40 NAVY NEWS, SEPTEMBER 2007
Admiral Reunion
marks marks
African Hong Kong
tragedy anniversary
CAPTAIN Henry Stump was in A REUNION at HMS President
a hurry. in London marked the tenth
With U-boats waging an anniversary of the handover of
unrestricted campaign against Hong Kong to China.
UK-bound merchantmen, he Some 130 officers who had
was a prime target, so that night served in the former colony, plus
in February 1917 he drove his partners, were joined by a number
11,000-ton ship SS Daro through of special guests.
the Channel fog at full speed. Among them were Lt Cdr Bill
Crossing his path was the Lane RNR, who was on board
smaller steamer SS Mendi, HMS Plym as Hong Kong was
making its way to Le Havre on liberated in 1945, and Rear
the last leg of a passage which Admiral Chris Clayton, the
had begun in Cape Town over a Commanding Officer of HMS
month before. Chatham – the last British warship
On board were 805 black to leave the port with the Royal
privates of the 5th Battalion Yacht in 1997.
South African Native Labour The reunion began in the Chapel
Corps, bound for the Western Royal in the Tower of London,
Front and trench-digging or
attended by the penultimate
stretcher-bearing duties. With
Governor of Hong Kong, Lord
them were 22 white officers and a
Wilson and his wife Lady Wilson.
ship’s crew of 33.
The service was conducted by
The Darro smashed into the
the Rev Paul Abram, who has
Mendi’s bow 12 miles south of
been Chaplain at the Tower for 11
the Isle of Wight, knocking the
years, and was assisted by Canon
troopship on her side.
Roger Devonshire, who was padre
Stump simply reversed his ship
at HMS Tamar, the Royal Navy
and continued on his way.
establishment in Hong Kong, in
The Mendi went down in 25
the 1980s.
minutes, and many died in the
Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral
freezing Channel as they awaited
Adrian Johns, the patron of the
rescue.
reunion and whose first command
More than 600 black soldiers
was Hong Kong patrol ship HMS
died, as did every crewman and
Yarnton in the 1980s, said: “We
nine white officers. Just 200 were
look back with great pride at the
plucked from the icy waters by
naval contribution made in Hong
the crew of destroyer HMS Brisk.
Kong right from the first days as a
The sinking of the SS Mendi
British colony.”
is surpassed only by the Battle of
Money raised at the reunion
Delville Wood on the Somme as
supported the Hong Kong Locally
the gravest loss of life in South
Enlisted Personnel Trust, a charity
African military history.
first established in 1992 to support
Henry Stump was cashiered
ex-RN LEPs and their families.
over the tragedy and had his
Event organisers Lt Cdr John
licence revoked for 12 months.
McPhail RNR and Helga McPhail
The survivors ended up in
said that anyone who served in
France, where they were chiefly
Hong Kong must have happy
employed in the docks.
memories of the vibrant city.
Only since the end of
The reunion brought together
Apartheid have South Africans
officers from as far afield as China,
begun to fully appreciate
Australia and the United States.
the sacrifices of the men of
the Mendi and their 20,000
comrades in the Native Labour
● The Fly Navy balloon takes to the air at the International Balloon Fiesta in Bristol, the largest event of its kind in Europe. With fi ne weather
Corps.
and perfect winds throughout the weekend, the Yeovilton-based team were able to take part in all the mass ascents. On the Friday lunchtime
Conference
And so it was that the head of
Fly Navy was infl ated on her own at the head of the arena to provide an appropriate setting for a Seafi re display from the RN Historic Flight.
South African Navy, Vice Admiral
Later that evening, to the sound of Heart of Oak played by a lone bagpiper, Fly Navy went aloft again as part of a record-breaking mass
Johannes Mudimu, visited
ascent of 110 balloons. Fly Navy is piloted by, and for the duration of the festival was supported by, members of the Royal Naval Reserve
examines
Portsmouth on a damp July day
Picture: Lt Gary Rimay-Muranyi
90 years after the Mendi tragedy.
Berthed in Portsmouth was
South African frigate SAS
slave trade
Amatola, exercising and training
THE Royal Naval Museum in
with the RN before heading home.
Portsmouth is to stage another
The Amatola sailed for waters
event next month as part of
off St Catherine’s Point, where a
the commemorations of the
wreath was cast into the sea by
Rescue heroes win
bicentenary of the abolition of the
South African Defence Minister
transatlantic slave trade.
Mosiua Lekota at the spot where
A major one-day conference on
the Mendi foundered.
Saturday October 6 will bring
It marked the culmination of a
together a number of leading
series of ceremonies and events
academics in the field, led by Prof
in the UK.
James Walvin.
Vice Admiral Mudimu used
The Chasing Freedom
the Mendi commemorations to bravery awards
conference will explore the largely
visit RN establishments, including
unsung role of the Royal Navy in
Devonport and Yeovilton.
The admiral was hosted by 702
THE bravery and skill ship MSC Napoli was holed
suppressing the trade, and wider
and 815 NAS during his visit to of Naval aviators in the
and started to take in water
issues surrounding the trade and
its abolition.
the latter, where he spent two
rescue of 26 mariners from
in a severe storm 40 miles off
For details, contact Melanie
hours talking to personnel about
the Lizard Point in January
Simpson on 023 9272 7584,
the Lynx; the mainstay of RN
a stricken cargo ship have
this year. email melanie.simpson@
frigate and destroyer operations been recognised by awards
Fearing his ship would sink, the royalnavalmuseum.org or
is also the helicopter of choice in
from the MOD.
master ordered his 25-strong crew visit the website at www.
the South African frigate force.
British-registered container to abandon the Napoli and take to royalnavalmuseum.org
the lifeboat, and the Coastguard Before that the Friends of the
alerted 771 Search and Rescue Royal Naval Museum and HMS
Squadron at RNAS Culdrose. Victory are holding a sale of
Two Mk 5 Sea Kings were second-hand Naval books outside
scrambled, and on arrival at the the museum shop in Portsmouth
scene found all 26 survivors were Historic Dockyard on Saturday
in the lifeboat. September 8 between midday and
But the little craft was being 3.30pm.
battered by waves of 40-50ft, so Many hundreds of books will
POA Jay O’Donnell was lowered be on sale, including many given
to the lifeboat to assess the by the late Cdr Eddie Keogh, with
situation. proceeds going to the Museum
He managed to get on board Library.● POA Jay O’Donnell (left) and Lt Guy Norris at RNAS Culdrose
with some difficulty, and found For details, ring 023 9272
conditions were both unpleasant during the rescue…” reassured and prepared all 26 3795.
and potentially threatening, so the POA O’Donnell received the survivors for winching to the The sale coincides with Heritage
decision was made to airlift the Queen’s Gallantry Medal, his waiting helicopters. Open Days at the Historic
men. citation stating that “… despite the “O’Donnell remained Dockyard – further information
The first 13 were winched up appalling conditions he displayed undeterred and calm throughout, on special tours for this event are
to Rescue 194, which returned great courage and determination, and although severely weakened by available on 023 9282 9766.
to Culdrose as her sister, Rescue and using his considerable strength regular hauling of the line attached
193, retrieved the remaining 13. swam towards the lifeboat where to the rescue strop, he remained
Dark blue VIP
The officers in charge of each he managed to grab the guardrail. on board until all survivors were
● Vice Admiral Johns fi nds his old course photograph on the wall at
aircraft, Lt Guy ‘Chuck’ Norris “Once secure he swiftly safely on the aircraft.
THE Commanding Offi cer of
RAF Shawbury during a visit to the Defence Helicopter Flying School
and Lt Cdr Martin ‘Oz’ Rhodes disconnected from the winch hook “It was only then that he was
HMS Raleigh, Cdre John Keegan,
– Admiral Johns was a member of No 182 helicopter instructors
were both given the Queen’s to enable the pilot to increase recovered to Rescue 193, where
acted as Reviewing Offi cer at a
course in 1979. Visiting the DHFS as both RN ‘customer’ and as Rear
Commendation for Bravery in the height. typically his fi rst thought was for graduation parade of new recruits
Admiral FAA, Admiral Johns was briefed on all aspects of helicopter
Air, their citation noting that it was “For 90 minutes O’Donnell the survivors, and he set about passing out at RAF Halton, near
training, he fl ew in both the Squirrel and Griffi n aircraft operated at
a reward for “their outstanding braced himself on the stern of the using his medical training to assess Aylesbury – including presenting
the school, and met RN and RM staff and students on the base.
flying skills in atrocious conditions boat and one by one he briefed, and aid the exhausted crew.” five trophies to top students.
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