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Early in
1965 New Zealand lent Malaya (Now Malaysia) her military assistance in the form
of the RNZN manning two Ton Class minesweepers, HICKLETON and SANTON,
loaned out by the RN as they were then in Reserve in Singapore. They were to be
used for anti-infiltration patrols to counteract the aggressive confrontational
policies of Indonesia. RNZN crews flew out in late March 1965 to join the ships
along with some Reserve Officers.
Both ships
commissioned into the RNZN at Singapore on the 10 April 1965, immediately
commencing a workup and then joining the RN's 11th MSS taking part in
Anti-Infiltration Patrols in Malayan waters around the Singapore - Malacca
Straits and the Sarawak - Sabah areas.
In their
first year they carried out in excess of 200 patrols and dealt with twenty
incidents involving intruding Indonesians, often taking prisoners from the
captured small boats. Both ships did, however, carry out some minesweeping and
HICKLETON
was involved in two minesweeping exercises between May and June 1966.
By the time
the Confrontation Policy ended in August 1966 and Malaya had taken over the
patrol duties, both ships had steamed over 60,000 miles in their NZ colours.
During her
time with the RNZN, in late March 1966, SANTON assisted in the rescue of
the crew of a wrecked Panamanian freighter CARINA off Eastern Sabah.
At the end
of the Conflict, both ships (and their NZ crews) sailed for Britain, SANTON
leaving Singapore on 14 September and HICKLETON in early October 1966.
SANTON arrived in Portsmouth on 5 November 1966 and HICKLETON on 5
December 1966. Both ships then paid off into Reserve.
The
following year both ships were refitted and sold to the Argentine Navy.
note:
SANTON and HICKLETON are the only RNZN-commissioned ships never to
have visited New Zealand.
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