HMAS Cootamundra pays off

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When Cootamundra went to Ambon on 8 September 1945 with Glenelg, Junee and Latrobe she brought off 15 Australians, nine American and six Dutch ex-P.O.W.s. There was also one Japanese prisoner, Iko Ouchi. The starboard boiler gave trouble on the return voyage to Morotai and had to be shut down. The boiler was repaired in Morotai. There was a change of command. Lieut. Commander H.J. Hull RANR was transferred to command HMAS Deloraine. Lieut. K.R.Gourlay RANR assumed command of Cootamundra.

On 21 September 1945 three Army officers and 100 troops were taken aboard for passage to Ambon. The voyage was made with Rockhampton, Latrobe and Junee. Glenelg arrived a day later than the others and set up a port directorate. The occupation troops were disembarked on the 23rd and Japanese working parties unloaded their stores. Ratings joined the combined ships’ armed guard for the peace proclamation by Brigadier Steele. Those not in the guard went ashore as spectators.

At 6pm Cootamundra, Rockhampton, Junee and Latrobe returned to Morotai arriving on the 25th.Next day was an emotional one for Cootamundra. She was to head South for decommissioning and with her paying off pennant flying, she circled all HMA Ships in the bay then taking HMAS Leilani in tow. Corvettes were regarded as tugboats as part of their duties. Morale in the ship was high. They were going south after 15 months service in forward areas. Petty Officer C.A.N. South, service number PA1380 had been with the ship as coxswain since her commissioning.

There was endless trouble with Leilani. Because of the bad weather, most of the tow was at 4 knots. During the run to Townsville, inside the Barrier Reef, the starboard boiler broke down again. In bad weather the speed was reduced to two knots, Leilani having to be pumped dry. They took on fuel in Brisbane and delivered Leilani to Sydney at 7p.m. on 27 October.

The crew was ready for leave. This was not to be. At 9 pm Cootamundra was ordered to Port Stephens to stand by four fishing boats secured to a wharf in Nelson Bay. Next morning Cootamundra was detailed to tow one of the fishing boats to Newcastle but the fishing boat ran aground off Fly Point. By this time there was a force six gale to contend with. In the ensuing handling of the fishing boats Cootamundra lost one of its anchors and ended up delivering one of the fishing boats to Newcastle, then returning to Sydney.

Lieut. Gourlay sent a deserved  blister off to NOIC Sydney. His ship had been north since June 1944 and in that time the crew had only four days leave at Cairns in November 1944. More consideration should have been shown, particularly as hostilities has ceased. The ship sailed for Melbourne on 31 October to pay off. She had steamed 80,645.8 miles since commissioning on 30 April 1943. Her average speed had been 9.461 knots.

 Gil Walquist ex  Rockhampton