A national security investigation in Derwent Street 1914

I eagerly awaited the release of the files, held in Archives New Zealand, which I first saw listed in the Archives holdings some years ago. The files related to “Wireless Equipment, Derwent Street” and were dated to the start of World War One. “Wireless”, in those days, was the new technology of communicating by radio waves, rather than over cables. I speculated that, just maybe, given the proximity to the coast, someone had been sending signals to German raiders cruising Cook Strait. I thought that, just maybe, The Society and Southern Bays would become famous for discovering an unknown spy story of World War One. 

So it was with a sense of anticipation and hope that I unwound the green tape and opened the file in the Archive reading room. The sequence of papers began promisingly enough:

Urgent: Detective Sgt Rawles

The inspector has been informed that a wireless plant was installed at 10 Derwent St Island Bay which is stated to be next to a house occupied by a W. Plummer. The plant may be up or may have been dismantled. The directory shows that number 10 is occupied by Mr(s) D Glower, a “plumber” and number 12 by Frederick Mueller a clerk. Other Germans may live there. Walter Andrews and electrical engineer whose business address is Holland St lives at number 16 Derwent St. 29.9.14

But it was downhill after that:

Detective Sgt Rawle re alleged wireless plant at 10 Derwent St Island Bay vide attached. I respectfully report having proceeded to Derwent st and from a hill immediately at the back of that street and overlooking from numbers 10 to Number 30.

I could see all that each yard contained only chimney stacks windows etc none of which showed any signs of a wireless plant. Immediately at the rear of these houses are two families named Battersby and Rutter, both of whom are known me personally. They informed me that at no time have they ever seen anything in the nature of a wireless plant in the vicinity. Lt Denniston informs me that his informant whose name he does not wish to disclose now tells him that the plant he referred to was one that a man named Grace employed in the P&T had when living in Cornwall St Island Bay and which had been dismantled. The circumstances surrounding it described by Lt Denniston “were quite all right”. It seems more than likely Lt Denniston has misunderstood his informant in the first place. L Rawle Det Sgt.