Kookaburra2011
Nov. 4, 1960: HMAS QUICKMATCH assists a motorised junk off Singapore - Graeme Andrews.
3553. With the Royal Navy frigate HMS St. BRIDES BAY standing off to port, the fast anti-submarine frigate QUICKMNATCH went to the assistance of this motorised junk with engine disabled in the South China Sea late in 1960.
The junk, laden with rubber bales, was to sink while under tow during storms that night, requiring the rescue of the 46 people aboard.
There is an account of this incident at sea on a personal website by Phillip W. Bensted, ex-RAN, and devoted to his RAN and merchant marine service, which we happened across.
Phillip writes:'....On the 4th. November 1960, we were joined by an RN Frigate, HMS ST BRIDES BAY [F600] a day out from Singapore in the South China Sea, and later we came upon a disabled motorised junk. The Engineering Officer went over to see if the engine could be fixed only to find the enterprising Indonesians had almost completely stripped it down trying to rectify the problem. The CO decided to tow the junk to Singapore. During the night we encountered storms and the junk sank. There were 46 people on board and all were rescued and locked down in the tiller flat which was a smelly space where spare mooring ropes and fenders were kept. We departed the area which was strewn with the junk's cargo of rubber bales...'
Maritime writer Graeme Andrews was also member of HMAS QUICKMATCH's company, among a number of RAN ships on which he served.
Photo Graeme Andrews, RAN 1955-1968, RANR 1982, from a private disc, with permission.
Nov. 4, 1960: HMAS QUICKMATCH assists a motorised junk off Singapore - Graeme Andrews.
3553. With the Royal Navy frigate HMS St. BRIDES BAY standing off to port, the fast anti-submarine frigate QUICKMNATCH went to the assistance of this motorised junk with engine disabled in the South China Sea late in 1960.
The junk, laden with rubber bales, was to sink while under tow during storms that night, requiring the rescue of the 46 people aboard.
There is an account of this incident at sea on a personal website by Phillip W. Bensted, ex-RAN, and devoted to his RAN and merchant marine service, which we happened across.
Phillip writes:'....On the 4th. November 1960, we were joined by an RN Frigate, HMS ST BRIDES BAY [F600] a day out from Singapore in the South China Sea, and later we came upon a disabled motorised junk. The Engineering Officer went over to see if the engine could be fixed only to find the enterprising Indonesians had almost completely stripped it down trying to rectify the problem. The CO decided to tow the junk to Singapore. During the night we encountered storms and the junk sank. There were 46 people on board and all were rescued and locked down in the tiller flat which was a smelly space where spare mooring ropes and fenders were kept. We departed the area which was strewn with the junk's cargo of rubber bales...'
Maritime writer Graeme Andrews was also member of HMAS QUICKMATCH's company, among a number of RAN ships on which he served.
Photo Graeme Andrews, RAN 1955-1968, RANR 1982, from a private disc, with permission.