Cenotaph Stories

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Dick Owen and the Arctic Convoys
Sophie Elborough (COLLECTION TECHNICIAN) & Judy Owen (Volunteer)
Online Cenotaph
Pou Maumahara volunteer Judy Owen shares a story written by her father Malcolm (Dick) Cunningham Owen about his experience in the Arctic Convoys during World War II.
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Echoes across the waves: The Wally Ware story
Sophie Elborough (Collection Technician) and Victoria Passau (Online Cenotaph & Enquiry Services Manager)
Wally Ware served in the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II, witnessing key moments aboard HMNZS Achilles and Gambia. His remarkable experiences, from naval battles to coded letters home, shaped his post-war life as a pioneering farmer and community leader.
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A Family Affair: Intergenerational Service in the Merchant Navy during WWII
Sophie Elborough
COLLECTION TECHNICIAN - RESEARCH SUPPORT
These are the stories of two families whose lives were inseparable from the Merchant Navy. As these siblings, children, and parents served alongside each other during World War II they demonstrated incredible perseverance and their experiences highlight a surprising sense of continuity despite global conflict.
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Lieutenant Commander (Ret) Ralph John McNabb
Victoria Passau, Online Cenotaph & Enquiry Service Manager
Lieutenant Commander (Ret) Ralph John McNabb served in the Royal New Zealand Navy for 46 years between 1973 and 2021. His impressive institutional knowledge is a true asset to New Zealand Naval research.
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80th Anniversary of the Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service
By Hannah Pym and Madison Pine
In celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the establishment of the Women's Royal New Zealand Navy. We have highlighted the many roles of Wrens during the Second World War, and the legacy of their service post-WWII.
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Records of the Fourth Force
Madison Pine
Collection Technician, Research Support
Between November 2021 and February 2022, Online Cenotaph had two dedicated transcribers working on the Records of New Zealand Seamen, also known as the Merchant Navy. Here, we share their work, and our efforts to include this fourth force in Online Cenotaph.
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Dean Anaki and the Merchant Marine
Dr Andrea Low, Associate Curator, Contemporary World
To commemorate Merchant Navy Day Dr Andrea Low interviewed Niuean born, Dean Lupo Anaki about his experience working in the New Zealand Merchant Navy from 1957 until 1973. You can see more of Dean’s story in Tāmaki Herenga Waka – Stories of Auckland.
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Stranded on Emirau
Gail Romano, Associate Curator History
The first large group of New Zealanders taken prisoner during the Second World War were not military personnel but civilians. On Merchant Navy Day, we remember these events in the south Pacific over the turn of 1940-41, as we reflect on the important, risky yet subsequently under-recognised role played by our merchant seamen during the First and Second World Wars.
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Farewell John Arthur Ross
We acknowledge the passing of Merchant Navy man John Arthur Ross (15 May 1925-5 February 2021). John volunteered at Auckland War Memorial Museum since the opening of the Armoury Information Centre in 1996 until his retirement in 2017. He was a stalwart of the Swanson RSA and will be sorely missed.
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Middle East Troopship Convoys 2NZEF 1939-1945
Michael Ward
Public Researcher
When did 2NZEF troopships depart for the Middle East? What course did they follow? What were their ports of call? This information is presented here for the first time by researcher Michael Ward. (Reissued 5 October 2021).
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