The big bronze propeller - a memorial to naval and merchant seamen who died during World War II - is now standing proud on the edge of Tauranga harbour. The four-bladed propeller, off the old steam tug Taioma, was relocated from the former Tauranga RSA site in Cameron Rd. The memorial, fittinglylooking out to sea, was re-dedicated on Saturday at its new, and final, location on the northern end of Sulphur Point facing Mauao and the harbour entrance. Kaumatua Morehu Ngatoko, representing the region's tangata whenua, said the memorial was in its rightful resting place "underneath the mountain standing behind us". "This (propeller) is a treasure and we treat it as such ... it is a special occasion for us, the three tribal factions and all of Tauranga," he said. The memorial was unveiled by Mr Ngatoko and Tauranga Sea Cadets squadron leader Lee White. Naval chaplain Chris Haines provided the blessing. The propeller had stood in the front of the RSA property since 2003. But when the club moved to new premises in Greerton, the Owens family trust decided the memorial should finally stand by the sea. The 232-ton Taioma tug, launched in April 1944, was owned by the late Sir Robert Owens, who had it towed from Wellington. Before that, the Scottish-built tug - originally called Empire Jane - was part of the British armada that launched the D-Day landings at Normandy during World War II. After the war, Taioma was one of two tugs bought by the Wellington Harbour Board. In March 2000 the veteran tug was sunk off Motiti Island and is now a diving attraction. But its propeller lives on. Mr Haines said it was an enduring memorial, acting as a beacon of expectation, instruction and hope for new generations. He said the four blades reflected lasting values - courage, commitment, comradeship and love. "Symbolically, the last blade has a nick out of it ... love will always cost us something."
