Ivan Curd joined the (Royal New Zealand Naval Reserves) RNZNVR as an ordinary seaman under Scheme B provisions. One of the reasons the men were selected for Scheme B was it was considered that they had the ‘right stuff’ to make wartime officers. These men served on all classes of ships but most - along with Ivan - were posted to smaller craft such as minesweepers, motor torpedo boats and motor launches where they were able to use their initiative and also cover a large range of duties. Ivan left New Zealand in December 1940 on board the New Zealand shipping cargo vessel the Rimutaka for the UK.

After initial training at HMS Ganges (Shotley, Suffolk) he spent a year working in corvettes - their main task was to protect convoys throughout the Battle of the Atlantic. Ivan then applied and began officer training at HMS King Alfred. It was here that he graduated as a Lieutenant. After a brief training programme at HMS St Christopher, Ivan began working in the Coastal Forces around the North Sea waters being given command of Fairmile Motor Launches.

He then took passage across the Atlantic to Canada and then was sent down to Bermuda and HMS Malabar via the United States. This was a shore establishment located at Bermuda and Ivan was posted to the Fairmile B type motor launch ML368 which was serving at this base. This was a wartime built motor launch equipped with a 3-pdr gun, two machineguns, and depth charges. He would have spent this time on patrol and possibly some escort work. It was from here he was returned to New Zealand.

Given Ivan’s wartime service overseas with Fairmile motor launches he was posted to HMS Philomel in 1944 where he was in command of Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) until the end of the war. AWMM