HISTORY
Catalina AJ160 - Royal Air Force 205 Squadron
During the Second World War, British built a military base in Gan of Addu Atoll and Kelaa of Thiladhunmathi Atoll. Kelaa is located 21 km north of MCO and is the first island in the archipelago to be exposed to unaltered air from the Indian subcontinent. The MCO site on Hanimaadhoo will occasionally be influenced by nearby populated islands directly to the north. The Kelaa satellite site will account for local island contamination at MCO. They evacuated the bases soon after the war. However, British interest in the Maldives revived during the late 1950s. The British were successful to conclude an agreement with the Prime Minister Ibrahim Ali Didi for the lease of Gan in Addu for 100 years. This agreement signed in 1956 provided Gan, located in the southern tip of the Maldives, as an airfield for the British. It also included the provision of a part of Hithadhoo in Addu Atoll as a radio communication centre for the British.
On 1st February 1944 survivors of a sea action involving a merchant ship and the German submarine U188 were reported to have been picked up by SS KONGSDAL 400 miles west of Kelai. They reported that their ship, the SS FORT BUCKINGHAM, was torpedoed on 20th January and four liferafts were still missing. Three Catalina aircraft were immediately despatched from Koggala, Ceylon, to Kelai to begin a search. Unfortunately tragedy befell one of the Catalinas, AJ160. On taking off to search on the (13th February), she had risen to about 50 feet, and was unable to climb any further. She crashed into the sea where her depth charges exploded killing the entire crew. The crew are commemorated in the Kranji War Cemetary Singapore.
No. 205 Squadron - A Brief History
On 1st April 1918 No 5 Sqn RNAS became No 205 Sqn RAF having had a distinguished record in the First World War since its foundation in 1916. On 8th January 1929 the Far East Flight, which had previously flown from England to Australia and back to Singapore was re-designated No 205 (Flying Boat) Sqn to become the first unit of Far East Command.
When the Japanese first struck in December 1941 No 205 Sqn was still at Singapore and was then equipped with Catalinas, which immediately began intensive patrols in search of the enemy. After playing a vital role in suppressing the effects of Japanese shipping No 205 Sqn moved and re-reformed at Koggala, Ceylon, on 23rd July 1942. Eight Catalina aircraft and crews of No 202 and 240 Sqns were transferred to the newly formed Unit which was under the command of Wg Cdr M D Thunder. The first operation was carried out on 24 Jul 1942. This time their operational task consisted of anti-submarine patrols, shipping escort, weather reconnaissance and air sea rescue work. In addition they carried out many supply flights from Ceylon to the island bases of Addu Atoll, Diego Garcia and Kelai. On 26 Aug, the Sqn completed its first mercy mission when several lifeboats containing members of a torpedoed merchant vessel were located and rescue craft were guided to the spot.
Three Catalinas of 205 Sqn on 20 Dec 1942, carried out a reconnaissance and bombing attack on Saban harbour in Sumatra. The flight lasted in all some twenty three hours.
On one occasion in October 1943 a Catalina alighted in the Indian Ocean in a heavy swell to pick up ten survivors of a torpedoed merchant vessel.
The year 1944 started with few enemy U-boats operating in the Indian Ocean. These were very active, sinking a considerable number of ships and keeping noticeably clear of areas within the range of G.R. aircraft. Although few sightings were made by 205 and other G.R. Sqns, it is quite evident that the constant vigilance of G.R. Sqns restricted severely the U-boat operations. By February 1945, G.R. activity had all but given up the ghost and an alternative role had to be assigned to Flying Boat Sqns. A few photographic reconnaissance flights were made by 205 Sqn’s Catalinas over the Nicobar and Andaman Islands and other tasks included meteorological and air sea rescue flights whilst transport work increased. In February 1945, Wg Cdr R J Fursman DFC, took over command of the Sqn.
In July 1945, the Sqn was re-equipped with Sunderland Mark V aircraft and was thus enabled to participate actively in anti-shipping operations in the Bay of Bengal. With the end of the War, 205 Sqn were given the important task of opening up communications between Ceylon and Malaya and many released POWs were flown from Singapore to India and Ceylon.
On 14th September 1949 the Sqn returned to Seletar, Singapore and during the Korean War of 1950-53 No 205 Sqn formed part of the Far East Flying Boat Wing and flew its Sunderlands from Iwakuni (Japan) over Korean waters on operational sorties. In March 1958 the Sqn moved to Changi and commenced re-equipping with Shackleton aircraft – being, with No 209 Sqn, the last squadron to fly flying boats in the RAF.
Policing and Search & Rescue duties in Gan, the Maldives again, occupied the Sqn between 1959 and 1960 along with support duties during the Kuwait emergency of July 1961and anti-piracy patrols in the Celebes Sea in Dec 1961.
Following sterling service during the 1960s providing search and rescue cover for diplomatic flights, naval cooperation exercises and surveillance, No 205 Sqn were awarded the inaugural Wilkinson Battle of Britain Memorial Sword on 15th October 1971. However, shortly afterwards, on 31st October 1971 the Sqn disbanded at Changi.
Kelai (Kelaa) is located at Tiladummati Atoll, Northern Maldives. Its function was to provide refuelling, re-arming and alighting facilities as an operation advanced base for three flying boats, to be used generally outside the monsoon season. It was part of 222 Gp, RAF Koggala, Ceylon and formed on 1 Oct 1943. The HQ 222Gp Formation Order No 17 - 14 Oct 43 describes the event. The Unit was re-categorised on 29 Jan 45, as an Emergency Alighting Base and closed by HQ 222Gp Administrative Instruction No 297 on15 Jun 45 & Disbandment Order 277
There were moorings sufficient for at least three and possibly more flying boats, plus associated marine craft. Indications are that, as with other evacuated AFBBs in the region, these would have been left. Local materials were generally used for construction of buildings. Concrete bases were laid in some cases, included; A Jetty, 3 Heavy Machine Gun Anti-Aircraft posts, a 25 yd range, a 25000 jerry can petrol store with coral floor and mess hall and billets.
There was a permanent centre of flare path buoy; a staff and square top mark painted yellow, that stood 6ft above waterline. The buoy was 1700yds 259deg true from the jetty. The entre buoy was the third marker of most flare paths except if the wind was from the West. In most cases, the fourth marker would be 500 to 600 yds on from the centre, but 900 yds if there was a West wind.
The base was used by 205 Sqn Catalina, 230 Sqn Sunderland and from May 44 to 45, 240 Sqn Catalina. The Unit was staffed by 22 Officers, 100 other ranks (in reality the strength, particularly in O/Rs was well below establishment – in Sep 44 it was 33. From 1 Nov 43 Flt Lt G E Allen was CO (at the time of the accident), then 1 Feb 44 Flt Lt G K Lancaster and 1 Sep 44 Flt Lt C C Hope.
Prelude
I was cast adrift together with 45 other men on one of five rafts in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It was in February 1944. My ship, SS Fort Buckingham had been sunk some two weeks earlier (Thursday 20 Jan) by the German U-boat I188, 500 miles west of the Laccadive Islands. 38 men had been lost as the ship sank, including all the officers other than the Chief Engineer.
Missed by Mist
Our ninth day adrift (Saturday 29 Jan) was cloudy, overcast and with poor visibility. It was on that day a passing ship the British freighter S.S. Moreby located a raft containing five of our gunners and two Lascar seamen. It seems certain her captain preferred to maintain radio silence and so sailed on to land our comrades in Western Australia. One might reasonably suppose, if the weather had been clear on that Saturday, S.S. Moreby would have seen all the rafts, taken us all aboard and saved us another week of anguish.
Dashed Hopes
From my raft on the eleventh day (Monday 31 Jan), just after sunset, we saw smoke on the horizon. It was from the MV Kongsdal, a Norwegian freighter. We were unable to attract the ship’s attention but, unknown to us, she had sighted and picked up other shipmates from a distant raft. At risk to her own safety and possibly contrary to orders the Norwegian captain broke radio silence and sent a radio message alerting Naval Authorities ashore to our plight.
Catalinas from Koggola
Within hours of receipt of the radio message from the Kongsdal two Catalinas from RAF 205 Sqn and one from RCAF 413 Sqn were airborne; on their way from Koggola (in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka) to Kelai (at the Northern end of the Maldive Islands) to commence the rescue operation. The flight time from Koggola to Kelai was slightly less than five hours. That was on 1 Feb, our twelfth day adrift. Refuelling at Kelai was by floating out and manhandling forty gallon drums of aviation fuel; nevertheles by midnight that same day Catalina F413 was on her way to find us. When she had flown 450 miles west from Kelai she was recalled and landed having been sixteen hours in the air (this was in the late afternoon of Wednesday 2 Feb, our thirteenth day). F413 was immediately refuelled but her radio was defective which meant she had to return to Koggola for repairs.
The Omen of the Shark
On the evening of our thirteenth day (Wednesday 2 Feb) a cuttlefish floated alongside the raft. It was immediately taken aboard and on it we were surprised to find a number of small crabs. Taffy Jones (Richard Hughes Jones) who had been tirelessly but fruitlessly casting a hook over the side for the previous thirteen days, put one of the small crabs on his fish hook, threw it over the side and immediately landed a baby sized shark. Our Lascar seamen sprang to life and took control of the situation. One held its tail off the deck, another its head while the third slit down its side from head to tail. One of them exclaimed “Today catch shark, tomorrow ship come”. The event clearly raised their spirits as for the previous thirteen days they had sat isolated and silent. It transpired that on one other raft at about the same time in the evening an old boot floated alongside them. It was hauled aboard and again found to contain small crabs. With one of these as bait they also succeeded in landing a shark of similar size. This again their first success after thirteen days of failure.
Boiled Fish
The fish flesh was pure white but far too tough and unpleasant to eat raw. Among the raft’s emergency equipment were storm matches. With dry wood chipped from the raft we lit a fire. An old water container was filled with sea water and shark steaks. After ten minutes the fish was cooked and ready to eat. We did our best to swallow it but really with limited enthusiasm as our real desperate need was for water. We had long ago lost any yearning for food. Needless to say we took little heed of the Lascars’ optimism and settled down for yet another uncomfortable night ignorant of the vast operation already under way for our rescue.
Catalina Catastrophe
Why was Catalina F413 recalled so early, before reaching the search area? Disaster had befallen Catalina J205. Soon after dawn, on take off, she had crashed and her entire crew were now dead. This was on Wednesday 2 Feb, our thirteenth day. To avoid striking wreckage from the crash it was essential for all aircraft to return and land in daylight. At the time of the crash Sqn Ldr Melville Jackson and his crew in T205, having themselves just become airborne, looked on helplessly to see J205 in difficulties as she failed to gain height then crash into the sea, her depth charges exploding on contact. T205 flew west towards the search area but she also was recalled before reaching the search area and so landed back at Kelai after an eight hour patrol.
Reinforcements and Results
Our fourteenth day, Thursday 3 Feb. J205 had crashed and the radio of F413 was defective . T205 was the only operational aircraft remaining at Kelai to proceed with the search. However soon after dawn, Sqn Ldr Melville Jackson and crew aboard T205 resumed the search. Replacements for the crashed J205 and the Canadian Catalina F413 were on their way from Kelai to Koggola. So far as we could judge it was about 3.30 or 4.00 pm when one of the gunners on my raft claimed he could hear the sound of an aircraft. We scanned the sky and sure enough saw a speck in the sky but could not be sure that we had been sighted. We used the lids of ration tins to reflect the sun’s rays and to flash in the direction of the approaching aircraft hoping to attract attention. Although the aircraft was not flying directly towards us we were encouraged as she seemed to be losing height. We were soon certain, as what was to us now clearly a Catalina, flew over us at a height of not much more than 50 feet. The faces of some of the crew were clearly visible as they leaned out of the blister on the port side. They were as excited as we were. They used an aldis lamp to signal to us but with our limited facility at morse and excitement we could not read it.
Depth Charges
As we assimilated our good fortune at being found the drama was heightened when T205 dropped a number of depth charges some distance away. We could not believe she had sighted a lurking U-boat. Relief came when she lowered her wing floats and attempted to land on the sea. From our position on the raft we knew there was a considerable swell which no doubt was not evident from the air. After touching down Sqn Ldr Melville Jackson deemed the attempt too risky, revved his engines and climbed away. Next T205 flew straight at us and dropped a bag of provisions with quite remarkable precision landing no more than an arm’s length from the raft. We easily recovered the parcel and opened it to find seven service water bottles, chocolate, biscuits, sweets and cigarettes. There was also a Very pistol and cartridges for use as distress signals. T205 continued to fly around but eventually as the sun sank in the sky she flew off leaving us to spend another night of isolation beneath the stars. With barely sufficient fuel for the return flight T205 relied on astro navigation to make a safe landing at Kelai in the darkness at around 9.30pm that night.
Cook up
Little thought was given to how much longer we would remain adrift. I suppose we were just overwhelmed at our good fortune and settled down to explore the “Manna from Heaven”. It was an occasion for another bonfire. Our twilight feast comprised two varieties of hot soup and two varieties of hot Horlicks. The soup was made up from water and beef pemmican. This was served as a “consommé” while by the addition of ground up biscuits we were able to offer a “thick” soup as an alternative.
Likewise with the Horlicks. We ground Horlicks tablets into boiled water to serve as a plain Horlicks drink whilst ground chocolate was melted and added into this to create “Chocolate Horlicks”
Hopes and Fears
As we settled down for the night the speculation revolved around what we might expect next day. We assumed at least that at first light another Catalina would appear with a ready prepared diet. The most popular hope was for chicken sandwiches and blackcurrant juice. Alas, although we were soon greeted by the engines of Catalina T205, her Thornaby bag dropped wide, beyond our each, so that we were never to know what goodies it contained. We now began to regret the extravagance of our previous evening’s indulgence and looked with foreboding at our depleted reserves of water. Friday (4 Feb) passed with no sign of a ship but with modest reassurance as Flt Lt Levack and his crew in M205 circled relentlessly until the early evening. Records show that Canadian Catalina D413 (Flt Lt Grandin) was scheduled to relieve M205 but failed to rendezvous and returned to Kelai without locating us.
Safe at Last
Saturday 5 Feb was our sixteenth day adrift. We were beginning to wonder just how much longer it would be before a ship arrived. Our concern increased with passing time as there was no sign of even a Catalina. From time to time we heard the faint sound of engines but it was was well on in the day before the events became clear. The Norwegian tanker MV Ora was some 400 miles to the north of us when she was first alerted to our plight. On that Saturday morning she was approaching our position and so T205’s priority was to locate her. For the rest of the day T205 shuttled to and fro leading Ora towards us.
At long last the MV Ora appeared over the horizon. She was low in the water, fully laden with aviation spirit. She steered straight towards us and stopped her engines. With the great efficiency for which Norwegian seamen are known a boat was lowered under the command of the Third Officer. When it was within hailing distance our first question was “Where are you bound?” and we rejoiced to hear “Australia”. You see, we had fantasised about our treatment upon rescue and were very clear that Australia was the best place to be landed. We had heard of the generosity with which Australians, especially in the Western ports, treated Allied seamen. Later events conspired to make this a false hope.
Aboard Ora
As we drew alongside Ora darkness was beginning to fall. The tanker was so low in the water that it was not difficult for us to scramble aboard. The ship was as steady as a rock on the smooth sea but so distorted was my sense of balance from sixteen days of the rocking craft that the deck seemed to heave forcing me to collapse onto the deck. With assistance I was soon able to walk on the deck and was immediately invited by the Fourth Engineer to occupy his cabin in the after part of the ship. In the Engineer’s mess room I was presented with a roast meal including pork chops but first drank seven cups of coffee. I felt sure that to break my fast with pork chops was unwise. Surely one should have an invalid diet like bread in milk or porridge. So overwhelming was the hospitality that I felt obliged to make the most of the feast and was unaware of any serious after effects.
Once we were aboard Ora she immediately steamed off towards the raft under the charge of the Bosun, Mr MacPherson, who with his companions were soon taken aboard. Physically they appeared in a condition similar to my immediate companions but I noted that Mr MacPherson had a rather wild look in his eyes to suggest he had had a rather harrowing time. On his raft the proportion of Indians to Europeans had been greater than on my raft so that he was weighed down by a greater sense of isolation and responsibility.
In the gathering twilight Ora then located a third raft. We were quite unprepared for the sight of these survivors as the Third Mate steered the lifeoat towards us. I was unable to recognise any of these men, so wasted were their bodies. After the war one became familiar with the sight of released prisoners from the Japanese camps. These Indians resembled some of the worst examples. Sadly one of their number had died the previous day and had been cast over the side of the raft. Another was dead when hauled onto the deck of the Ora.
Silent under a Moonlit Sky
By this time Catalina T205 had left the scene and, low in fuel, was returning to Kelai. It was assumed there were survivors from the remaining two rafts yet to be located. Nothing more could be attempted until morning light. Ora’s engines were stopped and the ship remained motionless on a smooth sea under a bright moonlit sky. Regardless of having had almost no sleep for sixteen days I found little rest. With our cargo of ten thousand tons of aviation spirit we were a sitting target for any lurking U-boat. As I tossed and turned in my bunk, in my mind, I went repeatedly through all the events of the last sixteen days from the point when the torpedo struck until I was safely aboard Ora.
Back to Bombay
Early on Sunday morning (6 Feb) two Canadian Catalinas D413 and F413 arrived and circled. At this point we survivors were ignorant of the fate of the men on the two rafts which had drifted out of our sight early in our ordeal.
Numerous radio messages were exchanged with the authorities ashore until it was concluded there were no more survivors to be picked up. At this point we were informed that we were to be taken off the Ora and returned to Bombay. The reason given to us was that Ora had insufficient provisions to feed us during the long voyage to Australia, but on reflection, I believe it was due to concern for the condition of the sick Indian survivors. One more Indian died during the night. A Royal Indian Navy Mine Sweeper the Rajputana had sailed from Cochin to rendezvous but in the early afternoon we were taken off by the destroyer HMS Redoubt which was escorting the troopship SS Mooltan from Australia to Bombay. I have a lasting sombre memory of the scene as we stepped from the deck of the Ora to the lifeboat. On the after deck of the Ora, ready for committal to the deep were the two Indian bodies stitched in canvas bags. We had an audience of several thousand ANZAC troops as we were taken by lifeboat from the Ora to the Redoubt while the Mooltan circled at full speed. The troops were so moved by the sight of this mid ocean drama that they took up a collection on our behalf; a very pleasant surprise for us to receive on landing.
Aboard Redoubt we were separated according to rank. The Chief Engineer Ted Greenway, Hubert Steele and I were entertained in the Ward Room, the Bosun and Chief Steward went to the Petty Officers’ Mess and the remainder to the Lower Deck. A number of Indians were put on drips by the Doctor in the sick bay but sadly before reaching Bombay two more died.
The first night aboard Redoubt was again sleepless. My mind repeatedly went over the events of the last seventeen days. It was not until the ship’s doctor gave me a sleeping draught that I began to relax and enjoy my first full night’s sleep for nearly three weeks.
THE BRITISH LOYALTY
The
British Loyalty was a Motor Tanker of the "British Advocate" class of
vessels, built by Palmers and Company Limited of Newcastle on Tyne, launched on
26th September 1927. Some eleven years later at the start of World War 2 in
September 1939, she was enlisted as a "Ministry of War" transport
vessel, just prior to the outbreak of war the British Tanker Fleet was made up
of around 500 vessels. The British Loyalty had quite a chequered career during
WW2. She was used to transport fuel to ships and ports throughout the world to
support the war effort. There are at least another 55 "British xxxxxxx"
registered vessels listed at this time. The British Loyalty's fate at the end of
the war is well known. On 15th January 1946 she was towed to a point away from
the main shipping channels, just southeast of Hithadhoo Island in the Addoo
Atoll lagoon and scuttled. There are also reports that many fish and dolphins in
the lagoon were killed by oil pollution after the scuttling and that oil
continued to leak from the wreck at a diminishing rate and come ashore in the
lagoon over the next 10 years. She now lies at longitude 73 degrees 07 minutes
east of Greenwich and latitude 0 degrees 38 minutes south of the equator. Her
position is recorded on Admiralty Chart 2067. The ship, which was some 134.3
meters long with a beam of 17.4 meters, now lies on her starboard side and is
pointing north. She lies at the bottom of the lagoon in around 33 meters of
water. The ship is now heavily encrusted with both hard and soft corals. Many
fish have made their home in the wreck and large turtles swim around its deck.
This wreck is a must for all visiting scuba divers to the Addoo Atoll. The
propeller is at 23 meters and covered in big bushy black coral trees. In front
of the engine room are two large holes. These holes are so big that divers can
easily swim through them into the ship's interior. The hole made when the German
submarine U-183 torpedoed the ship on 9th March 1944 was on the starboard side
of the vessel. The wreck is about a 30-minute Dhoni ride from "Equator
Village" on Gan.
Brief History
Launched
26th September 1927. Completed
12th January 1928. Built by Palmers & Co. Ltd. of Newcastle on Tyne at their
Jarrow yard. Owned by British Tanker Co. Ltd. Ministry of War Transport from
September 1939.
Torpedoed
by Midget submarine from Japanese submarine I-20 on 30th May 1942 at 2125 hrs 5
cables from Antsivana Light House, Diego Suarez, Madagascar and damaged. (Salved
and repaired).
Torpedoed in Addoo Atoll Harbour by German submarine U-183 on 9th March 1944 at 0800 hrs and damaged. Converted to Ministry of War Transport Oil Fuel Storage. Vessel.Scuttled in Addoo Atoll lagoon in the Indian Ocean on 15th January 1946.
For a more detailed history click here 'British Loyalty'.
Exercise Poseiden Feenun 05 was a Tri-Service diving expedition to the Maldives from 6 to 23 March 05. The second in a series of Service scientific expeditions to this area organised by the Defence Communications Services Agency, continued the survey started in 2004 to map the wreck of the British Loyalty a British WW2 tanker. The British Loyalty is lying at 34m. It is a 5583t, 140m long vessel which was torpedoed by the Japanese in 1944 and scuttled in her present position in 1946. The propeller blades can be seen at a depth of 29m. The growth of coral on the wreck is excellent and colourful. The vessel is home to a great variety of marine life including a number of green turtles. There are also a few mysteries; on the 2004 expedition we discovered that the wreck is laying with a triple expansion steam engine fitted although the ship was originally powered by diesel. Recent archive research does not positively identify when this power-plant change was carried out.
THE
CARLESBERG RIDGE EARTHQUAKE - 15 JULY 2003
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 occurred on the Carlesberg Ridge, a mid-ocean ridge system that is located in the Arabian sea between India and Northern Africa, on 15 July 2003. The ridge marks the boundary between the Indian and African plates and near the epicenter. The Indian plate is moving away from the African Plate at a rate of 33 mm/yr in a north-easterly direction. The Carlsberg Ridge is a slow-spreading ridge with rough topography and a depth that varies from 1700-4400 meters.
Select for an in-depth study of the Carlsberg Ridge earthquake.
THE NORTHERN SUMATRA EARTHQUAKE - 26 DECEMBER 2004
This earthquake has been recently widely reported in the world media. For a technical insight to this earthquake and the resulting Tsunami click here.