HDML 1074

HDML 1074

Robinson, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire /42

London Gazette 24/7/45 – Hydrographic service in the Far East 1944 and 1945

• DSC LtCdr Stanley William Scott Robertson RAN

Known Crew

• LtCdr Stanley William Scott Robertson RAN Commanding Officer HDML 1074 5/44 Hydrographic service in the Far East 1944 and 1945 DSC 1945
• Lt E J McKenzie RANR SLt ML 801 20/5/43 Lt 8/3/45 HDML 1074
• Alt William E Officer RANVR Lt 7/8/43 First Lieutenant HDML 1074 6/44 HMAS Miramar II
• Alt W G Stevens RANVR HDML 1074 10/43
• Alt B H Leak RANR TSLt 8/3/43 HDML 1074 28/11/43 HMAS Ladava (Milne Bay, New Guinea)
• Lt Norman Grieve RANVR Lt 7/4/41 Commanding Officer HDML 1074 9/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1321 8/43 HMAS Rushcutter
• TSLt L Mushins RANVR TSLt 9/10/42 Commanding Officer HDML 1074 11/44 HMAS Penguin
• SLt Arthur A Wordsworth RANVR First Lieutenant HDML 1074 9/42 Lt 24/11/42 Commanding Officer ML 430 4/43 HMAS Ladava Milne Bay, New Guinea ML 817 4/45
• SLt Christopher R Cundall RANR SLt First Lieutenant ML 425 12/42 HDML 1074 10/43 Lt 16/2/44 Commanding Officer HDML 1340 12/5/44 HMAS Rushcutter
• SLt Raymond G Evans RANR HDML 1074 6/42 SLt 9/8/42 First Lieutenant ML 426 129th Flotilla Based on Darwin Commanding Officer HDML 1324 12/6/44 Lt 9/8/44
• SLt G T Dyson RANR SLt 22/2/43 HDML 1074 12/3/43 12/3/43 Lt 10/9/44 128th Flotilla Based in New Guinea HDML 1356 20/12/44 ML 819
  Frank Lindsay (Coxswain)
• MtrMch George Richards HDML 1074
• AB Roy Christie HDML 1074 ML 425
  ‘Bonk’ Sims HDML 1074
• Sto Alex Campbell HDML 1074
• Tel ‘Blue’ Nolan HDML 1074

Wartime Activities

• Shipped to Australia as deck cargo in Port Aukland
• 7/10/42 Royal Australian Navy
  Based on Port Moresby – Conducting anti-submarine patrols in Basilisk Passage
  Milne Bay
  Wedau in Goodenough Bay for air sea rescue duties with some crew living ashore in a long house
  Milne Bay
• 1944-45 Hydrographic service
• 10/44 Battle of Leyte Gulf – Passage of 1500 miles from Manus losing touch with convoy in a storm and running short on fuel.
• 14/10/44 Challenged twice by light by a destroyer which failed to see the responses and closed eventually colliding with ML 1074 taking off the bow in front of the collision bulkhead.
• 15/10/44 Carried out immediate repairs and refuelled from YMS 316 in heavy weather fouling a propeller, when hoses broke.
• 17/10/44 In calm waters in Surigao Strait where propeller was cleared
• 18/10/44 In action at Morotai assisting in shooting down a plane
  Subsequently charted the harbour before being repaired.

Post War History

• 24/1/48 Sold

Recollection of Roy Christie…

“An inspection of my ship revealed a forward messdeck in which I could not stand up; my bunk, an upper one, was also the squab, or back of the seat, around the messdeck table. The table was a drop-side type to enable crew to move to the heads in the fo’cstle. The squab for the mess seats hung on chains which supported my bunk, and because of its proximity to the deck head, did not allow sufficient room to sit up. My belongings were stowed alongside my bunk in small lockers and under the bottom bunk or seat.”