Skip to content

HMNZS Fairmile Q408 Later KARAMANA II & COLVILLE

  • by
Q 408 Fairmile , post war names KARAMANA II & COLVILLE , last report 1985 in Fiji
https://waitematawoodys.com/2013/05/04/karamana-ii/
HMNZS Fairmile Q408 at anchor in the Solomon Islands
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q408 in Auckland Harbour. Port side view of a small warship underway, Q408 on the bow, signal flags flying, land in the background. On the reverse are the notes “1hr” “Q 408”. Auckland, Circa 1943.
Maker
Collins, Tudor Washington (b.1898, d.1970)
Original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q408 in the Hauraki Gulf. Starboard side view of a small warship underway, Q408 on the bow, guns manned, land in the backgrouond. On the reverse in pencil at the top is “8 of 112”. There is a stamp with “Photo by T W Collins, Warkworth” and another with “Copyright Brian Collins, 54 Covil Avenue, Te Atatu”. In red pen at the bottom is “Q408”. Auckland.
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q408 in Auckland Harbour. Port bow view of a small warship underway, Q408 on the bow, signal flags flying, land in the background. On the reverse are the notes “80F 38” and a stamp with “Copyright by Brian Collins, 54 Covil Avenue, Te Atatu”. Auckland, Circa 1943.
Fairmile Q408 – KARAMANA II is a WW II 105 ft Fairmile converted to a pleasure craft circa 1945-46 by the Cadman family powered by 2 x 6-71 GM Detroit diesels, or the Graymarine version of them, & was undoubtedly, the very best pleasure craft Fairmile conversion, I ever saw. From the outside she was, in my view, aesthetically lovely. I took this pic circa1948 on her moorings in Hobson Bay. She was always immaculate & hardly used, Disappeared from there in the early 1950s, & I never saw her again — I think perhaps she may have gone to the Pacific Islands.
Any news anyone has would be great, just email me at kenpat@ihug.co.nzQuoting from Bob McDougall’s epic record “New Zealand Naval Vessels:
ML408 [Built Shipbuilders] sold fire damaged 4/47 to Rylands Ltd but resold and renamed Karamana by Cadmans. ON178439. Private use Auckland. Renamed Colville 1956 Hauraki Gulf whaling tender to 1963 then on to lighthouse and passenger services Auckland. To Fiji for islands trading 1976. Sunk on Tuvuca Reef Tavua north coast of Viti Levu 11/4/79 on voyage Savusava to Lautoka. Salvaged and repaired. Renamed Adi Litia by 1985 for cruises from Nadi.
They were 112′ x 18.2′ x 5’2”.
I preferred them as per original -but lots of deck space. Ngaroma looked good. If there was to be a conversion, Deborah Bay wasn’t too bad. Funnily enough, I thought Kahu -the one that was up harbour looked reasonable.
MV COLVILLE, moored alongside Moko Hinau, captained by Bunty Brown. Vessel described by photographer as a ‘lighthouse tender ex Fairmile and whalechaser. Would roll on wet grass. Known as the chunder bus.’
Photographer’s caption: “MV COLVILLE departs Moko Hinau to return to Auckland; skipper Bunty Brown. The COLVILLE came every two weeks with stores. A very obliging crew. When Charlie Mellows arrived with his family and chooks Bunty let the chooks out in the hold and Charlie’s chooks enjoyed the trip on improvised perch’s from broom and mop handles.”
Murray Williscroft was a lighthouse keeper, who, along with his wife Ventris worked on a number of stations around New Zealand in the 1950s-60s.
MV COLVILLE moored at Tryphena wharf, Great Barrier Island. Photographer’s caption: “Taken at Typhena (sic) Great Barrier Island during a stopover due to bad weather at Moko Hinau. The COLVILLE serviced the Hauraki Gulf lights after the fleet auxiliary HAURAKI finished.”
Murray Williscroft was a lighthouse keeper, who, along with his wife Ventris worked on a number of stations around New Zealand in the 1950s-60s.


Fate -Q408 “Karamana II / Colville”; Gulf Ferry on Gt Barrier service – last reported Fiji 1985.

Uodate from Michael Daneil – Colville sank on Tuvuca reef 1979 but was salvaged and repaired. Sold 1985 and was renamed “Adi Litia” for cruises from Nadi

HMNZS Fairmile Q407 Later Deborah Bay

  • by

An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q407 in the Hauraki Gulf. Port side view of a small warship, Q407 on the bow, crew fallen in abreast of the superstructure. There is a second warship in the background right. On the reverse are the notes “70” “Fairmile Q407” in pencil. Auckland, Circa 1943
RNZN Fairmile Q 407
Royal New Zealand Navy Fairmile launch Q 407, 1943 – 1945
Q407
Q407 “Deborah Bay”; Once owned by Sir Dove-Myer Robinson.
Fate – Some confusion on this one – HMNZS Fairmile Q404/407?? – sold to P. Mason, became private Deborah Bay, ON 178433, Auckland. Sold 1963 and renamed Romanda in 1964, for private, later passenger use. To Fiji 1965 for tourist work, later laid up. Driven ashore in Bay of Islands, Suva during Cyclone Meli 27/3/79. Salvaged and repaired for inter-island trading. Sunk in Cyclone Raja, off Nairai Island, east of Levuka, Fiji 30/12/86, broke in two 1/87 and became a total loss.

HMNZS Fairmile Q405 Later Marlyn

  • by

An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 in Wellington Harbour. Q405 on the bow. Hills in the background. On the reverse are the notes “ML 405 Sept 1943 Wgton Harbour”. The photograph is slightly out of focus. Wellington, 1 Sep 1943
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 in Wellington Harbour. Q405 on the bow, hills in the background. On the reverse are the notes “ML Q 405 Self on bridge Wgtn”. Stamped with “RNew ZealandAF Photograph Crown Copyright Reserved Unit CPS Air Dept Serial No G626 Date 20-10-43”
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 with crew, family and friends at the Devonport Naval Base on Christmas Day. On the reverse in pencil are the notes “Fairmile 405”, “Xmas Day 1943” and a stamp with “Ginders Print”. In pen at the bottom “R E Pugh-Williams top second right” and “ML405”. Devonport, December 1943.
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 approaching berth at the Devonport Naval Base. HMNZS TUI or KIWI on the far side of the wharf on the extreme right, Isles class minesweeper extreme left. Port side view of a small warship approaching berth, crew fallen in on deck, Q405 on the bow. Houses on skyline in the background. On the reverse are the notes “Auckland 1944” “6Y” “Fairmile” “Q 405”. Devonport, 1944
Collins, Tudor Washington (b.1898, d.1970)
Production date
1944
Fairmile Q405,
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q405 approaching berth at the Devonport Naval Base. Starboard quarter view of a small warship approaching berth, Q405 on the stern. Concrete fuel tank in background right. Houses on the skyline. On the reverse are the notes “1944” “66” “Q 405”.
An original black and white photograph of Fairmiles Q405, Q410 and another unidentified Fairmile in Calliope Basin. There is a Castle class minesweeper in the right foreground. There is an inner harbour with several vessels moored inside. In the right foreground is a small area of deck from a larger vessel. In the centre are three identical vessels, sterns out. The first two are identified as “Q405” and “Q410” on the stern. There are two vessels side on behind them and five smaller vessels on the far left. The background shows several buildings on a wharf. On the reverse is a pencilled caption written by museum volunteer Ian Hunter. Auckland, Early 1944.
January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons.
Copied from R.N.Z.N. Official photo.
Commander Dowding with FAIRMILE Q405 ship’s company -January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons.
Commander Dowding with FAIRMILE Q405 ship’s company -January 1944 – Fairmiles of 80th and 81st ML Flotillas R.N.Z.N. fitting out at Devonport (N.Z.) Naval Base prior to departure for Solomons.
Fairmile launch ‘Marlyn’ sunk at SHELLY BAY April 1968

Fairmile launch Marlyn being lifted by floating crane Hikitia at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold.
Fairmile launch Marlyn, under repair at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold.

Fairmile launch Marlyn, under repair at Shelly Bay, Wellington. Photograph taken April 1968 by Martin Berthold

Q405 was the eighth NZ Fairmile built and the third completed by Associated Boatbuilders. After the war it was named “Marlyn” and put into service ferrying cargo between Wellington and Lytellton. It completed approx. 600 trips during 1947-56. It was laid up for a couple of years and then was trialled in a crayfishing venture in Fiji which proved unsuccessful. By 1962 it was in use at Stewart Island as a wharfside coolstore for the fishery. Later it was used for fishing off the Otago coast and finally converted to a trawler and operated at Chatham Islands, from where it had returned to Wellington by 1968. After the Wahine storm it was salvaged by floating crane and hauled out on a slipway at Shelly Bay with the intention of repair. There are four colour photos that can be viewed on the NatLib archives site which show the recovery and damage. It must have been later assessed as beyond repair because in 1969 is was towed to Whakatahuri in the Marlborough Sounds where it was stripped and burnt.

HMNZS Fairmile Q404 Later Wailana

  • by

HMNZS Fairmile Q404 in the Hauraki Gulf,
HMNZS Fairmiles – Q401, Q 403 and Q 404 and others 
Q404
HMNZS Fairmile Q404 crew

HMNZS Fairmile Q404 on patrol

Fairmile Q404 being overflown by a Harvard aircraft, 1943

Fate – Some confusion on this one – HMNZS Fairmile Q404/407?? – sold to P. Mason, became private Deborah Bay, ON 178433, Auckland. Sold 1963 and renamed Romanda in 1964, for private, later passenger use. To Fiji 1965 for tourist work, later laid up. Driven ashore in Bay of Islands, Suva during Cyclone Meli 27/3/79. Salvaged and repaired for inter-island trading. Sunk in Cyclone Raja, off Nairai Island, east of Levuka, Fiji 30/12/86, broke in two 1/87 and became a total loss.

HMNZS Fairmile Q403 Later Tiare

  • by


First Fairmile built in NZ at Lidgard/Bailey boat builders St Marys Bay being launched ML 403 on 29/9/1942 All the materials where imported from the UK and boat builders where limited to 5% profit by NZGovernment. Date on caption on photo is incorrect.Many of them became work boats and ferries around Auckland after ww2.
Fate – ML 403 was sold to R.T.R Williams of Tauranga who converted it into the fishing and ferry boat”Tiare”. By 1952 a victim of poor maintenance it deterioated badly. In 1955 was sailed to Raglan to have its engines and fittings removed. The hull lay empty and abandanded until 1957 when it was beached and rotted away.
ML403’s launching
HMNZS Fairmiles – Q401, Q403 and Q404 and others
Fairmile B class patrol craft ML403 underway during exercises with HMNZS Leander and RNZAF Harvard planes c1940s.
An original black and white photograph of Fairmile Q403 in the Hauraki Gulf. Port side view of a small warship, Q403 on the bow, crew fallen in abreast of the superstructure. There is a second warship in the background right. On the reverse are the notes “70” “Fairmile Q403” in pencil. Auckland, Circa 1943.
HMNZS Fairmile Q403 at sea June 1943.
Photograph: Fairmile Q403 underway in Rangitoto Channel, Auckland, circa 1943
Maker
Collins, Tudor Washington (b.1898, d.1970)
Production date
1943?
Q403 Gunnery practice
Fairmile B class patrol craft ML403 underway during exercises with HMNZS Leander and RNZAF Harvard planes c1940s.
HMNZS Fairmile Q403
This special alloy CW engine remained in 2007, but had been removed by 2011

Fate – HMNZS Fairmile Q403 – sold 3/47 to RTR Williams, named Tiare, ON 178418, ferry and excursion fishing, Tauranga, 1947-52. Sold c. 1955, strippedat Raglan 1956-57, engines and fittings to the 27m yacht, Hamilton 1958. Hull beached at Paritata Point, Raglan Harbour, 1957 and abandoned.