the same time, which was pretty nice.”

As Te Kaha’s navigating officer he’s not on bridge ‘watches’, but supervises a small team of bridge watchkeepers.

HMNZ Te Kaha in Wellington

“I work pretty consistently from 8am to 8pm. There’s supervision and a lot of planning in my job. When you come in and out of a harbour like Wellington, you have to plan it out.”

For the Wellington visit, Te Kaha took aboard a CentrePort Wellington pilot to guide the ship to its berth at Queen’s Wharf.

“If a pilot comes on board, we don’t switch off. We have to be trained to fight regardless of circumstances. In a wartime situation a pilot may not be available. We train for visual navigation, and we need to be able do it anywhere in the world.”

He likes the mathematics side of the job.

“I know it’s a bit nerdy to say, but I’ve got a maths brain. Navigation is about triangulation, trigonometry and problem solving. There’s environmental factors, movement of the sun, the stars, the seasons.

 “The other thing I like is the personal skills. I’m the oversight for a small team, as the most experienced watchkeeper on board. I give coaching and advice to younger ones. I’ve previously been an instructor at the navigation training school in Australia.”

Next year Lieutenant Grimmett will further his warfare officer training in the United Kingdom, to qualify as a ship’s Principal Warfare Officer.

“My advice to people thinking about this career is to be open to experiences. I’ve been all around the Pacific and Asia, and made some amazing friends in New Zealand and other countries.

“I did a lot of growing up in my first years in the Navy. It gives you some pretty good life skills.”