Napier veteran's great link with navy and Deco

HISTORY:WW2 veteran and architect Guy Natusch (left) and Neville Smith (right), representing the navy. Mr Natusch will be ringing the Veronica Bell at Sunday's commemorative service.PHOTO/PAUL TAYLOR.

Napier man Guy Natusch has had a strong relationship with Napier architecture and the navy - so he was the natural choice to carry out the ceremonial ringing of the Veronica bell at the Sound Shell colonnade on Sunday.

It will be one of a string of events featuring the Royal New Zealand Navy for the big Tremains Art Deco Festival which began bubbling into life today and which will quite simply explode into colourful life tomorrow and into the weekend.

"He would be the oldest surviving person in Hawke's Bay who fits both the navy and the earthquake profile," regional naval officer Lieutenant Commander Neville Smith said.

"So we had to approach him."

Mr Natusch, who grew up in Napier and was here during the big quake, later joined the navy - just a few days after it had officially been formed as the Royal New Zealand Navy. He later served during World War II where he saw action aboard cruisers and motor torpedo boats hunting down E-boats as well as serving during the D-Day landings.

The 96-year-old said he was honoured to be able to step forward and again do his duty - for Napier and the navy.

"Yes it is an honour because it gives some meaning to 'lest we forget'."

Mr Natusch has long been an advocate for the city's unique architecture, as well as the whole architectural landscape through history.

He is working on creating an archive based around three generations of his family, with architecture at its heart - a story about societal development as "architecture is a mirror of society".

He had long embraced the Art Deco festivals and was looking forward to this one.

"Always a fine event."

The Veronica bell has long been the symbol of how the navy stepped up after the 1931 earthquake.

It comes from the HMS Veronica which had been tied up at what is now West Quay in Ahuriri when the earthquake struck - and the crew quickly mobilised to take part in rescue and assistance missions ashore.

It was at that time, when he was just 10, that his admiration and interest in the navy was sparked.

"I saw what the navy did for us at that time - it was marvellous."

As was reported at the time "the sailors ransacked the town in all directions for food, bedding and clothing for emergency camps and hospitals - all day long they piled goods into the commandeered lorries".

Locals at the time said the navy boys "brought renewed order and confidence to the stricken town".

The Veronica's skipper was also able to quickly make contact with the navy base in Auckland where the cruisers Dunedin and Diomede were tied up, and they were soon stocked and sent to Napier.

The navy link had always been strong and Mr Smith said that link had been strengthened greatly through the Tremains Art Deco Festivals over the years.

The Veronica Bell Parade will see the bell briefly restored to its place with a full military ceremony starting at 12.30pm on Sunday, and is one of a string of events the navy will take part in.

Crews from the patrol ships HMNZS Wellington and HMNZS Taupo which will be tied up at Napier for the festival will be joined by the acclaimed Royal New Zealand Navy Band, with the events also tying in with the 75th anniversary of the New Zealand Navy.

Art Deco Trust festival director Glen Pickering said having the navy in town gave the event extra colour and history, and an addition to the programme meant folk attending the Gatsby Picnic on Sunday afternoon could host a navy guest.

It was all about showing some great Hawke's Bay hospitality to a visiting member of the navy, and 15 people had already registered to host a navy guest.

"People have to register to host a guest and there are places for up to 40," Mr Pickering said.

A huge schedule of events is set to be rolled out over the next four days, and while the sold-out sign had long gone up on most there were plenty of free events people could enjoy.

Among them was the traditional powhiri official Maori opening for the festival featuring the waka at West Quay at 8am tomorrow.

For Mr Pickering, and new Art Deco Trust general manager Shane Gorst, the 29th festival will be their first, but both were looking forward to it.

"It's been going really great," Mr Pickering said of the extensive preparations.

"We're all ready to go."

The only slight smudge over proceedings was the forecast of rain for Friday, and into Saturday and possibly Sunday morning.

Mr Pickering said keeping constant updates on the weather was essential, but with most events under cover some showers would not be an issue.

"We have been watching the forecasts closely and it looks like it should be clearing Saturday afternoon."

Everything was all on track though and he said people could go to the trust's Facebook page where constant updates were posted.

The big free events were all part of getting locals, and visitors, well involved with the fun.

Big crowds are expected to fill Emerson St on Saturday from 12.30pm as the Vintage Car Parade rolls through while Tennyson St is also likely to fill up on Sunday when the Soap Box Derby will be staged from 10.30am.

The Gatsby Picnic on Sunday afternoon is also popular with thousands of people attending or wandering through.

The festival will be officially kicked off by Mayor Bill Dalton along with sponsors and dignitaries at the ticketed Sileni Estates Opening Soiree at the MTG Hawke's Bay foyer at 5.30pm on Friday.