- James Laird was the son of John and Elizabeth Boyd Laird; husband of Gwyneth Laird, of Glasgow, Scotland.
  
  Captain James Laird of Scotland , was educated at the Ardrossan Academy and commenced a seafaring career at the age of 15. He was involved in action during World War I with the Royal Navy Reserve and on demobilization took up service with the New Zealand Shipping Company.
  
  Captain J.J. Laird of the 'Turakina', a refrigerated cargo steamer, put up a hopeless but heroic battle in the Tasman Sea on August 20, 1940. The 'Turakina' was crossing the Tasman Sea on her way from Australia to New Zealand to load for the United Kingdom, when she was attacked by the German surface raider 'Orion' and sunk. Captain Laird was one of the thiry-five men killed, twenty survived and became prisoners of war. Captain Laird followed wartime custom, signalling Australia and New Zealand of his attack and giving his position. He defended his ship with only one gun but the 'Turakina' was heavily shelled and finally torpedoed. The ship's last moments were a holocaust.
  
  New Zealand's merchant navy has become a forgotten service of the Second World War. Sailors served with many shipping lines, includingthose that serviced New Zealand ports such as the Union Steamship Company, Shaw Savill and the New Zealand Shipping Company. On the outbreak of war the government took control of all shipping services.
  
  A photograph of the Captain Laird and the officers of the 'Turakina' is displayed at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, exhibit 2 .'Unsung Heroes of Our Merchant Navy', 'Scars on the Heart'. AWMM
- Correction: Captain J.J. Laird referred to in the third paragraph above should read Captain J.B. Laird.
  
  A memorial plaque to commemorate the death of Captain J. B. Laird can be found in the Lookout Point Reserve, Tamar Street, in Oamaru. His vessel Turakina was used to transport frozen meat from Oamaru to the United Kingdom and was attacked and sunk in the Tasman Sea. The Turakina was no match for the heavily armed German commerce raider Orion, under the command of Commander Kurt Weyher.
  
  The Orion, armed with six 5.9-inch guns, one 3-inch gun, six light anti-aircraft guns, and six torpedo tubes, had been operating in New Zealand waters for some time. She was already responsible for the sinking of one vessel, the 13,415-ton Niagara, owned by the Canadian-Australasian Line.
  
  The Orion came across the Turakina in the Tasman Sea approximately 260 miles from Cape Egmont and 400 miles from Wellington. The Turakina was armed with only a single 4.7 inch gun. The Turakina went full steam ahead and turned stern-on to the raider, radioed her position and advised that she was being attacked. Within 20 minutes half of her 56 crew were dead or injured and she was sinking by the stern. A second torpedo slammed into the ship while the crew were abandoning her, causing more deaths. She sank less than two minutes after the second torpedo hit. Captain Laird and 34 of his officers and men died. The raider picked up 21 survivors but one severely injured sailor later died.
  
  Assisted by a flying boat, the HMS Achilles went full speed to the location given by the Turakina, but the search was unsuccessful. The Turakina had been en route from Sydney to Wellington to load frozen meat for England. The Orion continued to harass New Zealand shipping and was, in company of the raider Komet, responsible for the loss of the Holmwood and the Rangitane.
  
  Captain James B Laird left behind four children, the eldest of whom was 12 years old. Public - Fiona - Direct descendant - 16 May 2023 - Thanks to Dunedin Family History Newsletter, Issue 4, April 2008, p.16, and input from Captain Laird's descendants.

Te matenga

Tāpirihia he kōrero ›

Matenga
20 Hereturikōkā 1940 AWMM
Age 45 AWMM
Tasman Sea AWMM
Rā i mate ai
Pakeke i te matenga
Wāhi Mate
Te momo matenga
Killed in Action AWMM
Tuhipoka mō te matenga
Urupā
Ingoa o te urupā
Tohutoro kōhatu urupā
Pānui Matenga
Ingoa maumaharatanga
Tohutoro maumaharatanga

Ngā maumaharatanga

Maumaharatanga

Tāpirihia he kōrero ›

Ingoa maumaharatanga
- Tower Hill Memorial, Trinity Square, London, England AWMM
- Lookout Point Reserve, Tamar Street, Oamaru Public - Fiona - Direct descendant - 16 May 2023 - Information from family; Dunedin Family History Group Newsletter, Issue 4, April 2008, p.16

Rārangi Ingoa Whai Hōnore

Maumahara James Boyd Laird mā te whakatakoto i te papi

Whakatakototia te papi mā 2024

Waiho atu he tuhinga

Waiho atu he poroporoaki, he maumaharatanga ki a James Boyd Laird

Waiho atu he tuhinga

Tāpirihia he kōrero ›

Ngā mātāwai

Tāpirihia he kōrero ›

Hononga ki waho
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
  http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
  Sources Used
- Turakina. Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 47, 23 August 1940, Page 8
  http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19400823.2.101.4&srpos
  Further Reference
- Captain Laird and thirty-three of his officers and men had died in the Turakina, and twenty survivors were prisoners in German hands.
  http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-1Epi-c2-WH2-1Epi-j.html
  Further Reference
- Brian Watson's website. Tower Hill.
  http://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/index.html
  Further Reference
Ngā tuhinga
- The Evening Post AWMM
- Information kindly provided by family AWMM
- Atkinson, N. (2005). Hell or high water : New Zealand merchant seafarers remember the war. HarperCollins in association with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. AWMM

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Auckland, New Zealand

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Portarlington Australia

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