[ Return ]

Dudley (Dud) McNabb, 90 years old this month

March 3rd, 2010
Profile supplied by Family

This month Motueka's Dudley McNabb celebrates his 90th birthday. He has always enjoyed life as a family man, while his working life was spent mostly in carpentry but also the navy.

Dud, as he is known to his family and friends, was born in Nelson in 1920. Brought up at Green Tree Road, Riwaka, along with his two brothers and six sisters, he attended Riwaka School. While he was there, he was part of the seven-a-side rugby team which won the 1931 championship.

On leaving school, Dud joined the scow Pearl Kasper under the captaincy of his uncle Sonny Tregidga. His career at sea continued on other coastal ships. One of these ships was the HMNZS Puriri which in November 1940 was taken over by the New Zealand Navy for conversion to a mine sweeper. As a crew member Dud enlisted in the navy at this time.

Just 25 days after being commissioned in April 1941, Puriri struck a mine off Bream Head near Whangarei and sunk within minutes. The captain and four seamen lost their lives. Dud survived and went on to serve on both HMNZS Gale and Cook, spending some of the war up in the Islands. His time in the Navy ended in July, 1944 when he was discharged on medical grounds.

During his time in the Navy he met and married Annie Signal. They had three children, Gae, Bruce and John. Sadly, John died in Melbourne in 2004.

After leaving the Navy, Dud completed a war rehabilitation course in carpentry and then moved to Hamilton to work for his cousin Floyd Franklyn. He stayed for 18 years. In 1964 Dud and Annie decided to return to Riwaka. They bought a section in Green Tree Road, next to the house he lived in as a child.

Keeping up his carpentry, he worked for John Wilson for several years. Over this period he built the family home in his spare time. Eventually he gave up the building trade and returned to sea again, fishing for Bill Roberts until he retired at the age of 65.

Since then he has spent many hours in his workshop, doing repair work for friends and making many interesting things for his family.

He always maintained a huge vegetable garden - in earlier days there were fruit trees. Whenever he could he would collect firewood from various free sources. He also spent many hours doing up bikes, making things for children, teaching them to drive and generally working hard to provide an intersting and memorable childhood.

In later years he always responded readily to requests from family and friends for help with house alterations and other chores.

Dud's hobbies were shooting and fishing, and in earlier days he even went gold prospecting. To this day he still potters in his workshop and maintains an impressive garden.

 
[ Return ]