Kiwi Minesweeping Flotilla’s Part In Aiding Eighth Army

Northern Advocate, 17 January 1944, Page 2

Kiwi Minesweeping Flotilla’s Part In Aiding Eighth Army

(Special) LONDON. January 16. Fuller details may now be published of important help given by a small flotilla of minesweepers in the Eighth Army's advance from Ei Agheila to Tripoli. Tito flotilla was commanded by Commander George Irvine. D.S.C.. R.N.R.. formerly of Masterton. Lieu-tenant-Commander C. G. Palmer, D.S.C.. formerly of Auckland, and the Shaw Saville Company.

Commander Irvine attended a conference with high Eighth Army officials where he learned that the army in Cyrenaica had only 10 days supplies. He was told that if the army was to advance to Tripoli it was essential that the sea should be cleared of mines to allow the convoy to arrive at Tripoli immediately after the army. The alternative was a possible retreat because Benghazi was so badly battered it was then useless as a port. Commander Irvine had five sweepers. He took these and motor launches, to gether with 12 L.C.T.S. (tank landing craft), which were crammed full of supplies for the Eighth Army. He was informed he was to consider every ship “expendable.” except those landing craft which must reach Tripoli within eight days. Reach Tripoli Safely

It was a grim little fleet which set out from Tobruk for Tripoli. Once the ships were ordered to turn back but later they continued the sweep. At 6 o’clock one morning they arrived outside Homs and saw German soldiers ashore. They guessed they were prisoners but actually the Germans had not yet been made prisoner for the Eighth Army had by-passed Homs, which was not “mopped up" until 10 a.m. the same morning. En route to Tripoli from Homs they found a minefield and cleared a narrow channel for the landing craft which reached Tripoli on time. The next day sweepers widened the channel for the convoy which “bunty” Palmer, in H.M.S. Cromarty, led into the harbour.

A few days later Mr Churchill inspected the minesweeping fleet, circling it in a launch in which also were General Montgomery and Commander Irvine.

It was on this inspection that General Montgomery learned that the first and second in command of the flotilla were New Zealanders and he remarked with a smile: “Oh. a Wiwi flotilla, eh.” a name, which eventually stuck, although 95 per cent of the ships’ companies were Englishmen. General Montgomery also said to Commander Irvine: “You know I am very fond of the Kiwis. They have been the backbone of this campaign.”

A few days later General Montgomery paid a special visit to the flotilla and addressed all the ships’ companies. He congratulated them on their role as “a vital link” in the operations. He impressed everyone by the thoroughness of his inspection, even visiting the galleys and commenting with approval on the ships’ cocoa. Record Sweep Later the flotilla continued sweeping to Soussc, thus completing a record long distance sweep—l 800 miles in five months. When the King visited Malta Commander Irvine’s flotilla did a check sweep preceding His Majesty's ship. Subsequently Commander Irvine went to the Levant and then acted as escort on convoys through the Mediterranean, being in the action when seven Gei’man aircraft were shot down off Spain. He arrived in London this week. Lieutenant-Commander Irvine joined the Shaw Savill Company in 1930 and became an engineer. At the beginning of the war he was in the northern patrol, boarding ships attempting to run the blockade to Germany. Lieutenant-Commander Irvine later was engaged on the defences at Scapa Flow and then did experimental minesweeping for a year. Lieutenant-Com-mander Palmer continued sweeping around Sicily and commanded the flotilla which captured an Italian submarine. His ship subsequently was mined. He is now in England making a steady recovery. Lieutenant-Com-mander Irvine cannot speak too highly of Commander Palmer, who. he says, is outstanding in courage and ability.