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Veterans' Pension |
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Veterans' Pension Operation Grapple and Mururoa Veterans who are receiving a War Disability Pension of at least 70% are entitled to apply for a Veterans' Pension, (VP). This is an alternative to National Superannuation and it is administered by WINZ. There are also provisions for those who are under the age of retirement but fit certain health and ability to work criteria to receive a Veterans' Pension. VETERAN PENSION ADVANTAGES. *Tax Surcharges is not applied. *Community Services Card automatically issued. *Pension not reducted to Hospital Rates after 13 weeks. *Spouce may apply for VP. *Lump sum payment made on death of Veteran or Spouce. |
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The Players |
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Fresh Food |
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Still have memories of the trip, particularly trying to replenish our promised "Fresh" food. This had been bought from Auckland Markets almost two weeks earlier, then transported to the RNZN Dockyard, where it was taken out to Whenuapai and loaded onto a Hercules for the flight to Rarotonga (without refrigeration). From the airport it was transported to the port at Avarua, and ferried out by lighter to HMAS Supply, then it underwent a two day trip (in the tropics) by sea to meet us. It was jackstay transfered over to HMNZS Otago. Our "Fresh Food" came aboard over the port side, it was further man-handled through the companionway to the starboard side where we tried to identify the battered remains, then literally "poured" it over the side as it was virtually useless. That was the supply of fresh food that the NZ public were told about by the Government at the time...... No wonder we needed the tot...... Still, as a professional sailor, and not a political protester, (We where told by Mrs Noeline Colman at the 30th Anniversary reunion, there was only one political protester, we only crewed the ships that he used - Ed) I did enjoy the trip and all that came out of it. Kind of makes you discover yourself when the going gets tough. Haydon Ditchburn SCPO X17823 (Rtd) |
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Lt Cdr Gerry Wright RNZN (Rtd) |
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The following is part of an article in "Navy Today" dated June 2005.
The article is written by Lt Cdr Gerry Wright RNZN (Rtd)
" In June 1973, the third Labour Government, lead by Norman Kirk, dispatched HMNZS OTAGO to protest off Mururoa Atoll against the French Government's testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere. In preparing OTAGO for this deployment the dockyard worked overtime to have the frigate, despite her age, as good as she was when new. The gas-tight citadel was better than new. Otago carried three media staff and a Cabinet Minister, the Hon Fraser Coleman, and spent 35 days at sea supported solely by the tanker HMAS SUPPLY.
Her protest attracted world media headlines including the lead spot on the BBC TV 6pm News six days running. In the month of July OTAGO broke not only the monthly record of radio-telephone calls to and from a ship but the annual record too. Mr Coleman nearly took up residence in the Radio Room talking to the world news media. TV clips were regularly dispatched via the tanker SUPPLY to Rarotonga from whence they were flown to NZ.
That was also the first Commonwealth operational deployment of PWOs (Lt Cdr Wright was one of them - Ed). OTAGO was later relieved on station by the then new CANTERBURY after she was withdrawn from her first Pearl Harbour work up."
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HMAS Supply |
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 HMAS Supply was built as a war operations requirement for the RAN as a result of a Government direction in 1951 ordering armed services to prepare for possible mobilisation by 1953. Subsequently the easing of the international situation rendered her employment as a unit of the RAN unnecessary when she was completed in 1955.
The tanker was operated by the British Admiralty with a civilian crew as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary under the name TIDE AUSTRAL from 1955 to 1962. Her service under Admiralty control included various charter periods including two years (1956-58) when she was employed at the Admiralty's discretion, operating in direct payment of a debt incurred for the taking over of Shell Tankers Ltd building berths.
In 1962 the Australian Naval Board decided to add TIDE AUSTRAL to the Australian Fleet and to commission her, contrary to the Royal Navy's practice with oilers, as a White ensign vessel manned by a naval crew. She commissioned (as HMAS TIDE AUSTRAL) at Southampton on 15th August 1962 under the command of Captain Geoffrey V Gladstone, DSC and Bar, RAN. At a ceremony at Portsmouth on 7th September 1962 the ship was renamed SUPPLY. On 1st October 1962 SUPPLY sailed from Portsmouth bound for Sydney, where she arrived on 6th December 1962.
Since joining the Australian Fleet SUPPLY has served as a Fleet Oiler during exercises and training operations, mainly in Australia and New Guinea waters and in the Far East. She underwent a long refit from December 1970 to November 1971. The ship participated in an exercise at Pearl Harbour in September 1972, in which ships of the RAN, USN, US Coastguard, Canadian Armed Forces and RNZN took part.
In February 1973 HMA Ships PERTH, DERWENT and SUPPLY were constituted as a Task Group to make a goodwill cruise of a number of countries bordering the Indian Ocean. After visits by the Task Group to Port Louis, Mauritius and Mombassa, Kenya, SUPPLY detached on 16th March. After visiting Port Victoria, Mahe Island in the Seychelles Group the ship returned to Australia.
During July and August 1973 SUPPLY supported the RNZN Frigates OTAGO and CANTERBURY (the latter after she had relieved OTAGO) which observed the French nuclear tests at Mururoa Atoll.
HMAS Supply was paid off on December 16 1985.
The ship was finally disposed of in 1989 and was rumoured to have been towed to South Korea where she was scrapped.
Type: Fleet Oiler
Displacement: 25,941 Tons (full load)
Length: 583ft 17/8in (overall)
Beam: 71ft 3 3/4in (extreme)
Depth: 40ft 811/16in
Draught: 32ft 1in (full load)
Laid Down: 5th August 1952
Launched: 1st September 1954
Armament (Main): 6 40/60mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns in two
twin and two single mountings.
Builders: Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast
Completed: March 1955
Speed: 17.5 knots (maximum)
Bunkers: 2,100 tons
Complement: 205
Propulsion: Gear turbines - single screw 15,000 SH
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30th Anniversary Reunion 
; "HMAS Supply")