Naval History Lesson – HMNZS Charles Upham

HMNZS Charles Upham (AO2) was a roll-on/roll-off logistics ship operated by the Royal New Zealand Navy from 1995 to 2001. It was named after Charles Upham, New Zealand’s most decorated combat soldier and the only combat soldier ever awarded the Victoria Cross twice.

The ship has become one of the most controversial defence procurements in New Zealand history.

Key points:

• Originally built in Denmark in 1984 as the civilian ferry/cargo ship Mercandian Queen II.
• Bought by New Zealand in 1994 for military sealift duties — transporting troops, vehicles, and supplies.
• Commissioned as HMNZS Charles Upham in 1995.
• During sea trials and exercises, the vessel suffered severe rolling and stability problems in rough seas. On one voyage it reportedly rolled up to 37 degrees, causing serious concern among the crew.
• Sailors nicknamed it “Charles Chuckam” and “Chuck-Up.”
• Plans to modify the ship proved too expensive, and it never fulfilled its intended military role.
• From 1998 it was chartered commercially in the Mediterranean carrying citrus fruit, which led critics to mock it as “the lemon ship.”
• The New Zealand government sold the vessel in 2001.

After leaving NZ service, the ship operated under several civilian names including Don Carlos and later Nusantara Sejati in Indonesia. Remarkably, it was still reported active as recently as 2024.