Memorial for dead in war sinking

Seventy years after five New Zealand seamen died when their ship was sunk by a German mine off Whangarei Heads, a memorial will be erected to mark the event.
Families of the men who died on HMS Puriri on May 14, 1941 have carried out a long mission to have recognition given to the first deaths inside New Zealand in a World War II act of war.
On the 70th anniversary, members of the families, Northland RSA clubs, the Navy, Government and Whangarei District Council will be among guests at the unveiling of a monument at Ocean Beach, Whangarei - the closest site on land to where the ship sank.
The Puriri's acting commanding officer, Lieutenant Douglas Blacklaws - aboard only because the ship's regular commander was ill - was one of the dead. Twenty-five others were rescued by the HMS Gale which was also minesweeping the area.
The move to have the event recognised and properly commemorated was initially led by Robyn Scott, of One Tree Point, and David Wistrand of Waipu. Ms Scott is related to one of the crew members who died and Mr Wistrand became involved as vice president of the local RSA.
They were joined in their quest by Lt Blacklaws' daughter Sonya Sage and her husband
"Little was known locally about the 1941 mining of a New Zealand minesweeper just off Whangarei Heads when the Northern Advocate featured the event at Anzac 2010. However, Robyn Scott and David Wistrand had set out to commemorate the event," Ms Sage said.
"Their goal came to my attention because the skipper was my father. I cannot remember him, except by way of my mother's deep and undiminished love for him, and by family and friends.
"My husband and I willingly joined the campaign to honour the
five men who perished, to the Puriri itself and to the minesweeper fleet of those war years."
That campaign received backing last May from the Whangarei District Council, followed directly by financial support from Morris & Morris and Robinson Memorials.
"By September we had substantial funding from Veterans Affairs, and then from a number of district RSA Clubs," Mrs Sage said.
She and her husband researched newspapers, official reports and Naval records to find family of the other crew members. Among people their search uncovered was Duncan McNab, now 91, from Motueka, one of the rescued men.
"We have also had contact with friends or family from Timaru, Palmerston North, Hamilton, Auckland, Sydney and England."
The Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral A J (Tony) Parr will unveil the memorial on May 14.