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04
Mar
Harrogate woman to be court-martialled after New Zealand navy ship sinks in Pacific
A Harrogate woman who was in charge of a $100 million New Zealand naval ship when it sank in the Pacific Ocean could face up to two years in prison for her part in its loss.
Commander Yvonne Gray – formerly a pupil of Bilton Grange Primary School and Granby High School, the predecessor to Harrogate High School – is to be court martialled under the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971, according to New Zealand media.
HMNZS Manawanui, a specialist dive and hydrographic survey vessel, sank off the coast of Samoa in October 2024 after hitting a reef.
All 75 crew and passengers abandoned ship safely, but an estimated 200,000 litres of diesel were reportedly spilled into the sea and the New Zealand government has offered to pay Samoa the equivalent of £2.75 million in compensation.
The HMNZS Manawanui heeling over before capsizing and sinking. Photo: Profile Boats.
It is the first time the Royal New Zealand Navy has ever lost a ship in peacetime, and the first time it has lost a ship for any reason since the Second World War.
Commander Gray faces alternate charges of “negligently permitting a ship to be lost” by being absent from the bridge near a known reef, or failing to attend her duty. She also faces a separate charge of failing to ensure “an appropriate plan was in place to manage the risks” of survey work near reefs.
The maximum sentence for a guilty verdict is two years in prison. Lesser punishments could include being dismissed from the navy, or forfeiting rank.
The HMNZS Manawanui still lies on the seabed in about 35 meters of water off Samoa. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force.
Two other officers will also face courts martial. Gray's deputy, a lieutenant commander who was the command supervisor on the bridge, is charged with “negligently permitting a ship to be lost”, after he allegedly failed to properly supervise and ensure the ship avoided the reef.
A third officer is charged with “negligently causing a ship to be lost”, allegedly turning the vessel toward a reef half a nautical mile ahead at more than four knots and failing to disengage autopilot or take manual control in time to prevent the grounding.
Prior to sinking, the HMNZS Manawanui had been involved in clearing Second World War bombs from shallow waters off Vanuatu. Photo: New Zealand Defence Force.
Commander Gray has not yet entered a plea, but she has indicated through her lawyer that she will defend the charges and has “endured a lot of unjustified criticism”.
A Court of Inquiry found that shore-based systems “failed to ensure the ship was properly ready”, with survey work done “without having completed the required seaworthiness review process”. It also said planning and training failures “played a significant part” in the loss.
Commander Gray was born and grew up in Harrogate, and following a degree from Lancaster University she spent nearly 20 years in the Royal Navy, before joining the Royal New Zealand Navy in 2012.
A spokesperson for the New Zealand Defence Force said the date and location of the court martial are yet to be set.
The Stray Ferret wrote about Commander Gray in 2022 when she took command of the ship.
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