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Cenotaph Stories

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Cenotaph Stories

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Navy

  • A Mariner’s Service: Spencer George Smith, 1915–1954

    Victoria Passau
    Online Cenotaph & Enquiry Services Manager

    Prompted by a son's search to better understand his father, this article traces the life of Spencer George Smith, a Merchant Navy engineer who served on wartime convoys. He survived a torpedo attack and sinking, returned to New Zealand after World War II, and died young in 1954, leaving a record shaped by service and family recollection.

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  • Female Impersonation in WWI

    Sophie Elborough
    Collection Technician, Research Support

    Part I of our series on female impersonation traces the origins of female impersonation in military life, from ancient traditions to World War I. It highlights the success of the Digger Pierrots and Stanley Lawson, before examining how interwar conservatism reshaped perceptions of gender, sexuality, and performance.

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  • Female Impersonation in WWII and beyond

    Sophie Elborough & Victoria Passau
    Online Cenotaph Team

    Part II of our series on female impersonation in the military looks at its revival in World War II with the Kiwi Concert Party, its decline, and changing roles. It highlights queer resilience, Māori performance, and Carmen Rupe’s legacy.

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  • Dick Owen and the Arctic Convoys

    Sophie Elborough (COLLECTION TECHNICIAN) & Judy Owen (Volunteer)
    Online Cenotaph

    Pou Maumahara volunteer Judy Owen shares a story written by her father Malcolm (Dick) Cunningham Owen about his experience in the Arctic Convoys during World War II.

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  • Echoes across the waves: The Wally Ware story

    Sophie Elborough (Collection Technician) and Victoria Passau (Online Cenotaph & Enquiry Services Manager)

    Wally Ware served in the Royal New Zealand Navy during World War II, witnessing key moments aboard HMNZS Achilles and Gambia. His remarkable experiences, from naval battles to coded letters home, shaped his post-war life as a pioneering farmer and community leader.

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  • A Family Affair: Intergenerational Service in the Merchant Navy during WWII 

    Sophie Elborough
    COLLECTION TECHNICIAN - RESEARCH SUPPORT

    These are the stories of two families whose lives were inseparable from the Merchant Navy. As these siblings, children, and parents served alongside each other during World War II they demonstrated incredible perseverance and their experiences highlight a surprising sense of continuity despite global conflict.

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  • Lieutenant Commander (Ret) Ralph John McNabb

    Victoria Passau, Online Cenotaph & Enquiry Service Manager

    Lieutenant Commander (Ret) Ralph John McNabb served in the Royal New Zealand Navy for 46 years between 1973 and 2021. His impressive institutional knowledge is a true asset to New Zealand Naval research.

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  • 80th Anniversary of the Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service

    By Hannah Pym and Madison Pine

    In celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the establishment of the Women's Royal New Zealand Navy. We have highlighted the many roles of Wrens during the Second World War, and the legacy of their service post-WWII.

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  • Records of the Fourth Force

    Madison Pine
    Collection Technician, Research Support

    Between November 2021 and February 2022, Online Cenotaph had two dedicated transcribers working on the Records of New Zealand Seamen, also known as the Merchant Navy. Here, we share their work, and our efforts to include this fourth force in Online Cenotaph.

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  • Dean Anaki and the Merchant Marine

    Dr Andrea Low, Associate Curator, Contemporary World

    To commemorate Merchant Navy Day Dr Andrea Low interviewed Niuean born, Dean Lupo Anaki about his experience working in the New Zealand Merchant Navy from 1957 until 1973. You can see more of Dean’s story in Tāmaki Herenga Waka – Stories of Auckland.

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