RNZN Ships

HMNZS Fairmile Q405 Later Marlyn

by John
31 May 20242 June 2024

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 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

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.

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.

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 John
31 May 202431 May 2024

HMNZS Fairmile Q404 in the Hauraki Gulf,

HMNZS Fairmiles – Q401, Q 403 and Q 404 and others

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 John
31 May 202431 May 2024

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.

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.

Photograph: Fairmile Q403 underway in Rangitoto Channel, Auckland, circa 1943
Maker
Collins, Tudor Washington (b.1898, d.1970)
Production date
1943?

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.