Fort Takapuna Hgmp May 2001

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Aerial view of HMNZS TAMAKI circa 1988.

Photo: RNZN Museum

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cknowledgement: Design by Ian Bradley and Atma Okan, text and research by Peter Corbett, David Veart and Ian Bradley.

MS NEW ZEALAND at the Battle of Jutland 31 May 1916, from a painting by W. Wiley. RNZN Museum

The 4-inch guns emplaced at Fort Takapuna in 1938 came from this ship.)

Key:

1. Officer Training School (former Artillery Barracks)

2. Brigadiers House (removed 1999)

3. Original Fort Takapuna (obscured behind trees)

4. Officers Mess (showing Annex - now removed)

5. Battery Observation Post

6. Puna (Harbour Defence Observation Post)

7. Gunnery School (demolished 2000)

8. Naval magazines9. Left Battery

10. Ministry of Works Depot (demolished)

11. Site of Right battery (removed 1942)

12. Degaussing Control Hut (demolished)


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O Peretu

(The dwelling

place of Peretu)

O Peretu, is the ancientname of Takapuna Head/FortTakapuna. A series ofmigrations, conquests, andoccupations reflect the longMaori history of the area.Originally the land was settled

by people of Tainui and Kaweraudescent who then came underpressure from the Haurakitribes.Today the tribal groupingsof Ngati Whatua, Kawerau aMaki and Ngati Paoa all haveancestral association with thisplace. The settlements andvillages of Peretu and his people

extended from Maunga Uika(North Head) north along thecoastline to just beyond Te Ra-hopara-a-Peretu (Castor Bay).

In spite of severalgenerations of warfareextending from the 1760s to the1820s the traditional occupants

remained on the land until afterEuropean settlement began.

In 1841 a large tractstretching from North Head toTe Arai Point was purchasedfrom the Hauraki tribes by theCrown. In 1853 J Hammondpurchased 65 acres at Takapunafor 218. Subsequently hesubdivided the land and in 188128 acres on Takapuna Head waspurchased by an Auckland

businessman and entrepreneur -Robert Adam Mosely Stark,who built a two storey house onthe property.

Colonial Defence

For thirty years after fhesigning of the Treaty of Waitangi,New Zealands defence forcesfocused on internal conflictsalthough the ColonialGovernment was concernedabout the countrys undefended

coast. From the 1850s reportson the situation had beencommissioned but the colonyremained virtually undefendedagainst external attack. In the1870s several factors combinedto bring the threat of such anattack to public attention.

In 1873 David Luckie, editorof the Auckland newspaper, theDaily Southern Cross, publisheda long article detailing thesudden appearance of the

hostile iron-clad man-of-war, the

Kaskowiski, which took

possession of the British

warship lying in the waters of the

Devonport Navals (Naval

Artillery Volunteers), 1899.

RNZN Museum


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Waitemata, seized our principal

citizens as hostages,

demanded a heavy ransom for

the city, and emptied the coffers

of the banks.

While it was a fabrication, thestory of the Kaskowiski (caskof whisky) was taken seriouslyby many readers. Panicstricken citizens hurriedly hidmoney and jewellery and

descended upon the offices ofthe Daily Southern Crosstoseek further news. HoweverLuckies story had the desiredeffect by bringing the state ofAucklands defences to publicattention. The story fed onrumours of Russian attackwhich had arisen following visitsto New Zealand and Australianports by Russian warships.Over the following years therewere fears that the BritishEmpire would become involvedin the Russo-Turkish war (1877-8).

David Luckie who wrote the

original story now wrote thatAuckland has shown she can

be roused from apathetic

slumber.

While Auckland already hadtwo forts (Albert and Britomart)these were designed to defendthe town from a land basedattack from Maori.

At the time New Zealandsarmy consisted of the ArmedConstabulary supplemented bya number of volunteer units -Militia and Naval Artillery. Somehad served in the Waikato

campaigns of the1860s.By the 1870s the last British

troops had left New Zealand,leaving only the constabularyand the volunteers. However,the decade following theWaikato campaigns had seenno action and volunteers

declined in numbers. The parttime nature of the force alsohindered its effectiveness. In1872 an observer noted that:the muster of the Naval Corps

was meagre but there is much

difficulty in assembling the

members of these corps

together at one time as so many

are employed in the coasting

trade. It was clear that if aforeign power wished to attack,it would probably succeed.

Permanent Artillery from

Forts Takapuna and Cautley,

1901.

North Shore Historic Society

Range Indicator for transmitting

range and deflection. Manual of

Coast Defence Range-Finding

1927


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Britain had provided troopsfor New Zealands earlier internalconflicts and it was still to themother country that the NewZealand Government looked to

provide security. However theBritish Prime Minister, WilliamGladstone, wished to see thecolonies become increasinglyself-reliant. The Colonial Office inLondon recommended landbased defences. These wereapproved in 1879. Following

another Russian war scare theColonial Government received ashipment of guns which cost37,500, a large sum in thosedays. Funds for the erection ofthese in fortifications at the mainports were approved but thiswas rescinded by the Premier -George Grey. The guns wereput into storage.

In 1883 Major Henry Cautleyhad been seconded to the NewZealand Government, at therequest of the Governor of NewZealand, to prepare plans forfortifications at the main ports.Auckland was to have elaborate

brick and masonry forts atseveral locations: on North andTakapuna Heads, Bastion andResolution Points, Mt Victoria,and Cape Horn on theManukau.

However in 1885, beforework on these could begin, the

alarm was raised again whenRussia seized the town ofPendjeh in Afghanistan. Facedwith renewed fears of a Russian

war, the Governor, WilliamJervois, stated that the mosteffective way the colonies could

assist Great Britain if she were at

war would be by putting all their

ports in an efficient state of

defence. These works wouldshow the populace that thegovernment had finally heededthe call to defend the colony.

The war scare meant thatCautleys elaborate plans couldnot be implemented, and guns

were hurriedly emplaced in earthpits on North Head andResolution Point. More gunswere ordered, and later, in 1885,when Cautley returned to Britain,his replacement, Major EdmondTudor Boddam, set aboutdesigning fortifications for the

new guns.

6-Inch disappearing gun in

raised position (top) and

loading position (bottom).

John Mitchell

Nordenfeldt 6 - pounder quick firing gun

RNZN Museum


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Fort Takapuna

In 1885 the Governmentdecided to take Starksproperty under the Public

Works Act for the new fort atTakapuna. He was forewarnedof the governments plans bythe Prime Minister, Julius Vogel,who met him while holidaying atthe Waiwera thermal resort.Stark took advantage of thewarning. Though the

government valuation for theland was around 8,000, Starkclaimed he had recently beenoffered 17,000 for it. TheGovernment Land Valuer raisedthe valuation without question,accepting Starks statement.When the price paid becamepublic, there was an outcry to

which the governmentresponded by setting up aRoyal Commission of Inquiry.Meanwhile Mr and Mrs Stark

boarded a steamship bound forSan Francisco - never to beheard of again.

Work on Fort Takapunabegan in late 1885 under thesupervision of the Public WorksDepartment and to TudorBoddams design. The batterywas built to to mount two 6-inchbreech loading disappearingguns. (These guns weredesigned to recoil back into thepit after firing thus making it

difficult for an enemy ship tospot them.) In 1889 a 6-pounder Nordenfelt Quick Firinggun was added on each flank. Adry moat surrounded the fort onall sides and a drawbridgeprovided entry into the fort. Thebarracks comprised two

sleeping areas, a living room,kitchen and lavatory. A 30-footbrick lined well was sunk in thefloor of the lamp room of thebattery. Despite the desirabilityof concealing the fort fromenemy shipping, a windmill waserected on the battery roof topower the wells pump. The fort

was largely completed by 1889.It was manned by PermanentForce Gunners, assisted by theNaval Artillery Volunteers. n

Second Maori contingentprior to embarking for

Europe.

Auckland Weekly News,

September 30, 1915.

Plan of Fort and Barracks.

Drawing: John Mitchell

Left: Drawing of trolley for trsporting shells

within the Fort. Tudor Boddam.


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reduced to just four, with areserve to come from NorthHead in an emergency.

Te Hokowhitu a Tu

In World War 1 the oldCoast Defence fort wasexpanded so that it could beused for training Maori andPacific Islanders including menfrom Rarotonga, Niue, the CookIslands, Tahiti, Fiji and the GilbertIslands. After some debate theMaori Contingent wasorganised by iwi affiliation. Thefirst contingent sailed for Egypt

in February 1915. By 1918 31Maori Drafts had been sent toEurope with a total of 2,227Maori, and 458 Pacific Islandsoldiers.

The Auckland Weekly Newsset the scene in July 1915:

The second contingent of

Maori for active service abroadis now comfortably established

in a camp at Narrow Neck,

within the reserve attached to

Fort Takapuna, Auckland. A

total of 353 officers and men

1893 Colonel Francis Foxcarried out a review of coastdefences. He was clearly notimpressed with Fort Takapunaand recommended it be usedonly for training, and that the twosmaller guns mounted there betransferred to other forts inAuckland.

Meanwhile the fort wasconnected by telephone to thenearby batteries on North Head,and the Fire Command Post on

Mt Victoria. In 1898 searchlightswere installed so that the gunscould be fired at night. Anengine room to house thesteam driven generator wasbuilt at the eastern end ofTakapuna Head. Earlyproblems were caused by the

smoke from the steam enginedrifting in front of the guns andblocking the view. In 1916 theoriginal 25 horse power Sohosteam engine was sent to NorthHead and replaced by two 25horsepower kerosene engines.

World War 1

In 1913 Fort Takapuna wasmanned by four officers and155 other ranks. As thebarracks were too small toaccommodate all of them, tentswere pitched for the remainder.The battery was fully manned on

the outbreak of the First WorldWar but the garrison was soon

Niue Island recruits at Narrow Neck.


October 28, 1915.

Maori and Pacific Island recruits

swimming off Narrow Neck (Fort

Takapuna).


January 20, 1916

Maori soldiers at bayonet practice.


September 28, 1915.


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were assembled last week and

the strength of the force will

shortly be increased to 400 by

the arrival of other volunteers.

Living conditions during thefirst winter were basic. At first,

the whole force wasaccommodated in tents whichneeded to be moved to drierland after heavy rain. In

October the camp becamemore multi-cultural, when thesame paper reported that:

A party of 150 young men

from the tropical island of Niue

arrived at the native training

camp at Narrow Neck last week.

They had been fitted out with

denim suits, forage caps, andmilitary overcoats, and, being

big, athletic men, created a very

favourable impression . . They

will be trained with the two score

of Rarotongans already in

camp, and a number of Maori,

all of whom will constitute the

third native contingent.

Towards the end of the warmen from the Waikato tribes,who resisted conscription, wereinterned at Narrow Neck.

During this period anartillery school was establishedand Fort Takapuna became theheadquarters of AucklandsField Artillery.

Prisoners of War

Fort Takapuna, now referredto as Narrow Neck Camp, was

also used as an InternmentCamp. The British Empireclassified as enemy aliens anysubject of the Central Powers,namely Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria.However, even subjects ofneutral or Allied countries riskediinternment if signs of sympathy

with the Central Powers came tothe attention of the authorities.Most internees were detained atSomes Island, Wellington and

Count Felix Von Luckner

RNZN Museum

Right: Von Luckner (head

behind newspaper) andother POWs at Narrow Neck,

918.

Auckland Public Library

Archives

Drill on the beach.

Auckland Weekly News

July 22 1915


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on Motuihe, an island in theHauraki Gulf. However newlycaptured prisoners of warwere housed at Narrow Neckfor short periods, awaitingtransfer to Wellington. Twodeserve special mention.

One was the Sea Devil,German Navy Captain CountFelix Von Luckner, who becamethe subject of legend. Hecommanded the SEEADLER, asailing vessel converted into an

armed merchant cruiser which,in 1916, avoided the Britishblockade in the North Sea andheaded for the South Atlantic.Before rounding Cape HornSEEADLERcaptured 11vessels and took nearly 300prisoners, without loss of life on

either side. After being wreckedon a reef at the Society IslandsVon Luckner and fivecompanions sailed a small boat2000 miles to Fiji where theywere captured. He ended up asa POW on Motuihe, an island inthe Hauraki Gulf near Auckland.The Germans were not popular

but their subsequent escapefrom the island and recapturestirred the public imagination.Unfortunately it ended the careerof Lieutenant Colonel Turner,Officer in Charge of the campwho was Court Martialled anddismissed from the Army for

letting his prisoners escape.Another prisoner of war,

Joseph Meshoullam, was NewZealands sole Turkish POW. He

had signed on to the troopshipSS Orariwhen it called atAlexandria to drop off sometroops fated for Gallipoli, but thecrew became suspicious and hewas detained and taken toNarrow Neck before beingtransferred to Somes Island.

In December 1918 the HealthDepartment required the use of

Motuihe for quarantiningreturning soldiers. As a result thePOWs, including Von Lucknerwere transferred to NarrowNeck.

HMS NEW ZEALAND

Prior to World War 1 the

people of New Zealand had paidfor the construction of abattlecruiser for the AdmiraltysGrand Fleet. HMS NEWZEALAND paid a visit to NZ in1913 before taking part in theBattle of Jutland, the largestsurface naval engagement of alltime. After she was scrapped inthe 1920s her secondaryarmament, comprising 14 4-inchguns was shipped to New

Crew ofSEEADLER.

RNZN Museum

Below: HMS NEW ZEALAND, 1915.

RNZN Museum

Top: Postcard 1913


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Zealand. In 1924 a MajorSandle wrote Since the arrival

of the 4-inch armament ex HMSNEW ZEALAND, in my opinion

the installation of four of these

guns at Fort Takapuna would

make this work into a first class

examination battery. (In 1899Fort Takapuna had beendesignated an ExaminationBattery where incoming shipsshould heave-to for inspection.)Nothing was done at the timebut in 1938 4 of these guns wereemplaced at Fort Takapuna.

Between the Wars

After the war to end allwars, defence was not seen as

a priority. The fort wasabandoned but the searchlightsand engine room were keptoperational. However the oldFort was to take on a new role.The New Zealand Division of theRoyal Navy included two 6-inchgun cruisers, HM Ships

DIOMEDE and DUNEDIN. Thenaval base at Devonport did nothave sufficient storage spacefor the ships reserve

ammunition, which was beingstored in disused coast defencebatteries at Mt Victoria andNorth Head. In 1926 theammunition was moved to Fort

Takapuna,after the undergroundparts of the fort were convertedto a munitions store. Roofswere built over the opengalleries and gunpits and thestorage area was furtherenlarged with the erection of asmall building at the entrance to

the underground fort (nowcalled the fuze store orwarhead and depth chargestore) as well as four othermagazines and administrationbuildings.

MS DIOMEDE and Fairey IIIF

rcraft.

NZN Museum

p: Naval Magazine.

entre: Torpedo onboard HMS

OMEDE.

ottom: Gun drill, HMS DIOMEDE.

NZN Museum

Top right: Rifle drill C Company First

Infantry Battalion.

Bottom right: Machine Gundemonstration.

Von Schramm


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three of which were controlledby Puna, the Observation Post

which replaced the originalTakapuna Control Hut. Inaddition a degaussing (DG)range was laid to enable shipsmagnetic signatures to bemeasured. This was needed tocalculate the settings for theelectric coils that were pulsed to

protect ships from magneticmines. The DG range wascontrolled from a building whichstood on the clifftop on theother side of the football fielddirectly behind the now disusedRight Battery. Finally ahydrophone (listening) arraywas laid from North Head toBean Rock.

In addition the battery wasfully manned, the searchlightswere replaced and thegenerator overhauled. Therewas a major expansion of theDistrict School of Artillery andMobilisation Camp.

The Japanese entry into thewar in December 1941 injecteda new sense of urgency. Theresponse was a strengthening

of port defences. Theseincluded pillboxes, anti tankditches, road blocks, dug outsand gun pits. At Fort TakapunaMobilisation Camp two pillboxeswere built to cover the southernend of Narrow Neck Beach andone to cover the northern end ofCheltenham Beach. Furtherbuilding work was carried outwhich saw a combined mess,administration buildings and thedistrict gunners store built.

Over the course of the war thenumber of 4-inch guns mountedvaried from six, to four, thenthree, and finally by late 1942,only the Left Battery remained,with two guns. This was the onlycoast defence battery inAuckland which remained

operational for the entireduration of the war.When war was declared in

1939 hundreds of young menwere mobilised for service in thecoast defence of New Zealand.They gave up, in many cases,good jobs and seriouslyimpaired their chances of a

secure life after the war. The

Engine Room 1938.

W Ruffel

op : Searchlight WW 2.

RNZN Museum

Centre and bottom: Installing 4-inch

uns, 1938.National Archives

Battery Observation Post, WW 2.

National Archives


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remedy. It is, you see, a matter

of politics - LR.

Other articles reportedsocial events. The mencelebrated Christmas in 1941with a dinner of delicacies suchas trifles, jellies, fruit salad, ice

cream . . . and above all a bottle

of Waitemata each, donated by

Dominion Breweries. Many ofthe gunners at Takapuna tookpart in sporting events such asrugby, boxing, basketball,

tennis, table tennis, athletics andswimming at Cheltenham Beachand Milford Baths.

Women at War

Unlike their Britishcounterparts New Zealandwomen were never conscripted

for service in uniform. The firstwomen to serve in the NZmilitary forces were a contingentof the newly established NewZealand Army Nursing Servicesent to Samoa in 1914.Following the outbreak of WorldWar 2 it was thought thatwomens participation in the

armed forces would be confinedto nursing. Meanwhile womenanxious to help the war effort

joined a multitude ofcivilian womensvolunteerorganisations whichsprang up

throughout NewZealand. One of the

Gunner, a small newspaperproduced by and for the menstationed at Narrow Neckpublished this article in 1941:

. . . should enemy warships

raid New Zealand ports and thegunners go into action, they

would be regarded as heroes

but, what is more important,

they would be on an equal

footing with the men now

overseas, when it came to

providing for returned

soldiers.But it is obviously absurd

that coast gunners should have

to pray for the appearance of an

enemy warship in order to be

assured of [a] decent job after

the war . . .

So let your views be known

and voice expression to a

definite grievance which

unfortunately, it is beyond the

power of the army itself to

WAACs at Narrow Neck, 1945

Pat Sherwood

Above: Parade Training.

National Archives

Top: Digging trenches

National Archives

Below: Wren signaller.

RNZN Museum

Left: Wren Plotter.

RNZN Museum


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largest was the NZ Womens WarService Auxiliary (WWSA). Theytrained in marching, signalling,(by morse code, wireless andflag), driving cars and ridingmotorcycles. Not only werethey not paid; they had to buytheir own uniforms. Members ofthe WWSA transferred to the

New Zealand Womens ArmyAuxiliary Corps, known as theWAACs, on its formation in1942. Two women who served atNarrow Neck Camp recordedtheir experiences. One wasposted to Camp HospitalNarrow Neck while still a

member of the WWSA andrecalls that, at that time therewere no womens quarters, sothe WWSA girls lived in thenurses quarters. When theybecame WAACs they werehoused in the old hay loft above

the stables used by theMounted Rifles in World War I.

Another woman, Peggy,having completed basic WWSAtraining was told to report to theDental Section at Narrow Neck.Sherecalls: One of the hazardsof that time was the North Shore

water supply which came from

Lake Pupuke. Who could

complain, with our situation on

Aucklands lovely North Shore

beaches on two of the Camp

boundaries, bus at the gate toDevonport

As the war advanced it

became a very busy camp. The

section was responsible for the

dental health of all Heavy

Artillery, Light AA and Searchlight

Units on the North Shore,

Hauraki Gulf Island Units andone at Bastion point, as well as

NMD S1 and allied Corps.

Many of the positions occupiedby male naval ratings were takenover by women civilians beforethe formation of the WomensRoyal New Zealand NavalService (WRNZS) was

approved by Cabinet in 1942. Itis known that a small number ofWrens served at Narrow Neck.

The Post War Years

At the end of World War 2Fort Takapuna became theheadquarters of Aucklands

coast defences. Two of the 4-inch guns had been sent to

eft: Lieutenant PN Wright and SL

Officer Cadet Class 1,1965.

RNZN Museum

Left: 1960s Former Artillery Barracks as

HQ Field Force and RASC prior to

conversion to RNZN OTS. RNZN Museum

Apprentice Training

RNZN Museum

TSS


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Kit inspection 1992.

Command Photographic Uniteum

Passing Out Parade 1980s.

Command Photographic Unit

Tonga during the war, one fromthe Auckland War MemorialMuseum. It was returned to themuseum in 1951. Two gunsremain there to this day. Twomore were scrapped. In theearly 1950s three 3.7 inch gunsand a 6-pounder wereemplaced at Fort Takapuna, butwere scrapped in 1956 whencoast defence was abandoned.In November 1946 the CampHospital was leased to the

Auckland Hospital Board andused as a maternity facility until1958. Civilian activities furtherencroached on the camp in1947. At the request of theDepartment of Labour andEmployment four barracks wereconverted into a temporary

camp for female immigrants.That part of the camp washanded back to the army in1952.

When the army moved offNorth Head, Narrow NeckCamp was redesignated FortCautley, the old military name forthe army establishment on

North Head. Fort Takapuna nowbecame the home of regularArmy units stationed in centralAuckland but was mainly usedfor Territorial Army training.

In 1963 the Navys newentry training establishmentHMNZS TAMAKI was shifted

from Motuihe Island and for

some years was co-locatedwith the Army at Narrow Neck.The Navy built a Gunnery Schoolnear the old fort and in 1965opened an Officer TrainingSchool at Narrow Neck, in theformer Artillery Barracks where itremains to this day. In 2000 theDepartment of Conservationtook over part of the headlandas a Historic Reserve. The Navyremains on site but HMNZSTAMAKI was decommissionedin November 2000. The Officerand Trade Training Schools atNarrow Neck are now part of theRNZN College.


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Published by the Auckland Conservancy May 2001 DOC Auckland

ISBN 04-478-22188-6

RNZN Museum

Documents

Fort Takapuna Hgmp May 2001