The Fairmile Flotillas of the Royal New Zealand Navy, published in 1993,tells for the first time the story of New Zealand's Fairmile anti-submarine launches. Built hastily to defend New Zealand waters, they gained a second lease of life supporting American operations in the Solomons. 50 years later several survive as ferries and pleasure craft.
Author Ken Cassells served on these vessels. After the war he trained as a teacher and took a degree in history at Wellington's Victoria University. For the ensuing 35 years he taught at primary, secondary and tertiary levels in New Zealand and Africa, concluding his service to education with seven years as a deputy principal of the New Zealand Correspondance School.
