Wartime Recollections: Eric (Mac) McFadyen. Master Burns Philp & Co. Torres Strait Pilot Ret'd.

When Prime Minister Menzies declared War on Nazi Germany on 3rd September 1941 (IMND) with Britain, Canada and New Zealand, I was 3rd Mate of the MV Macdhui berthed at No. 7 Walsh Bay Sydney, Neil Gillies was 2nd Mate and (Big) Jim Campbell was Mate, Bill (Blue Shirt) Michie was Master. The declaration of war was made at 8pm in the evening and it was next afternoon that Campbell came to Gillies and I and said "Alright get your Jackets on. We are going down to HMAS Rushcutter to volunteer for the Navy" It was that way with Big Jim and I have never known anybody to argue with him, so a taxi was called and off we went to join the Navy. On arrival at Rushcutter the queue stretched way out into New South Head Road and the taxi driver wanted to drop us off at the tail, but Jim told him to drive up to the doorway and in we went, all three and asked for the officer in charge. Campbell and Gillies had Masters tickets and were rejected as being over qualified for anything the navy could offer at the time, I was told that they were over manned with all the young reserves coming in and it was suggested that I might reapply when I had a Master's ticket.

When  Macdhui  had completed our normal voyage around New Guinea we were directed to Finschafen to pick up the Lutherans of military age some of whom it was known had trained with the Nazis in Germany. We had on our last call at Rabaul been given a half dozen hastily trained young fellows as New Guinea Volunteer Rifles under our Burns Philp Stevedore (ex Sargeant !st World War) now Major. As we sailed from the anchorage with the POW's the families were there in their launch with the German Swastika flag flying and giving a most hearty rendition of "Sig Heil"over and over again. It was a funny situation for although we had been distrustful of one another, we had been on a  first name terms basis for years. The prisoners were housed in the labour line accomodation with a NGVR Rifleman seated on No.5 hatch armed and at the ready day and night, until one steamy afternoon a German prisoner arrived on the bridge and handed a startled Second Mate a rifle. Seems that after a first class lunch and a beer our guardsman must have dozed off. No further incidents before the POW"s were duly handed over at No. 6 Walsh Bay Sydney.

The next few months went along more or less peacefully in much as we had always done though we were up to the northern end of New Guinea when the German Raider in the vicinity was landing their excess prisoners on the island to the north of New Ireland. We remained holed up in Madang for three days.

Arriving back in Sydney after a couple of voyages Captain Reid Marine Superintendent told me to pay off as he had been informed that my mother was in the Waverly War Memorial Hospital and was expected to die within the week, Bruno Raymond (of Jaywick fame) replaced me as Second Mate. My Mother passed away and I was signed on Second Mate of  MV Malaita and that was my introduction to those two characters Bill Wilding and Gordon Howe, never a dull moment with those two continuously trying to score points on one another, and it was remarkable that they should both end up on the original Guardalcanal invasion fleet with the American Forces, Bill was of course too exciteable for such an event, Gordon went to do great things around the Solomon Islands with the American Forces and was decorated by the American President accordingly.

Malaita was still making voyages Sydney, Brisbane, thence via Townsville, Cairns, Samarai, Tulagi and the many small stops (you could not call them ports) to Rabaul. Back again to all stops to Samarai back loading copra etc. thence to Brisbane and Sydney.On our second last voyage to Rabaul the Japanese were well and truly into the war by this time and it was on the south bound  trip, when we were picking up and evacuating all the women and children we could carry that I met my wife to be and her mother from Kieta. 

On our last trip into Rabaul, that it was, as we were passing  Matupi airport that we became aware of bombs landing on the runway and out into the harbour, and in our direction. Fortunately they all fell short of us, and we were able to complete our work in Rabaul and be on our way before the invasion took place

Ex Rabaul we had Taurishma and all the other Jap shopkeepers as POW's but no escort, so we had to lock them all in the cabins and leave our passengers to sleep in the public rooms, until we cleared Tulagi then the Japs went into the labour line accomodation and the passengers to the cabins.

On a call en- route at Townsville, of all people, the engine room ratings refused to sail unless we were given some means of defending ourselves against the Japs and it was remarkable how quickly the navy in Townsville had some strengthening installed on the deckhead of the hospital on the poop deck and a12 pounder gun firmly in place. As second Mate I became gunnery officer and we were given two naval ratings to show us how to use the thing. Shells were supplied including three practice rounds and we fired these off when we were passing along the east coast of Bougainville and actually sank the constructed target with the third shot. Captain Duddell replaced Bill Wilding as Master and Bill Colquhoun replaced Howe as Mate and Wilding and Howe went to the US Navy, and the Guardalcanal invasion. MV Macdhui had been bombed and sunk in Port Moresby Harbour and finished, by now Malaita  was on the Sydney, Brisbane, Townsville, Port Moresby run returning via North Queensland Ports with sugar for the CSR terminal in Sydney. 

With Malaita now on Moresby only run these were lively days with the impending Japanese invasion. We had just let go from the wharf on the "alert alarm" and manned the 12 pownder with its 15 degree elevation, when the Japs came in to attack the airport at ten or fifteen thousand feet. As things really hotted up by this time we were fitted with two .5 Oerlikon guns in the wing of the bridge. and so we come to the torpedoing on the 29th August 1942.

My recollections are as follows. Cleared Basilisk Passage around noon and HMAS Arunta passed along our starboard side and took up position ahead, called us up on the aldis lamp and informed "Will escort you for one hour then you must proceed alone" Think I had just put the lamp down when the torpedo struck amidships of number three hatch and exploded on the bulkhead between numbers 2 and 3 hatches. I blacked out with the explosion for as I came to Duddell and Colquhoun were on the bridge and ringing stop engines, and giving appropriate instructions. Arunta was calling us again and asked "Why have you stopped?" My reply was "torpe" and zoong Arunta was gone clear over the horizon. Seems there was a Greek ship approaching from the west and Arunta went to direct her to an  anchorage at Yule Island.

Malaita then took a fantastic list and we thought she would roll over, and we abandoned ship to the lifeboats and stood off. Some time later there was smoke starting to come from the galley area, and we reboarded to extinguish the fire in the galley caused by an oil spillage from the list and igniting.

 Air Sea Rescue was out and picked up the carpenter and the ordinary seaman, both blown overboard in the explosion whilst securing the anchors on the f''ocsle and had scrambled onto a raft. As the ASR launch came up to them O.S. Kevin MacIntosh raised his thumb and loudly called "Taxi." 

Arunta was back about one hour later and commenced dropping depth charges. I believe that Commander Morrow claimed a kill! Burns Philp's ship Matupi came up and towed us back into the harbour and we anchored for the night. Next day Arunta came alongside and moved us up to an anchorage behind Titana Island. A skeleton crew was kept aboard and I was sent south with the rest of the crew to Townsville, thence by train to Sydney. Malaita was eventually towed to Sydney and     lay alongside number 6 Walsh Bay for the rest of the war and for some time later, due to the massive damage sustained and the amount of time required in dry dock to repair, it was decided not to tie up a drydock for so long and till well into the future.

Captain Reid met us at Central Railway Station and as we had a compulsory months leave after llosing a ship I was told to use it to gain my Master's Ticket, don't worry if you require more time at school. After I did pass for Master some nine weeks later I was told by Head office " Don't bother to get in touch with the Navy we have already notified them and you are sailing from Athol Bight mooring at 1700 hrs. on the Montoro for Melbourne. 

Back from Melbourne I was put on standby to go as Mate of Tulagi on her service with the Royal Navy Fleet Train, from India to the Mediterranean but McManus went there instead of me and he was lost, when Tulagi was torpedoed between Fremantle  and Colombo, that story is on our website Burns Philp Ships Tulagi 

For more information visit www.merchant-navy-ships.com

FORGOTTEN MARINERS.

An Artticle by Captain P. Andrews.

September/October issue of "Reveille" shows President Rusty Priest unveiling a memorial of a propeller from a minesweeper. This is great.

Australia has had Merchant Ships to despatch its Colonial armed forces personnel to war fighting or peacekeeping operations since 1885, when a New South Wales contingent went to the Sudan.

Forces from several colonies were transported to the Anglo/Boer War 1899/1902. Post Federation Australian Forces were deployed to the Boxer Rebellion, 1900/1901 and to the First World War ("The Great War") 1914/1918.We are all for it, but then the story went on to say that it was Naval Ships that took our Service men and women away in World War11.

This is most incorrect, as not one Naval ship embarked any service personnel anywhere, embarkation was all done by Merchant ships manned by Merchant Seamen, The Allied Merchant Service suffered more casualties on a per capita basis (one in six) than any of the other armed services.(one in thirty three). '86% of MN casualties were deaths, compared to 16% of the Armed Services. (People and past Governments have forgotten the part played by the Allied Merchant Navies, a situation we hope to have rectified by having  International Mechant Navy Day 3rd September (IMND)  Proclaimed as a day of Remembrance. 

Australia has used Merchant Ships to despatch its Colonial or national armed forces personnel to war fighting or peacekeeping since 1885 Sudan, Anglo/Boer War 1899/1902, Boxer Rebellion 1900/1901, First World war (Great War) 1914/1918. 

By far, Australia's largest commitment of armed forces was to the Second World War 1939/1945, one which, besides other menaces the Japanese threat to Australia itself was very real. Since then, combat operations in Korea, the Malayan emergency Vietnam as well as numerous peacemaking and peacekeeping tasks have engaged the Australian Defence Force. 

The first casualties of World Wars 1 and 2 were Merchant Seamen, Let us not forget the evacuation of Gallipoli this was achieved by the Merchant Service - not the Navy- The thousands of Australian and New Zealanders who were evacuated owe their lives to the Merchant service. 

Let us give credit where credit is due and never forget the essential role played by the Merchant Navy the sacrifices made by seafarers in securing the freedoms we enjoy today whose final resting place is the bosom of the ocean. 

They are the Forgotten Fourth Arm of the Services.