Minerva Reef, or more correctly Minerva Reefs; North Reef and South Reef, are two submerged coral atolls south of Fiji and Tonga which have claimed the lives of many ships. In the first part of a two-part series, Matthew O’Sullivan recounts the RNZAF’s role in reef rescues.
Flying from Royal New Zealand Air Force Station Lauthala Bay. Image: LbG6858-64 RNZAF Official.
The Minerva reefs have been claiming ships from as early as 1807 when the Brig Rosella was wrecked there. Over the years numerous ships and yachts have come to grief on the dangerous nautical hazard 1480km north of New Zealand.
In July 1962, a Tongan yacht set sail from Tonga bound for New Zealand with 17 people on board. The yacht was wrecked on South Minerva Reef and extensive searches were fruitless.
The crew of the Tuaikaepau sheltered in the lee of a wrecked Japanese fishing boat and struggled to survive to for two months.
In desperation, a raft was built and the captain, his son and one other sailed for help. Unfortunately, just before reaching land at Kandavu Island, Fiji, the captain’s son drowned, but the alert was successfully raised.
A No. 5 Squadron RNZAF Sunderland was dispatched from RNZAF Lauthala Bay in Fiji and dropped urgently needed food and water to the survivors. The next day a second Sunderland was dispatched to rescue the survivors. Unfortunately, four had already died from malnutrition.
After a short stay in hospital in Suva the survivors were returned to Tonga and were acclaimed by the population and Queen Salote.
Thus began a long history of No. 5 Squadron and Minerva Reefs. See more in Part 2 here.
