US Navy tragedy at Paekākāriki

Ten United States Navy personnel drowned off the Kāpiti Coast, north of Wellington, during a training exercise in bad weather. As wartime censorship prevented newspapers from publicising the American presence in New Zealand, the incident was shrouded in mystery for decades.

On the morning of 20 June, more than 30 landing craft carrying Marines from the troop transport USS American Legion went ashore at Whareroa Beach, Paekākāriki, an area where US troops had major camps. One vessel carried a navy ‘beach party’ whose role was to establish landing positions and handle communications. After suffering engine trouble, this craft was being towed back out to sea late that night when it was hit by a huge wave. One of the survivors later recalled: ‘After about 5–7 minutes of being pulled through the pounding waves, we encountered the breaker that capsized our boat and dumped us into the cold, angry sea.’ An officer and nine enlisted men died. Read the full account here.

A memorial to the drowned men was unveiled during a Memorial Day ceremony at nearby Queen Elizabeth Park in 2012.

Documentary about the tragedy: Frank Zalot - a survivor's tale: