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OBITUARY : BILL BROKENSHAW
We are sad to report that Bill
Brokenshaw passed away peacefully on the 13 September 2011 after a
lengthy illness. Bill was one of our founding members and his long
drive from Whangarei to Levin to attend our meetings, with his wife
Freda, showed his dedication to the club activities. At this time we
offer our deepest condolences to Freda and family and take some
consolation that we can still see and hear Bill on our DVD of the
2008 waterfront celebration.
UK : Merchant Navy
Records Go Online
One million 20th century Merchant Navy seamen records are going
online for the first time ever. When asked what the Merchant Navy
was, 54% of the British population couldn’t answer correctly, even
though almost 90% have heard of it. This is a sad fact considering
the Merchant Navy was integral to putting Britain on the trade and
industry world map and were named by Churchill as Britain’s ‘fourth
service’. The revelation comes as
www.findmypast.co.uk, a
leading UK family history website, publishes these fascinating
records online in partnership with The National Archives.
Though these records do not cover the war time period, the Merchant
Navy supported the Royal Navy during times of conflict, including
WW1 and WW2. During these wars the Merchant Navy suffered heavy
losses from German U-boat attacks. Official recognition of the
sacrifices made by merchant seamen throughout history has taken
place every 3rd September, with the Annual Merchant Navy Parade and
Reunion taking place in Trinity Gardens, Tower Bridge, London on the
closest Sunday.
The Merchant Navy Seamen records are the only set of their kind
available online and have been published in association with The
National Archives. The records show that the seamen who made up the
Merchant Navy not only came from the UK, but from every continent,
with large numbers from across English-speaking world (notably the
maritime provinces of Canada), from the West Indies and Sierra
Leone, and from Scandinavia, Somaliland, China and Japan. There are
even some seamen from landlocked Switzerland.
You can search these records at
www.findmypast.co.uk/search/merchant-navy-seamen
OBITUARY : LEN BURTON
Sadly, we have to advise that
our highly respected club member Leonard (Len) Martin Burton passed
away peacefully in Palmerston North hospital on Friday 29 July 2011.
Len, who was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, served on
escort carrier HMS Activity (D94) sailing on convoys JW58 ,
RA58 and RA59 to the North Russian ports during WW2 . Our deepest
condolences go to Mary and her extended family at this time .
OBITUARY : SYD SIMPSON
It is with regret that we have to advise that our
shipmate, Syd Simpson (SS Atlantic) of Bulls passed away suddenly on
the 27 March 2011. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife,
Melva, and family at this time.
CHRISTMAS 2010 FUNCTION HELD AT LEVIN RSA
The Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand held its
annual gathering at the Levin RSA on Thursday 25 November 2010.
Unfortunately,
the Club's president Chris King was unable to attend due to a nasty
dose of the flu. This was the second event Chris had missed during
the past 16 years. Derek Whitwam welcomed members and read a message
from Chris.
A moments silence was observed in remembrance of Club member Ken
Johnson who passed away in October and for the 29 West Coast coal
miners who tragically lost their lives during the past week.
Russian Ambassador to New Zealand H.E.
Andrey Tatarinov
spoke of the continuing good relationship between the Embassy and
the Club whilst his wife Natasha gave a short account of her recent
visit to her family in Russia. Commodore Ross Smith of the Royal New
Zealand Navy discussed the the operations of our latest Offshore
Patrol Vessel's ( OPV's) HMNZS Otago and HMNZS Wellington recent
deployments. The President of the Wellington branch of the Merchant
Navy Association Ian Dymock also spoke. Life Member, Rear Admiral
(Ret) Ian Hunter gave a talk on his visit last year to Norway and
the differences he found between a visit he made whilst attending
the Naval College at Dartmouth and today, especially the horrendous
prices in spite of, or because of, the billions of US dollars the
country receives in oil revenues.
After a warming tot the meeting proceeded to lunch and some
socialising.
OBITUARY : STAN KIRKPATRICK
27 June 2010
It is with deepest regret I have to
report that Stan Kirkpatrick (MN) passed away in Dunedin Hospital on
Sunday morning 27 June 2010. Stan did have some health
problems but as reported in our newsletter he really made a great
effort in arranging a special occasion for medal recipients in his
area.
Stan first served as an apprentice in 1942 aboard the SS Baron
Inchcape and later made many sea journeys, before retiring as a
Merchant Navy Master, in various ships. He did not go to Murmansk,
but on his first trip to sea as a young lad fresh out of school his
ship took Russian bound war cargo to the Persian Gulf (Convoy ONS
154). Stan was awarded the first and subsequent Russian campaign
medals.
I have passed condolences from our Club to Stan’s son Robin who told
me how much Stan had appreciated the contact over the years. A good
friend has gone but ‘We will remember him’.
NEW ZEALAND TRADE MINISTER CITES ARCTIC CONVOYS AS
LONGSTANDING RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPS INTO FREE TRADE
Asia-Pacific Trade and Economic Integration:
Strategic Opportunities for Russia and New Zealand
Hon Tim Groser, New Zealand's Minister of Trade in addressing the New Economic School, Moscow
Monday 31 May
2010
On the 9th of May each year, a small group of now elderly men gather
before a memorial plaque on the waterfront of Wellington, New
Zealand's capital. They are joined there by staff from Russia's
Embassy and senior representatives from New Zealand's Defence Force.
Each year the numbers are necessarily fewer, yet each year the
occasion is more significant. These men are the survivors of the New
Zealanders who took part in the Arctic convoys between 1941 and
1945. Through their service and through their personal sacrifices,
they helped to keep open the critical supply links between Russia
and its wartime allies.
That commemoration is a reminder of the events that led to the
establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Russia and New
Zealand, 66 years ago. It was the reality of a wartime alliance that
led the two countries to formalise their relationship. For New
Zealand as a small country, it has always been important to be in
touch with the thinking of one of the world's major powers.
Today, building on earlier discussions between Foreign Minister
Lavrov and the NZ Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr McCully, Russia's
Minister of Economic Development, Elvira Nabiullina, and I reached
agreement to begin laying the groundwork for formal commencement of
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with Russia, joined by its
partners under the Customs Union, Kazakhstan and Belarus.
If our two Governments can bring this to a successful conclusion, I
have no doubt that this will later be seen as the most important
step forward in bilateral ties between NZ and Russia since the
establishment of diplomatic relations all those decades ago ...
Full text is available here:
http://feeds.beehive.govt.nz/speech/asia-pacific+trade+and+economic+integration+strategic+opportunities+russia+and+new+zealand
... but the main game will be the bigger strategic
advantage. As the negotiation now passes to agencies, my main hope
is that this high level consideration will continue to drive the
negotiation so that it becomes the next significant milestone in 66
years of diplomatic relations that grew out of the service of New
Zealanders in the Arctic convoys
OBITUARY : CHARLIE GREY
15 April 2010
It is with deep regret that we have to advise the
passing of Charlie Gray one of the founder members of our present
Convoy Club . Charlie died yesterday morning, 15 April 2010, in
Australia . He served in the Merchant Navy aboard SS El Almirante
during the Russian Convoy campaign. He was also a noted wire rope
craftsman and the club has presented many of his "Turks Heads" to
guests of the club from time to time. Charlie was always a loyal
supporter of our club and appreciated the cooperation of successive
Ambassadors of the Russian Federation in New Zealand . Our deepest
condolences go out to his family at this time of grief.
OBITUARY : FAY PURDON
31 January 2010
We very much regret to record that Fay Purdon,
George Purdon's wife, passed away on 3l January 2010. George and Fay
lived at Tairua in the Bay of Plenty. George served on HMS Kenya
during the Arctic campaign. We know all members will wish to extend
to George and his family our sincere sympathy in their sad loss.
OBITUARY : JOHN MCLAUGHLIN
12 January 2009
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It is with regret that we have to advise the
sudden passing of John McLaughlin on 12 July 2009.
John was one of our founding members and was our liaison
with the Levin RSA arranging our meetings there several
times a year. John was a crew member of HMS Nigeria when she
was struck by two torpedoes from an Italian submarine in the
Mediterranean. HMS Nigeria was also prominent in operations
in Arctic and Norwegian waters in addition to participating
in Russian convoys. John will be sadly missed by members and
our thoughts go out to his friends and family at this time.
Smooth sailing and calm seas John. Rest in Peace.
|
RUSSIA'S NATIONAL DAY - 2009
A representative number of Russian Convoy
members were among guests invited by the Russian Ambassador
attending the celebrations held at the InterContinental Hotel in
Wellington, on the occasion of Russia's National Day and the 65th
anniversary of the establishment of Russia-New Zealand Diplomatic
Relations. In his speech Ambassador Andrey Tatarinov,
spoke about Russia's progress since Federation and also
mentioned the sacrifices made by servicemen and women during the
Arctic Convoys between 1941-1945. The Hon. Mrs Georgina Te
Heuheu QSO, replied on behalf of the New Zealand Government.
RUSSIA'S
NATIONAL DAY - 2008
A
large gathering took place at the Skyline restaurant in downtown
Wellington on 12 June 2008 to celebrate Russia’s National Day.
Representing the NZ Government was the Hon. Darren Hughes, MP for Otaki and Minister of Statistics whilst the Hon. Murray McCully MP
represented the Official Opposition. In addition to 13 members of
the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand and their partners there was
a large group of Wellington Russian Club members (www.wellingtonrussianclub.org.nz).
In taking up the rostrum H.E. Mikhail Lysenko, who is to leave New
Zealand shortly at the end of his term of office, spoke movingly of
his time here, the wonderful scenery, the food and most of all the
friends he had made both inside and out of the diplomatic circles.
He was particularly proud of the growing friendship and cooperation
in a wide circle of areas between our two countries. He concluded
with a toast to HM Queen Elizabeth 2, Queen of New Zealand.
Replying to the Ambassador, Caroline Forsyth, Deputy Secretary of
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, spoke highly of the
Ambassadors’ outgoing personality and cheerfulness and the ties,
culturally and economically, which have been formed increasingly
over the past four years between our countries. Ms. Forsyth closed
with a toast to the Government and the peoples of the Russian
Federation.
Photo shows members
of the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand gathered at the function.
MEDAL PRESENTATION IN CHRISTCHURCH
On
Thursday 17 April 2008 a medal presentation took place at a local
Christchurch RSA when Chris King, President of the RCCNZ, presented
the Russian 60th anniversary medal to Mr Robert Powell, of
Christchurch, who served on HMS Dasher and HMS London during the
Arctic campaign of 1941-45. Approximately thirty Arctic veterans,
wives, partners and friends attended the ceremony. Chris' great
grandson, Jayden, handed the medal over to Mr Powell. Chris spoke to
the gathering after being introduced by Doug Gooday, Convoy Club
convenor in Christchurch. The President of the RSA spoke and later
produced a shot of vodka for each person present. The Russian
Ambassador, Mikhail Lysenko had asked Chris to do the presentation
on his behalf. He sent his best regards and friendly good wishes to
all present. Mr Bob Powell expressed his grateful thanks for the
presentation.
RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR STRENGTHENS TIES
At the pre-Christmas lunch meeting of the Convoy
Club, held in Levin on 22nd November 2007, guests included the
Russian Ambassador, Mikhail Lysenko, who spoke of the pleasure it
always gave him to join in and socialise with club members and to
promote the strengthening of ties between the peoples of New Zealand
and Russia.
The Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral David Ledson, sent his apologies as
he was away in Papua New Guinea, but Captain Eric Riordan attended
on Admiral Ledson's behalf and gave an illustrated presentation of
the New Zealand Navy's present situation and future objectives. He
praised the actions of all those involved in the Arctic campaign,
Merchant Service and Navy, and emphasised that the Convoy Club
continued to play an important part in ensuring that New Zealanders,
of all ages and backgrounds, are able to learn about and appreciate
what it meant to keep the supply lines to the northern ports of the
Soviet Union open during a time of war. Capt Riordan was warmly
applauded for his remarks and the information and statistics he
shared relating to today's New Zealand Navy.
A full report of the meeting will be published in the next
newsletter, due out before March 2008. Club President Chris King
expressed his wishes to everyone for a happy and peaceful Christmas
and requested that at this time we should remember all those
families whose loved ones have 'crossed the bar' and cannot share
this Christmas time as we survivors can.
Russian Convoy Club members are facing revolutionary times.
After
riding the wild Artic seas in an assortment of trawlers, corvettes
and other spare naval ships during World War II the veterans have
lately discovered surfing the internet. They now have a new way to
keep in touch and share information through their own website.
The new website was announced to the members of the club at their
August meeting at the Levin Returned Services Association. The
club’s national president Chris King said the website would serve as
a means for members to share their experiences and stories of what
they went through during World War II. Mr King said the site has
been designed and created by member Derek Whitwam with his son David
Whitwam.
“I am really delighted with it,” Mr King said. “I have put in an
account of what life was like in those unnatural years in the navy.
I think everyone should put in a few short stories too.”
Mr King said the Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Mikhail Lysenko
had been the catalyst for the website when he had shown him and some
other members of the club the embassy’s site and suggested they have
one of their own. Mr Lysenko who was at the meeting said having a
website “is a revolutionary event” for the members of the club. “I
am very delighted and glad they have launched a website,” Mr Lysenko
said.
“Many of them are elderly and can’t travel. “Now they can look at
the website and just click.”
As well as keeping the far-flung community together the website also
opened up a range of possibilities for the members to archive and
store their history on-line. “Each of them have their own small
archive – now with this virtual library this information will be
preserved for future generations,” Mr Lysenko said.
He asked club members to put anything they thought might be
interesting on the website. “I think 10 megabytes is a huge memory,”
Mr Lysenko said. “I will suggest that you contribute not only short
stories but documents, letters, reprints of old photos. “This is a
great resource – not only for you and your families – but for
researchers as well.”
Story courtesy: The Daily Chronicle
Photo above: Members of the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand
gather at the RSA Clubrooms, Levin, New Zealand to hear an address
by Russian Ambassador H.E. Mikhail Lysenko during October 2007.
Royal New Zealand Navy : 66th Anniversary
Address given by Chris King, President, Russian Convoy Club of New
Zealand at Old St Paul’s, Wellington on 30 September 2007
Birthdays are always a special time, a gathering perhaps of families
and friends – in exactly three days I will be marking my own 85th
birthday with my family. The New Zealand Navy is a special family,
imbued with the spirit of close-knit comradeship and working very
much as a highly skilled team, from the top senior ranks to the
newest member.
For me and my veteran generation this comradeship existed in our own
Navy days, especially on board ship where we had to rely on each
member of the crew for the safety of our vessel. There are some
differences between today’s Navy and the wartime navy in which we
found ourselves. On a recent visit to the new tactical role vessel
HMNZS Canterbury, I found the ship’s ladders are much steeper now
than they were sixty six years ago! The sophisticated GPS equipment
and other modern devices, not available in our time, must surely
assist with safety at sea, but always, as in the past, safety means
each and every crew member doing his or her job efficiently.
We should not dwell in the past, but if there are lessons to be
learnt then it sometimes pays to look back. Probably the main lesson
– although still not fully learnt, is the utter futility of war, the
waste of lives and the devastating effect on the families of those
who do not survive. The late Denis Glover, New Zealand poet, author
and wartime sailor, visited Russia after the war – he had served in
the Arctic convoy campaign – and spoke to a group of Russian women
about the terrible loss of millions of Russian service personnel in
wartime. One elderly lady stepped forward and said two million or
twenty million is a huge number to lose, but is it too much or too
little to lose even one son ? The resilience of the Russians in
those war years was outstanding. Today Russian Convoy veterans enjoy
unqualified respect and loyalty from the Russian Ambassador and
Embassy staff.
Way back in 1890, an American Admiral, Alfred Mahan, said that sea
power – the merchant marine – was essential for maritime nations and
that sea force - the Navy - was needed to protect that. The first
and second world wars have underscored the truth of that statement.
At the start of World War II Royal Navy resources were stretched to
the limit both in ships and personnel. Civilians volunteered to go
and fight, or were conscripted, not knowing how their lives would be
changed. From New Zealand, by war’s end, seven thousand men had
served with the Royal Navy, 451 were lost, 134 were wounded or
captured. 700 New Zealand women served in the Womens Royal Naval
Service, the WRNS
The first wartime priority for the Navy was protection of the sea
lanes, ensuring delivery of vital supplies. The convoy system –
groups of merchant ships with naval escorts - was based on the
principle of collective security. Independent sailings without any
protection proved unsuccessful, except in the case of the high speed
Atlantic crossings by the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.
Many hard pressed convoys of merchant ships sailed the Atlantic,
with sometimes very little naval cover. Destroyers were at a premium
and corvettes, originally designed for a coastal protection role
round the British Isles, were soon utilised for deep sea service,
and acquitted themselves well. Guns crews, DEMS (Defensively Armed
Merchant Ships) gunners, were also put on some merchant ships, a
perilous occupation, but they were respected by the merchant marine
which gladly accepted the extra protection.
Following the German attack on Russia in 1941, the Arctic passage to
Murmansk and Archangel was used by the allies for shipping war
supplies to North Russia. This was said to be the most lethal of all
wartime convoy routes, not just because of the threat from enemy
capital ships like the Tirpitz, or from U-boats, air bombardment, or
the unseen threat from sea mines, but also because of the storms,
the fogs and the freezing cold, unbelievably bad in those sea areas.
For the merchant ships, American, British, Russian and other
nationalities, the arctic run was particularly hazardous. In
peacetime the merchant seaman made his living sailing the sea lanes
of the world with storms and accident the main worry. But in
wartime, sea routes were sailed with the frightening knowledge that
at any time the ship may be attacked and sunk with often little
possibility of survival. The fact that merchant seamen carried on,
with single-minded determination, in the face of such threats, has
earned our everlasting admiration. I have always respected my
merchant navy colleagues who contributed so much to the final
victory.
As close naval escorts for the arctic convoys, we knew and had seen
at first hand what could happen, but could never guarantee complete
protection for a convoy spread out across four miles of ocean. Our
priority was to get the valuable supplies of war material through to
the Russians who were fighting for survival on the Eastern front.
And as we escorting ships zigzagged, first away from the ships in
convoy and then back towards them, with our asdics tuned to pick up
any sound of a u-boat, the merchant ships ploughed implacably on at
6 or 7 knots, their crews always conscious of the unseen perils.
There was also the formidable task of rounding up any stragglers to
try to guide back inside the protective screen formed by the naval
vessels.
It is hard to describe the conditions or one’s emotions in an enemy
attack at sea, 60 torpedo bombers in four waves, flying in low over
the water and heading straight for the convoy – and this after an
attack by high level bombers and then the screaming dive bombers,
specially fitted with sirens to demoralise a ship’s crew with their
sinister sound. And always the threat of a u-boat to send a ship and
its valuable cargo to the bottom of the sea, or to pick off an
unsuspecting escort. Winston Churchill said “the only thing that
really frightened me during the war was the u-boat peril.” Of a
total of forty outward convoys on the Russian run, comprising in
total 811 ships, 87 vessels were lost. By way of comparison the
somewhat less heavily defended Atlantic convoys lost a total of 5000
ships over five years, two-thirds of them through u-boat attacks.
Casualties among allied merchant seamen were in the tens of
thousands and proportionately higher than among any of the armed
services.
The infamous arctic Convoy PQ 17 which sailed in June 1942, suffered
enormous losses when, because of an unfounded threat from enemy
surface battleships, the convoy was ordered to scatter and the
escorts were withdrawn from their protective role. As a result the
next convoy, PQ 18, one of those I was involved in, did not sail
until September 1942. It was the most heavily defended in terms of
naval protection, but was also the most heavily attacked. Even then,
out of a convoy of 40 merchant ships we lost 13. We had an aircraft
carrier with the convoy, for the first time, for much needed air
cover. The enemy lost 41 aircraft, such were the defences of the
convoy. The voyage of PQ 18 represented an important milestone in
the story of the Arctic convoys, and probably a lesson in strategy.
Never again would such massed attacks be launched against a convoy.
None of the escorts for PQ 18 were lost, but my own ship, HMS
Bluebell, bore several shrapnel scars, and a damaged sea boat, as
evidence of the attacks and rough weather we had encountered. It
subsequently succumbed to a torpedo.
There were times in the frequent arctic gales, with 60’ waves and
heavy icing, when it seemed impossible that any ship could survive,
but most stood up to the stresses and strains remarkably well and
there could be no turning back. Safety of the ship was important and
stopping to pick up survivors could jeopardise protection of the
convoy. Nevertheless sometimes the rules were broken out of a sense
of humanity.
On other battle fronts, in the Mediterranean, North Africa, Sicily,
and in Normandy and the Pacific, the Royal Navy, with its allies,
played its part. But Navy life afloat in wartime was not always
fraught with danger or disaster and the times spent anchored in
Naples Bay, safe and secure, with blue skies, sunshine and calm blue
sea made the war seem miles away.
Discipline under fire and a sense of loyalty to the Navy, just being
a sailor, helped us through the war years, and I have been grateful
for that learning experience.
Now although the sea battles may long be over, and I pray the New
Zealand Navy is never called upon to use its ships in such
circumstances, the memory of those who fought lives on. We veterans
are the survivors. We came back. We have our families, our children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We have been blessed with
these many years of Peace and, although our numbers may be
decreasing now, I am privileged to have enjoyed the friendship of my
fellow veterans and those guiding the present New Zealand Navy and
all it stands for. There are those other shipmates who fought the
continual battle against the elements and the enemy and have not
returned. We can never forget them.
An island nation such as New Zealand Aotearoa, will always need its
Navy ships, even if there are no perceived threats against us. The
people of this country, can, I know, have confidence in their Navy
and the Defence Force generally, keeping the respect of other
nations in upholding the tradition of freedom and justice which is
so much a part of our heritage.
To conclude I would like to quote the late Commander John Holm, RNR,
DSC of New Zealand and one time commander of the Flower Class
corvette HMS Crocus. Referring to the Atlantic where vital life
lines were established, maintained and protected, he said “The
Atlantic does not weep as well it should for the lives and the ships
lost in the war. But every day across its surface hundreds of ships
bells toll, ringing away the time for a better tomorrow, modelled on
the international comradeship of the sea. Dear dead wartime sailor,
sleeping there below, ask not for whom the bells toll, they toll for
thee”.
Today in this beautiful church of Old St Paul’s, I salute all those
who have been, or are, in any way connected with the sea and the
ships which sail over its surface. May every future year continue to
mark another birthday anniversary for the Royal New Zealand Navy.
Chris King
30 September 2007
Photo above shows the National President of
the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand, Chris King, with Rear
Admiral David Ledson, ONZM, Royal New Zealand Navy. Photo credit:
Cnews at www.cnews.co.nz
GRIM ARCTIC CONVOYS
REMEMBERED
(First published in "Leading Lights"
Vol.4 No.4 in July 2007 and reprinted here with permission)
One of the grimmest, but most valuable, campaigns of World War 2
was remembered on the Wellington waterfront in May on the 62nd
anniversary of the end of the war in Europe.
In Frank Kitts park, before a plaque unveiled two years ago, the
bravery and ordeals of New Zealanders and others involved in the
Arctic convoys of 1941-45 were remembered by representatives of
ex-servicemen's organisations, the Navy and Russian governments and
the City.
The Arctic convoys carried armaments and other supplies from Britain
to the North of Russia, helping that country resist , and later roll
back, Hitler's armies.
Wellington's Mayor, Kerry Prendergast, said the fact that the
campaign was successful against the odds spoke highly of the men who
sailed the ships.
" The conditions were appalling as ships and their crews faced
storms, ice, mines, U-boats and air attacks as well as the threat of
surface attack ... The plaque here ... is a constant reminder of the
significance of the Arctic campaign."
The President of the Russian Convoy Club of New Zealand, Chris.
King, said veterans present were the survivors. "We have our
families, our children and grandchildren, a precious legacy I'm sure
we have tried to protect and enjoy.
But there are those other shipmates who also fought that continual
battle against the elements and the enemy and have not returned but
with their ships lie fathoms deep in the waters of the Arctic area.
It is to those shipmates we give thought to today ."
Wreaths were laid by the Russian Ambassador, Mikhail Lysenko ;
Rear-Admiral Ian Hunter of the Royal New Zealand Returned and
Services Association; Navy veteran Derek Whitwam and Sydney Simpson
representing the Merchant Navy, together on behalf of the Russian
Convoy Club veterans and by Bill Brokenshaw from Whangarei.
Others taking part in the ceremony included the Minister of
Veterans' Affairs, Rick Barker, Captain Ross Smith and Commodore
David Anson of the Royal New Zealand Navy; Merchant Navy Association
president Ian Dymock and Wellington RSA president David Maloney.
Reply to Ambassador's Speech by Warren Searell, Chief of
Protocol, New Zealand Government
14 June 2007
Your Excellency,
Honourable David Cunliffe, Minister of Immigration, who is
Representing the Government today;
Judith Collins, Member of Parliament, Representing the Official
Opposition;
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen.
E nga mana, Nga Reo, E Nga Karanga maha, Kua
hui mai I tenei ra, Tena koutou katoa.
It is my honour to reply to the Ambassador of the
Russian Federation His Excellency, Mr Mikhail Lysenko, on behalf of
the New Zealand Government. It is a special pleasure to join you in
celebrating Russia’s National Day today. Your Excellency, we
appreciate that the seventeen years since Russia’s adoption of the
Declaration on State Sovereignty have not always been easy.
Nevertheless, Russia’s achievements over the period have been
impressive.
Thank you Your Excellency for sharing your insight
on the development of Russia and New Zealand’s relationship. Our
friendship is one that spans the political, economic and cultural
spheres, and has seen considerable activity over the past twelve
months. The recent Foreign Ministry consultations held in Moscow
provided an opportunity to review the bilateral relationship and
discuss how New Zealand and Russia can enhance cooperation between
our Foreign Ministries. It was a chance to reaffirm the closeness of
our views in a wide-range of international issues.
I support the Ambassador’s comments about the
importance of people-to-people contacts and cultural exchanges. Such
exchanges are an excellent means of sharing our respective cultures.
This contact has helped to strengthen the bilateral relationship and
cement new connections. We are working to further improve visitor
flow between our two countries. Actually I am rather proud of the
fact that my Father engaged in some people-to-people contact when he
served as a gunner on Royal Navy destroyers in the early 1940’s
escorting supply convoys through the North Sea to Murmansk.
New Zealand is committed to deepening its trade
and economic relationship with Russia. Our Minister of Agriculture
met with the Leningrad Region delegation during their visit in April
and discussed opportunities for further economic cooperation. We
anticipate that Russia’s entry into the WTO will provide an
excellent platform for the further development of bilateral trade
between our two countries. All these exchanges have resulted in an
active twelve months and New Zealand looks forward to maintaining
this positive momentum. We hope that high-level visits will
continue.
Your Excellency, I acknowledge your compliment
about New Zealand rugby, however when it comes to tennis Russia
certainly reigns. New Zealand may have McCaw and Mauger on the rugby
field but Russia has Safin and Sharapova on the tennis court! I take
this opportunity to offer New Zealand’s sincere congratulations on
Russia’s National Day. Tena tatou katoa.
Your Excellency, Ladies and Gentlemen, I now
invite you to join me in a toast to His Excellency the President and
to the Government and People of the Russian Federation.
Speech given by His Excellency Mr Mikhail
Lysenko, Ambassador of the Russian Federation to New Zealand at a
reception on the occasion of Russia’s Sovereignty Day on Thursday 14
June 2007.
The Honourable David Cunliffe, Minister representing the Government
of New Zealand; The Honourable Judith Collins representing the
National Party; Members of Parliament; Your Excellencies,
Ambassadors and High Commissioners; Chief of Protocol Ambassador
Warren Searell; Representatives of Russian Community in New Zealand;
Distinguished Guests
Enga Rangatira, e nga iwi, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou
katoa.
I would like to thank you all for accepting our invitation to
celebrate Russia’s National Day. It is the 17th. Anniversary since
the adoption of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Russian
Federation. Since that time my country is accelerating market and
constitutional reforms, promotes international security and
co-operation. Russia’s economy is steadily growing by 7%, it becomes
more attractive for trade and investments. We are now finalizing
World Trade Organisation accession. Russia was invited to join the
prestigious Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
As a Member of the G8 at the recent summit in Germany, Russia
strongly supported joint recommendations to the benefit of world
economy and global climate.
My country has a strong and sincere interest to expand friendly
relations with New Zealand and highly regards this country as an
important player and reliable partner in world affairs. Russia and
New Zealand have much in common in their positions on pressing
international issues.
Since last June there has been a steady rise in our bilateral
partnership. Last November an arrangement was reached on
consultations between the two Foreign Ministries. In January the
Honourable Margaret Wilson, Speaker of the House of Representatives
and a group of Members of Parliament made a visit to Russia and
participated in the 15th. Session of Asia Pacific Parliamentary
Forum. In January New Zealand will host, in Auckland, it’s 16th.
Session. A Russian delegation will join the event. We are pleased
that a Group of Friendship with the Russian Parliament has been set
up at the New Zealand Parliament. Recently the group has hosted a
successful visit of six Russian lawmakers representing the Group of
Friendship with the Parliament of New Zealand. In April a Leningrad
Region delegation visited New Zealand to explore options in economic
co-operation. We are looking for more trade, investment, science and
technology, tourism and education links between our two countries.
There is good potential for more cultural exchanges. A respected
Maori cultural ensemble Moana and the tribe is visiting Russia now
for the third time !! Otago University Press has just published a
special issue of “Landfall “ magazine that is completely dedicated
to contemporary Russian poetry and literature. On May 9th. The
Russian Embassy participated in the traditional wreath laying
ceremony at the Wellington waterfront near the Memorial Plaque
dedicated to to the memory of New Zealanders - participants of
heroic Arctic convoys to Russia in WW2. Many of these veterans are
here with us this evening.
Certainly, this record is not complete. We are committed to work
hard to further expand cooperation and partnership between our
countries, to promote people-to-people friendship ties. We want to
be rivals but in sports only. And definitely not yet in rugby - this
is your highly respected domain !
Dear guests, sometimes people say that geographical distance between
Russia and New Zealand creates natural obstacles for our bilateral
contacts. For this I would recall a recent TV report on two Russian
cosmonauts from the International Space Station. They were working
in outer space and orbiting the Earth. One of them exclaimed ; “look
how small is our planet, how fragile !” So, looking from such a
distance all countries of the Earth are very close and inter-related
to each other. Russia is prepared to work in partnership together
with New Zealand and other countries to make our planet not fragile
but secure and prosperous.
To conclude, permit me to propose a toast to Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand.
Russian
Convoy Club of NZ 2007 Commemoration Ceremony
Speech by the Hon. Rick Barker, Minister for
Veterans Affairs, New Zealand at Wellington on Wednesday 9 May 2007
Acknowledgements: His Excellency, Mikhail Lysenko, Russian
Ambassador; Her Worship the Mayor, Kerry Prendergast; Chief of Navy,
Rear Admiral Ledson; Rear Admiral (retired) Ian Hunter (representing
RNZRSA); Chris King, National President, Russian Convoy Club;
President of the Merchant Navy Assn, Ian Dymock
Mr Barker's speech available
here.
COMMEMORATING THE 62nd ANNIVERSARY
OF THE VICTORY DAY MARKING THE END OF WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE
On May 9, 2007 the Embassy of the Russian Federation in New Zealand
together with the New Zealand World War II Arctic Convoy veterans
organized the wreath laying ceremony at the Wellington Waterfront
near the bronze memorial plaque dedicated to the Arctic Convoys.
Such annual ceremonies on the Victory Day have become traditional
since 2005 when the Embassy with the support of veterans and New
Zealand authorities had initiated the installation of such a plaque
in connection with the 60th anniversary of the V-Day.
Ambassador's speech available
here.
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