RESCUE OF MEN ON WAHINE

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26524, 12 September 1951, Page 8

RESCUE OF MEN ON WAHINE

THANKS TO CREW OF TANKER

GOVERNMENT TO SEND LETTERS

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 11.

Each member- of the crew of the Stanvac Karachi is to receive an embossed letter from the New Zealand Government expressing its appreciation of what was done by the ship’s company in going to the rescue of the troops and others aboard the wrecked Wahine. The letters will be signed by the Prime Minister (Mr Holland), the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald), and the Minister of Marine (Mr W. S. Goosman).

The master of the Stanvac Karachi (Captain A. C. Holden) and his officers were the guests of the Government at afternoon tea to-day. Mr Holland said that in the name of the people and Government of New Zealand he wished to express sincere gratitude tq all members of the crew for the splendid job they had done in going to the rescue. Every person aboard was taken off safely, and a grateful country wished to express thanks for what the crew of the Stanvac Karachi had done. Such rescues at sea were not the easiest thing in the world, but because it had gone off so smoothly it was regarded as an everyday occurrence. Captain Holden returned thanks on behalf of every member of the ship's company. He said that he did only what any other mariner would have done.

The general manager of the Vacuum Oil Company (Mr R. Martin), on behalf of the company, thanked the Prime Minister for his acknowledgement of the efforts of Captain Holden and his crew.

The function was attended by Ministers of the Crown, the Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces, the Mayors of Wellington and Auckland, and maritime officials.

Officials of the Union Steam Ship Company also met Captain Holden during the afternoon, and presented a silver tea service and silver tray as a token of the company's appreciation.

MASTER’S STORY OF RESCUE

TROOPS “ NOT SORRY TO GET ASHORE” (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 11.

Rescuing 570 K Force men and the Wahine’s officers and crew from their wrecked ship and taking them to Darwin sounded a simple operation when described to-day at Wellington by Captain A. C. Holden, of the Stanvac Karachi. "■

His ship was 80 miles away when she received the SOS from the stranded Wahine at 5.3 a.m. on August 15, said Captain Holden. “Six minutes later, after radioing our New York head office, our ship was turned from her course, and we headed for the Wahine. In five hours we were alongside the Wahine. We didn’t need a Lincoln bomber to find her either — the plane didn’t show up till we were eight or nine miles away.” Transferring the troops from the Wahine to the Stanvac Karachi went on steadily for 12 hours,, the tanker’s two motor-boats towing the Wahine’s lifeboats crowded with soldiers. "We started about 10 a.m. and had them all aboard by 10 p.m. The boats made 19 trips,” said Captain Holden.

“Lack of water was our big problem,” he added. “If we had had plenty of water I would have ’ steered for Singapore, and taken the troops there instead of Darwin. I didn’t ration the water, but I would have if it had been necessary. “They behaved very well. They played the bagpipes' and sang or just slept where they were on the decks on the way back to Darwin. But, my word, they were not sorry to get ashore.”

SUPPLIES FOR K FORCE TROOPS

(N 2. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.5 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 11. The Panamanian freighter, Swan, will leave Newcastle for Japan tomorrow with several hundred tons of supplies for New Zealand troops in Korea.

They will include clothing blankets, and Red Cross supplies which should have gone by the Wahine, which was wrecked on Masela Island, north of Darwin.