John Owens Wann

John Owens Wann was born 22 November 1911 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was the only son of Capt. Edmond James Wann and Florence Wann (nee Owens). John was educated at Waitaki Boys High School, New Zealand. His first employment was on farms until in 1931 he went to sea as ship's boy on a scow running betweeen Auckland and Whangarei. Then followed 3 years as a deckhand/mate on 'S/S Duchess'
under his father's command in Hauraki Gulf (Auckland) passenger trade.
In 1934 he made a voyage to the United Kingdom on 'S/S Sultan Star' carrying chilled beef, and in 1936 John joined 'RMS Ascania' passenger liner on the London, Quebec and Montreal service.

In 1936 John was one of the able seamen on crew of 'QSRMS Queen Mary' and it was on his first voyage ('Queen mary's' sixth voyage) that she gained the Blue Riband of the Atlantic with record speeds for the crossing. Two runs home to Auckland in "S S Akaroa' preceded 2 years as Quartermaster in 'TSS Corfu' on China and Japan passenger and mail service from London. Six weeks in King Edward VII Nautical School in London 1838 put John through Second Mate Foreign Going, followd by a couple of months on 'MV Pacheco' in Spain and Portugal trade.

John then joined 'MV Kaipaki' as Third mate in 1939, war breaking out in September that year. He was Second mate in Sydney 1940 and left the ship in Liverpool 1941. After attending Nautical College at Glasgow University, John passed Mate Foreign Going and in 1942 joined 'TSS City of Marseilles' on South Africa and India Passenger and Cargo Service via Cape of Good Hope. John was paid-off into Colombo Hospital in June 1943, after the vessel wrecked on the east coast of Ceylon. This was to be John's last trip of the war , however he didn't reach that destination as the ship grounded on a coral reef about one and a half miles from the coast. During the subsequent salvage operation John broke his ankle and was admitted to hospital in Colombo. He returned to Auckland DBS on 'SS Mulberra' and 'USS Co Kurow'.

In 1943 John Owens Wann married Jeanne Bertrande de Lautour and passed for Master Foreign Going in the same year. He stevedored for US Armed Forces in Auckland and for Colonial Sugar Company until 1946 when he joined the Auckland Harbour Board where he served for 30 years. He passed for a Restricted Engineers Certificate, and in 1956 John Wann passed for Pilot's Licence for Auckland. John was the father of 3 daughters.

Retiring in 1976, John continued to work in a voluntary capacity on Auckland's North Shore. He was a Freemason and a member of the Probus Club and a regular visitor to the Lady Allum Home in Milford where for many years he assisted at the weekly Church service. In his later years John was called upon to address historical societies, clubs and on the radio, such was his knowledge of ships and shipping both in New Zealand and overseas.

John Owens Wann died in 2003.