[lagerstedt]

Both ships had been stripped of gear and were being made ready for towing to Japan in November 1967.

HMNZS Royalist (penant No 89) started out as HMS Royalist. She was a Bellona class cruiser, which was a modifified Dido design with only 4 turrets and improved AA armament. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Co, Greenock with the keel being laid in March 1942 and commissioned in Sept 1943.
After commissioning Roayalist saw the folowing war time actions:

Sept 1943 - Stationed in British home fleet.
1943 served in Artic Convoys
1944 Served in carrier raids against the "Tirpitz" in Norway.
1944 Order to the Med and served in support of the invasion of southern France (Operation Dragoon) as part of escort carrier squ TF 88.1
Sunk transports KT4 and KT26 of Cape Spatha accompanied by HMS Teaser.
During 1944 she was stationed in Aegean Sea. In late 1944 sea was orderd to the East Indies.
1945 became 21st escort carrier squadron flagship.
In the same year she served in support of the Rangoon landings of operation Dracula. Part of the force that unsuccessfully attempted to intercept the Japanese cruiser and destroyer evacuating troops from the Andaman Islands. Served in support of carrier raids in the East Indies and Surmatra.

Royalist was withdrawn from the East Indies and returned home at the end of hostilities to Naval Reserve duties. In 1954 she underwent a major refit an dwas transfered to the RNZN in late 1956. After 10 years with the RNZN she was returned to the RN and was sold to Nissho Co of Japan and left Auckland for Japan in Dec 1967. At the time I was a sea somewhere and did not see her departure from Auckland. Although she saw war serve with the RNZN she did not fire a shot.
Her Armour was:
Belt: 3 inch thick
Deck: 1 inch thick
Mags: 2 inch thick
Bulkheads: 1 inch thick
Propulsion: Parsons geared turbines, 4 shafts, 4 Admiralty 3 drum boilers, 62,000 shp (46MW) giving 32.25 knots max speed.
Crew: 530

HMNZS Stewel, Not to sure of her details, such a long time ago but she looks like one of the minesweepers used for training.

Regards
Blair
NZ

[Don Meehan]

Hi Blair, the Stawell was a Bathurst-class minesweeper, which, together with her sisters Inverell, Kiama and Echuca was gifted to NZ by the Australians in 1952. I recall the Inverell and Kiama lasted until the ealy 1970's, being used for training as well as fisheries patrol work.
Don

[lagerstedt]

Hi Don.
Ok thanks for that. I remember both the Kiama and Inverell but not the Echuca. I served on the Inverell before going onto the Lauchlan.

The Scottish author Alistair Mclean served on the HMS Royalist during WW11 and used his expeiences as background for his acclaimed first novel HMS Ulysses as well as some of his other novels.

Regards
Blair
NZ

[Robert Fulthorpe]

I was one of a draft to Sydney to prepare Inverell for sea and delivery to the R.N.Z.N. Flown by flying boat to Rose bay. After delivery to Auckland ,the same procedure to prepare Kiama.Crossing the Tasman with Inverell,the only time I was ever sea-sick,the B......d. Geordie.