S-a-1325 — Introductory letters / Contract beginnings

This file contains early 1940 correspondence relating to Captain J. P. Williams’s engagement in the salvage of the Niagara. It includes a letter from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, dated 23 October 1940, confirming receipt of a confidential communication and recording Williams’s arrival in Wellington. The records identify him as the principal salvage operator and document notifications exchanged between banking and government authorities to confirm his role and facilitate coordination. Although administrative in nature, the file marks the commencement of the salvage operation, documenting the transition from planning to active recovery and establishing the framework for the subsequent operational, technical, and financial records of the project.