Extract from Corvette magazinge

 

 

Following the story titled Bunbury and Sub Collide at Sea page 4, Corvette Volume 4 issue 2 June 2014 we received a reply from our member Don Amery ex Launceston.

 

Launceston to the Rescue

 

On 17th December, 1944 I was part of the crew of the Launceston J179, which had been participating in exercises at sea off Fremantle with British and American submarines. On return to Fremantle we berthed as our ship was due for a boiler clean. All boilers were shut down and most of the crew was given leave, and many sailors returned to their interstate homes.

 

I was part of skeleton crew which remained and we were divided into two watches, Red and Green. My watch, Green Watch, was given leave until midnight, so off we went to the movies. Half way through the show a message appeared on the screen, ‘The crew of J179 return to your ship immediately.’

 

We were needed to escort the Bunbury and Sea Rover back to Fremantle. By the time we returned to the ship, the enthusiastic stokers were already on the job. They had used a huge amount of oil to light the boilers in order to get steam up quickly so we could head out to sea on our rescue mission.  Just after midnight our ship, the Launceston, slipped out to sea.

 

On return, we found that the Fremantle locals weren’t very happy. We had successfully laid a black oily smoke screen completely over the city for the duration of the night and black smoke had enveloped all their homes.

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Extract from Corvette Magazine January 1990

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THE COMMANDING OFFICER    FCPB HMAS FREMANTLE writes: -

 

I am on exchange from the Royal Navy for 2 years and have now assumed command of HMAS Launceston for the next 18 months. I hope that during the next 18 months I will be able to act as the link between your Association and the ship, by keeping you up to date on what we are doing. If there is some other way that we can help to  maintain the bond between your Association and Launceston, please do not hesitate to let me know.

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At present we are on our way back to Darwin with a fishing vessel we arrested inside the AFZ  about 30 mls north of Cape Wessel.  On arrival at Darwin we hand him over to Customs prior to the legal proceedings which normally follow for illegal fishing.

 

The vessel is from Indonesia and they are fishing for shark mainly as it has a high price in their country. Some of your members may have heard on the news recently that we have been involved in two other arrests, one of which required us to fire across the fishing vessel’s bows to get him   to stop. He did, of course, and ended up in court at Broome. After the completion of this patrol we return to Darwin for a spot of leave before departing on a trip to some southern and eastern ports of Australia.

 

We are hoping to visit Geelong 4-6 Feb, Launceston 9-13 Feb, Sydney 15-19 Feb and Brisbane 21-23 Feb. If any of your members would like to visit the ship we would be delighted to see them, however if they would like a tour of the ship, because of our very tight program, we do need advance warning.  

 

So, if   members would like to visit the ship during one of the port visits could you please ask them to let me know in advance of the visit so that organised tours can be arranged. Notwithstanding that I look forward very much to meeting as many   members of   your fine Association as I can during my time in command.

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May I take this opportunity to wish you and all your members a very merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

Regards, 

        

John  Cooper  MBIM     RN

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