S-a-1333 — Operations narrative, packing & local bank custody
This file contains correspondence and reports (1941) centred on V. E. Neilley’s role and observations during the Niagara salvage. The file assembles copies of cables and letters exchanged between Neilley, Captain J. P. Williams, the Commonwealth Bank, and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. These record the progressive recovery of bullion, including numbers of boxes and bars recovered on specific dates. Operational details are drawn from activities aboard the Claymore and its crew. These include grab operations, blasting to gain access to the bullion room, and diver inspections conducted from within the diving bell. Neilley’s reports describe sea and weather conditions affecting operations and note the intermittent nature of progress. They also record equipment adjustments, such as modifications to grab teeth, and periods when poor visibility, debris, or disturbed sediment halted work. The file includes administrative guidance on the custody and sealing of recovered boxes, with references to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s seal and temporary storage arrangements at Whangarei or Auckland. It also contains instructions recommending the use of written correspondence rather than cables in certain cases, to preserve operational secrecy.