Ephemera, Mess Pass to T. W. Fitzgerald
Title
Ephemera, Mess Pass to T. W. Fitzgerald
Description
Circa 1944. United States Army Forces Mess Guest Pass to T. W. Fitzgerald, Master of the New Zealand ship M/V Tamatea. On the back of the card are the contacts:
Captain J. B. Baker of the 29th Marines (Reinf), Kokumbona (Guadalcanal)
Mr. Denlay USSCo (Capt 16½) at 438 Evans Bay Road (Wellington, New Zealand)
MV Tamatea ship history:
Blenheim
The M/V Tamatea was originally the SS Blenheim. She was built to the order of Messrs. W. E. Clouston and Co. at Forster, New South Wales by the shipbuilder Henry Miles. She was launched on July 4, 1905 and christened by Miles’ wife, Annie. Blenheim was a shallow draught wooden steamer of 130 tons and was fitted as a passenger and cargo boat. On the 8th July 8, 1905, she was towed by the steamer Tuncurry to Sydney, Australia for fitting of engines.
Details:
Official No: 121107
Length: 109.0 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth 6.7 ft
Tonnage: Gross: 150.58; Net: 85.04
Construction: wood
Engines: surface condensing engines, with cylinders of 13in and 26in, with a stroke of 18in; fitted by Begg and Greig.
Boiler: 1201b pressure to the square inch.
Accommodation: 24 passengers (including eight ladies)
From 1905 to 1907 she operated from the Ōpaoa (formerly Opawa) River, Blenheim, New Zealand for the Wellington-based Marlborough Steamship Co. At Blenheim, she was managed by W.E. Clouston and operated from their wharf.
In 1907 she was attached to the Wairau Steamship Company Ltd. (a subsidiary Union Steamship Company of New Zealand) and continued operating between Blenheim and Wellington, New Zealand.
On July 1, 1917 The Wairau Steamship Co. was taken over by P & O and, in 1919, Blenheim was re-measured; her tonnage changed:
Gross: 153 ; Net: 87
Arawua
In 1924, Blenheim was sold to the Fisheries Ltd, Wellington and renamed Awarua.
Tamatea
In 1928, Awarua was purchased by Captain R. J. Hamilton of Bluff (near Invercargill, New Zealand) and renamed Tamatea. Around this time she was converted from a steamer to diesel power around this time. The MV Tamatea operated the regular ferry service between Bluff and Stewart Island from 1930 to 1942.
MV Tamatea was requisitioned by the United States Army in 1943 and converted into a motor ship. After less than two years of operation, she was returned to the New Zealand Government in 1945 and sold back to Captain Hamilton for further service. After conversion to a 500 BHP diesel engine she was remeasured as:
Gross: 179.94 ; Net: 69.29
At this point, she was registered in Auckland (January 946) to Master, Robert James Hamilton.
In 1950 she was sold and registered to Port Vila (New Hebrides) interests (April 1950). She ran aground in the harbor at Port Vila and the hulk passed to French owners and dismantled - sometime prior to July 25, 1961 when she was stricken.
Adapted from: Great Lakes Manning River Shipping https://www.flickr.com/photos/glmrsnsw/16933215347
Captain J. B. Baker of the 29th Marines (Reinf), Kokumbona (Guadalcanal)
Mr. Denlay USSCo (Capt 16½) at 438 Evans Bay Road (Wellington, New Zealand)
MV Tamatea ship history:
Blenheim
The M/V Tamatea was originally the SS Blenheim. She was built to the order of Messrs. W. E. Clouston and Co. at Forster, New South Wales by the shipbuilder Henry Miles. She was launched on July 4, 1905 and christened by Miles’ wife, Annie. Blenheim was a shallow draught wooden steamer of 130 tons and was fitted as a passenger and cargo boat. On the 8th July 8, 1905, she was towed by the steamer Tuncurry to Sydney, Australia for fitting of engines.
Details:
Official No: 121107
Length: 109.0 ft
Breadth: 23.5 ft
Depth 6.7 ft
Tonnage: Gross: 150.58; Net: 85.04
Construction: wood
Engines: surface condensing engines, with cylinders of 13in and 26in, with a stroke of 18in; fitted by Begg and Greig.
Boiler: 1201b pressure to the square inch.
Accommodation: 24 passengers (including eight ladies)
From 1905 to 1907 she operated from the Ōpaoa (formerly Opawa) River, Blenheim, New Zealand for the Wellington-based Marlborough Steamship Co. At Blenheim, she was managed by W.E. Clouston and operated from their wharf.
In 1907 she was attached to the Wairau Steamship Company Ltd. (a subsidiary Union Steamship Company of New Zealand) and continued operating between Blenheim and Wellington, New Zealand.
On July 1, 1917 The Wairau Steamship Co. was taken over by P & O and, in 1919, Blenheim was re-measured; her tonnage changed:
Gross: 153 ; Net: 87
Arawua
In 1924, Blenheim was sold to the Fisheries Ltd, Wellington and renamed Awarua.
Tamatea
In 1928, Awarua was purchased by Captain R. J. Hamilton of Bluff (near Invercargill, New Zealand) and renamed Tamatea. Around this time she was converted from a steamer to diesel power around this time. The MV Tamatea operated the regular ferry service between Bluff and Stewart Island from 1930 to 1942.
MV Tamatea was requisitioned by the United States Army in 1943 and converted into a motor ship. After less than two years of operation, she was returned to the New Zealand Government in 1945 and sold back to Captain Hamilton for further service. After conversion to a 500 BHP diesel engine she was remeasured as:
Gross: 179.94 ; Net: 69.29
At this point, she was registered in Auckland (January 946) to Master, Robert James Hamilton.
In 1950 she was sold and registered to Port Vila (New Hebrides) interests (April 1950). She ran aground in the harbor at Port Vila and the hulk passed to French owners and dismantled - sometime prior to July 25, 1961 when she was stricken.
Adapted from: Great Lakes Manning River Shipping https://www.flickr.com/photos/glmrsnsw/16933215347
Files
Collection
Citation
“Ephemera, Mess Pass to T. W. Fitzgerald,” dittybag, accessed December 22, 2024, http://dittybag.ianewatts.org/collection/items/show/43.
Item Relations
| This Item | dcterms:relation | Item: Badge, National Maritime Union, Gold Union Badge and Torpedoed Pin |