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From: Lyle <>
Subject: Re: [HV] Newcastle in the war years.
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 11:18:49 -0800
References: <004a01c3ef69$1ac18300$f86d4518@cc.shawcable.net><004001c3efb2$da254a80$5e68dccb@computer>


Dear Mike,
Thank you.
I will add that note to my Mother's.
My Father was one of the deck officers, Eric Duncan Carruthers. According to
my Mothers notes " he was changing ships and he had had no leave for ages
and was given two weeks leave while waiting for his next ship.That was on
Sunday. On Monday he had to go into town. They were changing articles, and
there was ship's business to wind up, everything secret, so I went round the
shops. The business completed I met The Captain, the new Mate, the radio
officer and my husband for lunch, a very pleasant and happy affair.
So Eric and I went back to the Brooder House...........
The ship sailed the next day Tuesday, she was blown up off Norah Head about
9 pm.
The bridge, the radio room and officers quarters: The Captain was killed,
the Radio Officer was killed, and the new mate was killed and two
Engineers..........
They believed it was a big ocean going Submarine the mother ship to those
small submarines that bombed Sydney she then proceeded to shell
Newcastle................
Rosemary Lyle nee Carruthers.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Harvey" <>
To: <>
Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 12:48 AM
Subject: Re: [HV] Newcastle in the war years.


> Rosmary asked,
>
> > I am reading the reminiscenses of my Mother In about June1942, she
writes
> that a Japanese submarine sunk a BHP ship was blown up off Norah Head at
> about 9p.m
> > Does anyone have access to what was happenning in Newcastle during the
war
> ?
>
> From my notes file on my father:
>
> Source: Dept.of Transport. Canberra.ACT.
> Iron Chieftain Signed on 29.12.1941 at Newcastle Paid off at Newcastle
> 03.06.1942
>
> From a heavily censored local paper of the time:
>
> "In June 1942 George was serving on the "Iron Chieftain" when she was
> torpedoed
> by a Japanese submarine 35 miles off Sydney.(Newcastle Morning Herald
> 4.6.1942)"
>
> "George was pretty disgusted with the treatment of Merchant Navy Seaman by
> the War Department.
>
> The minute the ship was sunk he was off the payroll.
> The survivors rowed for three days around the Tasman Sea before they made
> landfall at Terrigal NSW on the 06.06.1942.
> No real effort had been put in to searching for them. It had been assumed
> that the ship went down with all hands.
>
> Merchant seamen were not entitled to any benefits on offer to all other
> "enlisted" personnel in the regular services. No sick pay, no medical
> services, etc. With 3 children and a wife to support, it was no wonder he
> was back at sea within 7 weeks on the first available rostered BHP ship.
At
> wars end, he, along with other Merchant Navy Seaman, was not even offered
> Repat. benefits after the war. Not even paid for the three days rowing!
>
> No wonder he did not bother to collect his service medals."
>
> In 1992 at the 50th Memorial Service of this event at Civic Park in
> Newcastle, I spoke to a number of my father's old ship mates who were
among
> the survivors of this attack.
> Their attitude was much the same as my fathers.
> Not one had a kind word for the powers to be of the time.
>
> Regards,
> Mike Harvey
> Newcastle NSW
>
> ne probas spurii te in pulverem conterere
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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