# Te Tiare Taporo



## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

Hi there
My name is Elaine and I live in New Zealand. My grandfather, Auguste Barberel, was an agent of A B Donald in Tahiti and received a Medaille d'Honneur for rescuing the mariners sunk by Von Luckner in the Friendly Islands in 1917. I have a picture of him standing on the vessel assisting the passengers onto the wharf. 

He seems to have "got around" a lot. My father was born in Victoria, Australia in 1916. 

I have been told that he brought his family here in this schooner but have not been able to prove this. They came to NZ in 1919 and lived in Auckland for a year or two, then moved south to Christchurch where my grandfather died in 1929. My eldest aunt told us that the French Government was represented at his funeral and arrived in black funeral suits with hats that had black ribbons on the back. They drove up in a very large black car she said. She would have been a teenager at the time.

Any tales of or information on this schooner while it was owned by A B Donald Ltd would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Elaine


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## thunderd (Apr 18, 2005)

Welcome to SN Elaine. I can't help you with your quest but from what you've said so far I'm sure there is a fscinating story in there somewhere and I hope you keep us in touch with any progress you make.....good luck


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## non descript (Nov 18, 2005)

A warm welcome to the site Elaine and thank you for such an interesting start. I am sure than some of the Members will be able to expand upon this and help you in your quest, in the meantime enjoy the site and all it has to offer. We look forward to your posts. Bon Voyage


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

echambo said:


> Hi there
> My name is Elaine and I live in New Zealand. My grandfather, Auguste Barberel, was an agent of A B Donald in Tahiti and received a Medaille d'Honneur for rescuing the mariners sunk by Von Luckner in the Friendly Islands in 1917. I have a picture of him standing on the vessel assisting the passengers onto the wharf.
> 
> He seems to have "got around" a lot. My father was born in Victoria, Australia in 1916.
> ...


Welcome onboard Elaine to SN hope this info helps

Pass of Balmaha was built by Robert Duncan Company, Glasgow, Scotland in 1888. The American owned ship was a 1,571-ton steel-hulled sailing bark 245 feet in length. She was owned by the Harris-Irby Cotton Company, Boston. 
Under Captain John Lennard, she sailed from New York on June 24, 1916 for Archangel, Russia with a cargo of cotton. On August 1, she was stopped by a British cruiser off the north coast of Scotland and sent to Kirkwall with a British prize crew of one officer and four men. The British suspected the cargo was destined for Germany. While sailing to Kirkwall, Pass of Balmaha was captured by the German submarine U-36 and sailed to Cuxhaven, Germany arriving on August 3rd. 
She was renamed Walter, equipped with an auxiliary engine, two 105-mm naval cannons, machine guns and a wireless set. On December 21, she sailed as Seeadler under command of Kapitanleutnant Felix von Luckner to act as a commerce raider. During the next 225 days she captured 15 ships in the Atlantic and Pacific. Luckner served as Artillery Officer on SMS Moewe from June through August 1916. 
On August 2, 1917 while anchored at Mopelia Island, French Society Islands, Seeadler washed onto a coral reef and was destroyed. With a crew of five, Luckner set sail in an 18-foot cutter for the Fiji Islands. On arrival at Wakaya Island, the six German sailors were captured and interned as prisoners of war. 
Back at Mopelia Island, on September 5, 1917, the 58 German crewmen from Seeadler captured the French schooner Lutece when she arrived at the island. Renamed Fortuna, under command of Lieutenant Alfred Kling, she sailed to Easter Island arriving on October 4th. The ship went aground at Hanga Roa the next day and could not be sailed further. On February 13, 1918 the crew sailed to Talcahuano, Chile arriving March 4, aboard the Chilean schooner Falcon. Here they were housed on a German ship anchored in the harbor. The Chilean Government interned the crew under the rules of international law intended to prevent belligerents, after having sought refuge in a neutral country, from again taking part in the war. On August 9, 1919 they were released from internment. 
Meanwhile on Mopelia Island the captain of the schooner R. C. Slade, Hador Smith, set sail in a small open boat on September 19, 1917. With a crew of three, he sailed to Pago-Pago arriving on September 29. The others were subsequently rescued from Mopelia. A French relief ship, Tiare-Taporo, reached Mopelia on October 6 and carried the 41 marooned sailors to Papeete, Tahiti, arriving on October 10. 
Easter Island is a Chilean possession. Chile was neutral during the war.


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

The Vessel was reported wrecked in March 1968 off the Pacific Island of Aneityun


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## Hugh MacLean (Nov 18, 2005)

Welcome aboard, Elaine. Enjoy the site.

*Vessel Name: *TIARE TAPORO
*Vessel ID: *1151359
*Official No: *151359
*Vessel Type: *Schooner
*Tonnage: *168 gross
*Owner: *A B Donald
*Built: *1913
*Builder: *Charles Bailey Jnr, Auckland
*Region Built: *Auckland
*Date of Fate: *Mar 1968
*Type of Fate: *Wrecked
*Place of Fate: *Off Aneityum
*Region of Fate: *Pacific islands or ocean


Source: http://www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/


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## R58484956 (Apr 19, 2004)

Welcome Elaine to the the site site as you see it does not take long for our experts to give the information asked for.


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## Chris Field (Apr 3, 2005)

Great research , gents, well done!
I'm sure I used to see Tiare Taporo in the mid-fifties in Rarotonga (I was 3/mate on Waitemata)- she must have been doing a lot of carrying around the Cooks/Society Islands (i.e. Tahiti etc)


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## benjidog (Oct 27, 2005)

Welcome Elaine and thanks to everyone who has already dug out useful information.(Applause) 

Brian


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## shad (Apr 5, 2005)

Think Andy Thompson was skipper on Tiare Taporo when she sailed out of Raro,Tony his son was skipper of Moana Roa.


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## shad (Apr 5, 2005)

Maybe wrong about Andy and Tiare Taporo, could have been Maui Pomare.


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Story about Andy Thomson*



shad said:


> Think Andy Thompson was skipper on Tiare Taporo when she sailed out of Raro,Tony his son was skipper of Moana Roa.


Somewhere when searching the net about Te Tiare Taporo I found a story written by a guy who lived on an outer island of Tahiti. He mentioned this name in that story about how he used to await the arrival of the schooner.

Does anyone know how I can find out what date the schooner arrived in Auckland with my family? I know they lived in Takapuna in 1919, then moved south to Christchurch where the last surviving member was born in 1923. Auguste died in 1929 in Christchurch.

Cheers and many thanks
Elaine


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Te Taire Taporo*



Chris Field said:


> Great research , gents, well done!
> I'm sure I used to see Tiare Taporo in the mid-fifties in Rarotonga (I was 3/mate on Waitemata)- she must have been doing a lot of carrying around the Cooks/Society Islands (i.e. Tahiti etc)



I am sure she did carry lots of stuff between the islands. I have access to my grandfather's passport. My aunt says he travelled on her all around the Pacific when the family was based in Tahiti. He was the Vice Belgian consul to Tahiti in 1911. We have the appointment do***ents on my brother's wall!

The schooner was used for consultate business as well I understand (but can't collaborate that)

Cheers
Elaine


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

gdynia said:


> Welcome onboard Elaine to SN hope this info helps
> 
> Pass of Balmaha was built by Robert Duncan Company, Glasgow, Scotland in 1888. The American owned ship was a 1,571-ton steel-hulled sailing bark 245 feet in length. She was owned by the Harris-Irby Cotton Company, Boston.
> Under Captain John Lennard, she sailed from New York on June 24, 1916 for Archangel, Russia with a cargo of cotton. On August 1, she was stopped by a British cruiser off the north coast of Scotland and sent to Kirkwall with a British prize crew of one officer and four men. The British suspected the cargo was destined for Germany. While sailing to Kirkwall, Pass of Balmaha was captured by the German submarine U-36 and sailed to Cuxhaven, Germany arriving on August 3rd.
> ...



Brilliant, thank you.

My Uncle Auguste wrote a story about this event based on what his father had told him . I don't have this do***ent but my cousin does. Maybe she would agree to sharing this if you want to read it. As I say, I have a picture of the arrival in Tahiti and unloading of the survivors. I must learn how to upload stuff like this. I also understand that Von Luckner was imprisoned on Ripa Island in Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch NZ. I am still searching for proof of this. My father told me that when I was a kid. My grandmother also told me so it could be true.

Cheers

Cheers


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## Gulpers (Sep 8, 2005)

*Moved thread*

Folks,
I've moved this valuable thread from *Say Hello * to *Ship Research.*


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

echambo said:


> Somewhere when searching the net about Te Tiare Taporo I found a story written by a guy who lived on an outer island of Tahiti. He mentioned this name in that story about how he used to await the arrival of the schooner.
> 
> Does anyone know how I can find out what date the schooner arrived in Auckland with my family? I know they lived in Takapuna in 1919, then moved south to Christchurch where the last surviving member was born in 1923. Auguste died in 1929 in Christchurch.
> 
> ...


Try this webpage it gives 10 listings of the vessel in NZ
http://www.nzmaritimeindex.org.nz/ixsearchvessels.asp?hit=1&name=TIARE+TAPORO


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## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

echambo said:


> Brilliant, thank you.
> 
> My Uncle Auguste wrote a story about this event based on what his father had told him . I don't have this do***ent but my cousin does. Maybe she would agree to sharing this if you want to read it. As I say, I have a picture of the arrival in Tahiti and unloading of the survivors. I must learn how to upload stuff like this. I also understand that Von Luckner was imprisoned on Ripa Island in Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch NZ. I am still searching for proof of this. My father told me that when I was a kid. My grandmother also told me so it could be true.
> 
> ...


As the Islands correct name was Ripapa numerous Web Pages give info on Count Van Luckner. Try following

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~tonyf/von/VonLuckner.html


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Ripapa Island*

True. This is the proper name of the island. It is a Maori name. It is lucky if it is 200 meters wide. The island is almost round and has no beaches, just small cliffs of volcanic rock. When I was in the Girl Guides about 50 years ago I visited the island and walked down into the dungeons on a "hike". Unfortunately I did not know about Von Luckner then. The dungeons are all underground. The island is only about 100 meters from the shore and used to have a rickety iron bridge across between Ripa and the mainland. It is situated in the Lyttelton Harbour (a dormant volcano), the Port of Lyttelton serves Christchurch NZ. The island is still visited but you need to apply and be escorted now. All this Politically Correct rubbish has taken away all the romance of walking through the cells/dungeons!! They would not have been a good place to have to live. Very cold and damp.

Cheers
Elaine


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## shad (Apr 5, 2005)

Hi Echambo, the story of the man living on a remote island. Could that have been "An Island to Oneself" by Tom Neale. He used to live on Raro,but sailed up to Suvarow Island and lived there by himself.
shad.


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Re Shad's post*

Not sure what the island was called. I have looked for the article again but have been unable to find it. I printed it off at the time, but with the shambles in my genealogy boxes have currently misplaced it.


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## jan ruiter (Mar 9, 2007)

Can anybody tell me more about Captain Andy Thompson,


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## waimea (Dec 21, 2005)

Elaine

In the 1950s Ripa Island was used as a Sea Cadet camp and I stayed there many times. The 'dungeons' you refer to were gun emplacements and ammunition stores, plus accommdation from when the island was an army gun battery durning the Russian scare in the late 1980s and then WWI. Felix von Lucknow wrote two books about his seagoing exploits: The Sea Devil and The Sea Devil's Foc's'le. I have copies of both and the first mentioned deals with his WWI service as master of Seadler (Sea Eagle). He describes his time on Ripa Island. A wonderful place and so full of history - more attention should be paid to it.


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Von Luckner & Ripa Island*

Thank you for that. I am going to take my grandchildren there some time as the place is quite unique in NZ. I must look at the library and see if I can get my hands on those books. My grandfather was a bit of a wanderer according to his passport which I am lucky enough to have. How he fathered 8 children I don't know. Maybe each time he was on leave? The children were born 2 in London, 2 in Heodong Geognies, Hainaut, in Belgium(where my grandmother came from), 1 in Liverpool, my father in Melbourne, Australia and the last 2 in NZ. He had quite a number of fascinating posts all around the world. He also went to Sth Africa but we don't know why. My uncle said it was to visit his brother. What he was doing there I have yet to find out.

I have some pictures on him with the Te Tiare Taporo on the wharf at Papeete where he was the Vice Belgian Consul. One of those photos has written on the back, return to Tahiti of the shipwrecked crew. The pictures are very clear when scanned.

Cheers
Elaine


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## crxzy (Nov 15, 2007)

jan ruiter said:


> Can anybody tell me more about Captain Andy Thompson,


Hi there!

I am Captain Andy's grand daughter....my father is Philip Thomson one of his many sons....what would you like to know?


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## andysk (Jun 16, 2005)

Hi Elaine, 

I just chanced upon this fascinating thread, thought I recognised the name Ripa Island.

Take a look at the web site of the Palmerston Forts Society in Portsmouth, UK (URL : http://www.palmerstonforts.org.uk/rdan.htm). If you do a search on 'RIPA' on that page, it will lead you to an article in their journal Redan Nr 53, dated October 2001 which looks at Ripa Island. The second part of the Fortifications of NZ appears in Redan 57, Feb 2003

Normally they are available to members only, but they may well let you have transcripts.

Good hunting ....

Cheers

Andy


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## Raroyank (Sep 10, 2007)

Andy Thompson with was Captain of the Tiare Taporo when she sailed out of Rarotonga during the late 50’s and early 60's. His eldest son was Tony Thompson and was the Chief Officer and relief Captain of Moana Roa when Captain Alec Fraser was on holiday during the 1960 and 70’s. I was Ordinary Seaman on the Moana Roa for two years with Tony and I also knew Andy Thompson as my parents and I lived on Rarotonga. Andy also had two other sons (both were on the NZ coast as AB’s) Andy Jr and I can’t remember the other sons name right now, but when I knew him he was working on the tugs in Wellington.
Reply With Quote


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## Raroyank (Sep 10, 2007)

I knew Tom and have a photo of him. He lived there for a couple of years and was officially the Post Master but Cook Islands Government made him leave the island because they were worried about him being up there on his own; he was also starting to loose it a bit.


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## Raroyank (Sep 10, 2007)

Philip Thomson was the other son I was trying to think of. And yes I beieve Andy (the father) had a few other children around the islands as did many of the white male's in the early days.


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## echambo (Jul 3, 2006)

*Found more stuff!*

Thr article written by my uncle has been lent to me. I am in the process of typing it up and will then share it with you all.

Thanks also to the member who mentioned the "Sea Eagle". I have read this book now and found it interesting to read what a wily character this Von Lickner seemed to be. I have also borrowed the book "An Island to myself" and found that an amazing tale.

Thanks for the info guys.

Also interesting was the post from Andy Thompsons decendant.

Cheers
Elaine

I am attaching the phot of the castaways being welcomed ashore in Papeete.


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