SALVAGE OF SHIPS

Grey River Argus, 1 December 1943, Page 2

SALVAGE OF SHIPS

Australian Feats MANY MILLIONS OF POUNDS SAVED. , (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Riec 5 5) SYDNEY, Nov.. 30. In'twenty months of i . ts ' the Commonwealth Marine Salvage Board has been responsible for saving war materials and vessels wortn. many million pounds. < In six operations alone, the value of war materials and ships recovered aggregated sixteen million pounds. . Much of this material was urgently required on fighting fronts. Some of the achievements of the Australian sal-

vage organisation have now been told. Vessels sunk by bombing have been raised. Other cargoes have been salvaged from hopeless wrecks. The Australian Salvage Board established its own school to train divers and other personnel for the work. One twelve thousand ton Allied freighter, on her maiden voyage, was driven on to the Australian coast. She broke in the middle, and the two halves of her were thrown hundreds of feet apart. Some 11,000 tons of war materials and military and hospital equipment, and thousands of drums of fuel oil appeared to be lost. However, salvage was completed from barges and lighters in a rough sea. All of the cargo, to a value of three million pounds was recovered. The forward half of the shattered vessel was later sealed off as a store ship. While +h’’s work was going on three Other freighters, each carrying cargo! worth 1 about three million pounds, WOES