GALLANT CRAFT

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22475, 9 January 1943, Page 4

GALLANT CRAFT

Motor Torpedo Boats New Zealanders Aboard Tlie little terriers nf the sea biting I bard at- the enemy in and about the English Channel area are building up a great record for daring and gallantry. They are the motor torpedo-boats, and those who man them include New Zealanders. one of whom was stated to be the youngest commander in the Navy. It is a matter of particular interest that of all the small fighting craft which go out from one particular hkrhour there is only one which has p name She. like the rest, is known officially by the red painted number on her bows, but her crew call her “Mararoa.” The clue is to be found in her New Zealand commander and first lieutenant, not to mention the coxswain, who went to New Zealand with the then Prince of Wales 2C years ago. “It made me feel old when the tall, bearded Number One of the Mararoa 'it means, I was told. Big Chief* said: ‘Yes. the coxswain passed through the hoop <over the Equator* the same year as I was born ” stated a newspaper man in giving his impressions of what he saw of the craft and their personnel. “It was hard to believe that one of these young New’ Zealand officers, now so typically a sailor, was. until about 18 months ago. working in a bank in Wellington. He did not come across the world to no purpose, as the Germans know to their cost and as his D.S.G shows.” Leader Pays Tribute Leader of one of these most dashing flotillas in British Coastal Forces Command is the naval officer who is nouac for his uncanny sighting of ships miles away by night. It was he who. in paying tribute recently to those of hit Command, made special reference to a young Neu r Zealander. George James Macdonald. That young New Zealand officer, he said, had a whole series of actions, gallantly fought, to his credit at the age»of 21. Sub-Lieutenant Jim Macdonald, who is a son of Mr and Mrs J. W. Macdonald, of Wellington, and who, like some of his comrades in the small fighting craft of the Navy, was a bank officer before going on active service, was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross some time ago. A copy of the London Gazette announcing The award has since come to hand, and the citation covering the award is given as follows:—“For gallantry, skill, and endurance while serving in HJd. Motor Torpedo Boats in action against the enemy.” It was Jim Macdonald who had the distinction of being the youngest commander, and he was mentioned specially in recently cabled accounts of thrilling action by the motor torpedoboats. Further light on the activities of the daring little ships is given by Lieut. H. L. Lloyd. D.S.C.. the officer previously mentioned as being in charge of one of the flotillas. "When I watched the small craft of the Coastal Forces going out from Dover to attack the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. with their crews all cheering like mad—although I for one did not expect to see them come back—it made me very proud to be part of the same Command.” he told an interviewer. “I have never seen anything finer than the spirit of those young men who went out in motorboats to fight battleships.” The young R.N. officer knew exactly what he was talking about. Lieut. Lloyd, at the age of 25. has been in command of motor torpedoboats since 1939. and in recent months has led one of the most dashing flotillas in British Coastal Forces Command. Slight of build, fair haired, and shy of manner, he has an unwonted collection of nicknames. To all his friends he i* “Harpy." The more spurious ones are “Napoleon’’ (because of a habit of inserting his hand in the lapel of his jacket) and “I -Saw-Them-First" (because of his remarkable power of vision at night*. No Escape for the Hun Lieut. Lloyd spoke of the Channel battle and emphasised the strategic importance of the task of the motor tor-pedo-boat and other small craft. "We are complementary to the R.A.F. bombing attack on Germany." he said. "We watch the back door to see there is no escape by sea for the Hun.’’ He spoke of one small M.T.B. of his flotilla which, under various commanders. had a record of six sinkings of enemy ships. He admitted that his own boat had three to her credit. "We do not mark these successes with swastikas (as most of the boats do* because I am rather superstitious and think they are unlucky." he said. He gave an account of another M.TB. which, while on fire and engaged in fighting off two German E-boats. fired | her torpedoes and sank a two or three thousand-ton enemy merchant vessel It was then that he spoke of the young New Zealander. Lieut. Jim Macdonald. Another story was of two radio operators who worked in relays in a burning motor vessel with ammunition going off all around them Lieut. Lloyd agreed that his boat had •assisted" in the sinking of a 5000-ton German ship, and then said: "It is so exciting, you know, that you do not have time to think about, the danger?’