Commentary broadcast from Aotea Quay on the arrival in Wellington of the aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable on a tour of New Zealand with HMS Wizard and HMS Urchin in Nov - Dec 1945.
Part 1:
The commentator describes the scene down on the quay – a beautiful day in Wellington. Fast approaching the wharf is HMS Indefatigable. He gives brief statistics of the ship: 32,000 tonnes, of the Indomitable class, built at Clydebank in 1939. She is being escorted by two destroyers and is attended by two tugs. He continues to describe the ship in detail and set the scene as the ship approaches. Sailors are visible on the deck, standing at ease. The commentator says the ship is 766ft long, listed as capable of 32 knots, she draws 31ft. Bringing her into Wellington is a matter of pride, although she is not the largest vessel ever accommodated there. That accolade goes to the Aquitania, which is 902ft long. It is no easy task to bring a ship of this size alongside. Aircraft carriers are built with gun swansons, liferafts and plane cranes protruding and therefore must be brought alongside very gently.
There are 1,893 men aboard. They are lined up along the edge of the vessel. The two destroyers carry a total of 888 – altogether just under 3,000 men visiting Wellington today.
The flag visible is the pennant of Vice-Admiral Philip Vian, second in command of the British Pacific fleet. The commentator gives a brief history of Vian’s illustrious naval career.
The ship is much closer now. There are hundreds of people down on the wharf to see the vessel. The commentator describes the guns he can see; 4.5 guns at the front, anti-aircraft guns amidships and aft more 4.5s. The wings of the aircraft are obscured by the men on deck.
The band can be heard in the background.
The flight deck makes it look unlike any other ship. A gun sounds – the commentator says this is the gun to launch the heaving line. He continues to describe the ship; it does not carry sufficient life rafts to accommodate all of the personnel aboard. Instead it is equipped with Carley floats, which can be seen hanging amidships. Above them is a platform with multiple anti-aircraft guns. The bridge contains a lot of people. The radar aerial can be seen above the bridge, with the crows-nest below it. He comments that there is nobody in the crows-nest and it is probably not often needed any more.
The bridge is on the far side of the vessel and can’t be seen very clearly from the commentator’s vantage point. The band can’t be seen but can be heard. He comments that today is a far cry from the pioneering sailing ships that were in this harbour only a century ago.
The commentator explains that HMS Indefatigable is the sixth ship of the Royal Navy to carry that name. The first was built in 1784. The fifth of the name was at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, and was blown up.
Part 2:
The commentator continues the history of the HMS Indefatigable. She was in the Indian Ocean for the first part of her career, and later was involved in the final attack on Japan. Some of her pilots flew over Japan to identify prisoner of war camps and dropped packages of supplies to them. Perhaps the proudest moment in her career so far was the day she lay in Tokyo Bay for the official Japanese surrender.
The ship is coming in very slowly and is not much closer. The only thing that strikes the eye is the immovable line of men on deck, with no waving or cheering. Captain Petersen [sp?], the harbourmaster, is just below the top bridge. The commentator spots him. He has the responsibility of bringing the ship in. From Aotea Quay, the commentator cannot see anything from Ngauranga right around to Shelly Bay; he says this to give a sense of the size of the ship that it obscures so much of the view. He says there is a lot of new equipment on board that he is unable to describe, but reminds the listeners that the ship will be open to the public and those on board will be able to tell them about it. The destroyers cannot be seen from his vantage point. HMS Wizard is commanded by Capt. R. H. Hodgkinson, and HMS Urchin is commanded by Capt. D. R. N. Murdoch. The Indefatigable is commanded by Capt. I. A. P. MacIntyre.
Before returning to the studio, the commentator advises that the ships will be here for several days as part of an extensive tour and the men intend to see and experience Wellington. When they leave it will be for Queen Charlotte Sound, from where the planes will visit all the airbases of New Zealand. The ships will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday.
The gangways are being readied by shoreside Navy personnel now. The commentator says he expects it will be a long time before the ship comes alongside, so will close the broadcast. He ends by saying “Wake up, Wellington, the Navy’s here!”