HMAS Kiama (J353), named for the coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales

Kiama, New South Wales

-Transport:The town is served by Kiama Station on the South Coast Line. It is served by road in the form of the Princes Highway and the Kiama Bypass.-Attractions:...

, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes

Bathurst class corvette

The Bathurst class corvettes were a class of general purpose vessels produced in Australia during World War II. Originally classified as minesweepers, but widely referred to as corvettes, the Bathurst class vessels fulfilled a broad anti-submarine, anti-mine, and convoy escort role.Sixty Bathurst...

 constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy

Royal Australian Navy

The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...

 (RAN).

After World War II, the corvette was one of four sold to the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 (RNZN). She served as HMNZS Kiama (M353) from 1952 until 1976, when the corvette was paid off and marked for disposal.

Construction

Kiama was constructed by Evans Deakin & Co, at Brisbane, Queensland. She was laid down on 2 November 1942, and launched on 3 July 1943 by Mrs. G. Lawson, wife of the Minister for Transport

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government (Australia)

The Australian Minister for Infrastructure and Transport is the Hon Anthony Albanese. On 3 December 2007 he replaced the Minister for Transport and Regional Services, the Hon Mark Vaile, who held office since August 2006, and the Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, the Hon Jim...

. Kiama was commissioned into the RAN on 26 January 1944.

World War II

Kiama’s first deployment was in March 1944 to Milne Bay

Milne Bay

Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....

 in New Guinea. From her arrival until September 1944, the corvette's main duty was to escort convoys along the New Guinea coastline, although a reassignment for the duration of June saw Kiama perform anti-submarine patrols in the Solomon Sea

Solomon Sea

The Solomon Sea is a sea located within the Pacific Ocean. It lies between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Many major battles were fought there during World War II.-Extent:...

. In September, Kiama was used to transport soldiers between New Guinea and New Britain. On conclusion, she resumed her convoy escort role until the end of 1944, when she departed for Sydney. During her eight months in New Guinea waters, Kiama travelled over 30000 nautical miles (55,560 km), was at sea for more than 3,000 hours, performed shore bombardments in support of Australian operations, and sank a Japanese submarine off the coast of Manus Island

Manus Island

Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...

.

The corvette arrived in Sydney on 21 December 1944. On 25 December, the crew was recalled from leave to go to the assistance of the liberty ship

Liberty ship

Liberty ships were cargo ships built in the United States during World War II. Though British in conception, they were adapted by the U.S. as they were cheap and quick to build, and came to symbolize U.S. wartime industrial output. Based on vessels ordered by Britain to replace ships torpedoed by...

 SS Robert J. Walker, which had been torpedoed by German submarine U862

Unterseeboot 862

German submarine U-862 was a German Type IXD2 U-boat of the Kriegsmarine during World War II. She was the only German submarine to operate in the Pacific Ocean during World War II...

. Kiama, along with HMA Ships Quickmatch

HMAS Quickmatch (G92)

HMAS Quickmatch , named for the quick-match, a fast burning match used for lighting cannon, was a Q class destroyer operated by the Royal Australian Navy . Although commissioned into the RAN in 1942, the ship was initially the property of the Royal Navy. Quickmatch served with both the British...

 and Yandra

HMAS Yandra

HMAS Yandra was a 990 ton coastal steamer built by Burmeister and Wain, Copenhagen in 1928 as Yandra for Coast Steamships, Adelaide. She was requisitioned by the Royal Australia Navy in June 1940 during the Second World War for conversion to a minesweeper and anti-submarine vessel and was...

, and USS PC597 were dispatched to the last known location of the ship and began to search the area for the liberty ship's crew and the attacking submarine; finding the 67 survivors of the attack at 05:45 on 26 December but failing to locate U862. Kiama was assigned to anti-submarine patrols near Sydney for the final days of the year, before sailing to Adelaide for a month-long refit on 3 January 1945.

Post-refit, Kiama was assigned to Fremantle for two months of anti-submarine warfare exercises with United States, before returning to New Guinea on 7 May 1945. In May and June, the corvette performed several coastal bombardments in the Bougainville area. In July, Kiama transported Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....

 from New Guinea to the Solomon Islands, then spent the rest of the month moving troops and military cargo between these two locations. From 5 to 24 August, the corvette was based in Brisbane, before returning to New Guinea waters. Kiama spent the rest of 1945 as a troop and supply transport, minesweeper, and general duties vessel. When the war ended, Kiama took part in the Japanese surrenders at Rabaul

Rabaul

Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...

 and Kabieng.

Kiama returned to Sydney on 29 January 1946, and was decommissioned into Reserve on 3 April 1946. During her wartime service, the ship had been at sea for 6,369 hours, and had sailed a distance of 60822 nautical miles (112,642.3 km). She earned two battle honour

Battle honour

A battle honour is an award of a right by a government or sovereign to a military unit to emblazon the name of a battle or operation on its flags , uniforms or other accessories where ornamentation is possible....

s: "Pacific 1944-45" and "New Guinea 1944".

Transfer to RNZN

On 5 March 1952, Kiama and three other Bathurst class corvettes (HMA Ships Echuca

HMAS Echuca

HMAS Echuca , named for the town of Echuca, Victoria, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .-Construction:...

, Inverell

HMAS Inverell

HMAS Inverell , named for the town of Inverell, New South Wales, was one of 60 Bathurst class corvettes constructed during World War II, and one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy ....

, and Stawell

HMAS Stawell

HMAS Stawell was a Bathurst class corvette named for the town of Stawell, Victoria. Sixty Bathurst class corvettes were constructed during World War II, and Stawell was one of 36 initially manned and commissioned solely by the Royal Australian Navy .The corvette later served in the Royal New...

) were transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy

Royal New Zealand Navy

The Royal New Zealand Navy is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force...

 (RNZN). Kiama was commissioned into the RNZN, receiving the prefix HMNZS. Upon acquisition by New Zealand, the corvette was converted into a training ship. Kiama’s 4-inch gun and aft minesweeping equipment were removed, and replaced with two 40 mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns

Bofors 40 mm gun

The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...

. Two additional messdecks were installed aft; one to hold crew displaced by the modifications, the other to accommodate 30 trainees. Kiama was the last wooden-decked ship in the RNZN, and the last RNZN ship to use hammocks.

New Zealand singer Allison Durbin

Allison Durbin

Allison Durbin is a New Zealand-born Australian former pop singer. In the early 1970s Durbin's visual 'trademark' was her lustrous waist-length auburn hair....

was adopted as the ship's mascot, with a large signed photograph of Allison hung in the ship's forward mess deck.

Kiama was on occasion assigned to the 27th Fisheries Protection Squadron. Other duties included search-and-rescue operations and transportation of scientific teams to small island along New Zealand's coastline.

In late 1967, Kiama sailed to Australia to visit her namesake town. She returned to New Zealand in early 1968.

Kiama was paid off for disposal on 19 August 1976.