Temporary Lieutenant Noel Brostow from Christchurch was educated at Mt Albert Grammar in Auckland before joining the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve, under the auspices of Scheme B in February 1944. After completing basic training at HMNZS TAMAKI on Motuihe Island, he sailed for Britain onboard the Blue Funnel Line passenger ship PRIAM, proceeding to the training establishment HMS GANGES for further training as was customary for Scheme B candidates.
His first ship posting was to the cruiser HMS DAUNTLESS, which at that time was active in the North Sea – Scapa Flow. Once Brostow had completed his mandatory sea time he was then sent to HMS KING ALFRED for Officer training. After being commissioned, combined operations claimed him and by early 1945 he was carrying out training and beaching trials onboard LST 3021 in preparation for the imminent invasion of Malaya. The invasion force, known as Operation Zipper had no sooner arrived in the area, with a division of the Indian Army onboard, when the Japanese surrendered.
Brostow was then posted to Singapore where he helped with the prisoners of war and the general tidy up of that city. He then sailed to Bangkok, where he disembarked and waited for a flight to Australia, finally flying in a DC3 to Melbourne via Darwin and Adelaide. In Melbourne he boarded the troop carrier ATHLONE CASTLE for Auckland, where he disembarked. His final postings were to the shore establishments HMNZS COOK and HMNZS TASMAN.
In March of 1946, having attained the rank of Temporary Lieutenant, Brostow was discharged from the Royal New Zealand Navy.
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