1947 Royal New Zealand Navy mutinies

During April 1947, the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) was affected by a series of peaceful mutinies amongst the enlisted sailors of four ships and two shore bases. Over 20% of the RNZN's enlisted personnel were punished or discharged for their involvement.

The main cause was the poor rates of pay compared to the rest of the New Zealand Defence Force (which was overall well behind equivalent civilian wages), and was instigated by the release of a government review on the matter. Complaints were that the new pay rates were still inferior to the other branches of the military, and the increases would be consumed by taxes, inflation, and cancellation of allowances and benefits. The conclusion of the review was a year overdue, but a previously promised backdating of the increase was not initially announced. The poor living and working conditions aboard RNZN ships was another issue, compounded by sailors having no effective way to make dissatisfaction known to the higher ranks (many experienced divisional officers had been discharged as part of post-war demobilisation efforts, and although lower-deck welfare committees had been implemented, they were not permitted to discuss or propose alterations to shipboard conditions). Dissatisfaction with peacetime duties and opportunities also contributed: many sailors were locked into enlistment periods of up to 12 years, and demobilisation efforts had prioritised those enlisted specifically for the duration of World War II.

The main mutiny started on the morning of 1 April, when around 100 sailors from the shore base HMNZS Philomel, in Devonport, declared their intent to refuse duty in protest of the governments' broken promises on pay. They were joined by another hundred personnel from the cruiser HMNZS Black Prince and the corvette HMNZS Arbutus, and marched off the base. After campaigning for three days and winning the right to backdated pay, the mutineers were offered a choice: return to duty and accept punishment, or be discharged. The majority chose the latter; these men were financially penalised, denied access to veterans' benefits, and had trouble finding other work because of government bans on employing them. The 23 who returned to duty were punished through rank reductions, reductions in rank and pay, or short periods of imprisonment.

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