26 November 2008
A ceremony to mark the change of Commanding Officers for Amphibious Support Ship, HMNZS CANTERBURY, and In Shore patrol Craft HMNZS KAHU will be held at the Devonport Naval Base on Friday 28 November, 2008.
At 10:30 am Commander Tony Millar will relinquish Command of HMNZS CANTERBURY and Commander James Gilmour (Auckland) will assume Command.
At 2:30 pm Lieutenant John McQueen will relinquish command of HMNZS KAHU and Lieutenant Maurice Kennett (Whangarei) will assume command.
Background
The Amphibious Sea Support Vessel HMNZS CANTERBURY (L421) is the first of seven new ships built for the Royal New Zealand Navy under Project Protector. She is affiliated to the Canterbury Region. On 12 June 2007 HMNZS CANTERBURY was commissioned into the Royal New Zealand Navy at Station Pier, Port Melbourne, Australia by the Ship’s Lady Sponsor, Helen Clark. CANTERBURY’s design is based on a commercial RO-RO ship, Ben-My-Chree in operation in the Irish Sea.
HMNZS KAHU (A04) is attached to the Royal New Zealand Naval College as the basic seamanship and navigation training vessel. KAHU was built by the Whangarei Engineering Company and launched in 1978.
ENDS
Media are welcome to attend the Change of Command Ceremony. For further information and registrations of interest to attend, please contact Elizabeth Lincoln, Assistant Public Relations Manager Navy, 021 888 649.
Photo ID is required for entry to the Naval Base.
Currently 644 New Zealand Defence Force personnel are deployed on 16 operations, UN missions and defence exercises around the world, in places such as Antarctica, Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands and Sinai.