Page 16 - QARANC Vol 14 No 7 2013

14 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Captain M E Barclay QARANC – myself, ashore. TEV Rangatira anchored in harbour in far background, King Edward V11 Memorial Hospital in background, 12th July 1982.
Part 2 –
Memories of a Distant War
Rangatira was built by Swan Hunter Shipbuilders, at Walker-on-Tyne, Tyneside and was completed in December 1971. She was a roll- on, roll-off ferry for passengers and vehicles between the ports of Wellington and Lyttleton between New Zealand’s North and South Islands respectively, operated by the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand Ltd. Rangatira translated, means Maori Chief. Her predecessor, The TEV Wahine (Maori Lady) also built by Swan Hunter, entered her service in 1966. Tragically her life came to an abrupt end on the 10th April 1968 when she sank in cyclonic weather conditions in Wellington harbour with the loss of 51 lives.
Rangatira now belonged to a fleet of ships titled STUFT - Ships Taken Up From Trade, for use during The Falklands War. Since the ceasefire on the 14th June The Falkland Islands remained on a war footing and high alert for months until at least December 1982. A formal agreement of cessation of hostilities was never in sight! Rangatira’s preparation for her role in the South Atlantic included adding extra bunks to accommodate a maximum of 1,200 troops, a helicopter landing facility on A deck (aft) and four 20mm Oerlikon cannons/ guns strategically placed on the upper decks. Communications and navigation systems were upgraded to include a satellite navigator and an Inmarsat satellite radio. Her present role as troopship carrying over 1,000 servicemen and 14 women in the QARANC now operated as our mobile nautical home for the foreseeable future. This experience promised to be different – and so it was!
Following our departure there was a welcome on board from both the senior Merchant Navy Officer commanding the ship to the Ascension Islands and also the senior Royal Navy Officer who would command the ship from that location under the auspices of the Task Force to our southern destination. It was at this stage the ship’s rules and regulations were explained to us and that we would wear military uniform