Don was also president of the Ex Royal NZ Naval Men’s Association of NZ Gisborne branch, chairman of TS Endeavour Navy cadets and regional naval officer over many years.
Don and his late wife Fay were actively involved in the Gisborne community.
Don joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a “seaman boy”, aged 15, in 1948.
Like other seaman boys, Don had a teacher on board.
“We had to do our duties on board, but we still carried on with school,” he once said.
From 1950 he served on HMNZS Rotoiti for 13 months off Korea.
The frigate provided shore bombardments, patrolled the coast or up river and landed Royal Marine raiding parties.
There were times when the Han River was fill of bodies, he said.
Don served as one of two side arm loaders on a four-barrel Pom Pom anti-aircraft gun.
One of his shipmates was killed ashore while supporting Royal Marines and became the RNZN’s only Korean War fatality.
His body could not be retrieved from the beach.
Don was considered too young to go ashore.
On another occasion, the New Zealanders sailed in close to shore to support Royal Marines who were in some trouble.
It was the one time when Don got to fire the Pom Pom.
“If somebody had taken a pot shot at us, we were so close they could have got us,” he said. “But we were firing so, so much.”
Don returned from Korea in September 1951, not having set foot on the Korean mainland.
Gisborne RSA president Trevor Jukes said Don was “a navy guy, ex-Korean War, who was absolutely dedicated to the RSA.”
“He pulled the Gisborne RSA through tough times with grace and dignity.”
Don was a practical and straight-up man and “a steady hand”.
His funeral service was scheduled for 11am today at Evans Chapel.
