Extract from Corvette Magazine November 1989

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Neil Roberts remembers the rescue operation mounted by his ship Dubbo after Wallaroo collided with the Henry Gilbert Costin during the early hours of 11 June 1945, to the west of Fremantle.

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“A RAAF Catalina had located the survivors and wreckage and, after dropping self-inflating life rafts, flew to where Dubbo was ploughing into rising seas off Rottnest Island and informed us of the position.

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Some time later we came across the first group of survivors, on the rafts. Our Skipper, Norman Weber, a top seaman, wisely continued on to those in greater need in the water, but had the bridge personnel to wave to the occupants of the rafts to reassure them that they had been seen.

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When we finally reached the area, Wallaroo was gone and its crew, scattered over a wide area, were clinging to anything that floated. The Skipper took us slowly in their midst, stopped engines and allowed Dubbo to drift down to those in the water.

 

Scrambling nets were of the side and it was just a matter of hauling them aboard. This was repeated a number of times. Several we fished for by trailing grass lines astern.

 

I vividly remember one of our crew, George Johnson, a lifesaver from Nobbys Beach, swimming the length of several heaving lines and after securing the line to the wreckage to which two men were clinging. Casually raising his arm in true lifesaver fashion before swimming back to the ship.

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An indication of the state of the seas was the comment by one lad as he stood dripping on our deck:  "I prayed you wouldn’t roll over as you were picking us up."

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I have often wondered if our Skipper received any recognition for his skill or George Johnson any award for bravery."