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THE BLUE GOOSE NEW Copyright David Mizen 2024 1. The Blue Goose 2. Fremantle Base Photographs 18 3. HMS Maidstone's final duties at Fremantle 21
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U.S.NAVY C47 "BLUE GOOSE" AIRCRAFT #1 |
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PLAQUES MARKING THE BLUE GOOSE CRASH SITE #2 |
1. The Blue Goose There seems to be a perception that Kalamunda and the surrounding area were remote from World War I and in the context of this portion of Gooseberry Hills history, World War II. This perception, on both counts, is not correct. The district has deep connections to the armed services. This connection extends in various directions but starts with the Western Australian armed forces. Prior to Federation in 1901 Western Australia had its own armed services. The WA armed services was led briefly by Col E.W. Haynes and extends into the Boer Wars, WWI and for the purpose of this section WWII. It also extends beyond WWII but it is not the purpose of this text to explore those later relationships. Returning to WWII the story of the crash of the US Navy C47 Blue Goose has two facets. The creation of the Fremantle submarine base and the construction of RAAF Dunreath. To give some context to the events the following dates are important:
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The fall of Singapore had significant implications for Western Australia. The West Australian reporting on a speech by Prime Minister Chifley provided the following summary: "Australian troops in Western Australia reached a peak of between 50,000 and 60,000 in the danger period of 1942-43 according to a statement to-day by the Prime Minister, Mr. Chifley, which gave the clearest picture yet of war time risks in the west. Large scale enemy operations against Western Australia remained possible until the end of 1943, … United States ground forces made practically no combatant contribution to the direct defence of Western Australia. The situation improved in 1944 to such an extent that some of the Australian field formations were withdrawn from Western Australia for employment in the Allied counteroffensive in New Guinea, New Britain and the Solomon Islands. …” (“Big Force In WA. In Grave Period,” 1945, Pg 6). |
PLAQUES MARKING THE BLUE GOOSE CRASH SITE #3 |
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The American contribution was primarily Naval but also included support by way of equipment which the Australian armed forces employed using Australian service personnel. A significant portion of the equipment went to the RAAF. This was a factor that led to the construction of RAAF Dunreath. Dunreath takes its name from the property on the Swan River of the same name. Dunreath was named and owned by CN Kidman (of the famous Kidman Family, there is a history prior to Kidman but it's not relevant to this paper). Kidman sold the property to Andrew “Paddy” Connolly. The history of Dunreath will be dealt with separately. The construction of RAAF Dunreath also took in part of the Redcliffe Estate which was one of the foundation lots that made up the early settlement of the greater Maida Vale area. RAAF Dunreath was constructed to avoid having the bulk of the new RAAF aircraft in the lower south west in one place. |
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1.1. RAAF Dunreath “GUILDFORD-AIRPORT" Perth, Nov. 28.— The Dunreath estate, Guildford, has been through various vicissitudes since its purchase from Mr. P. A. Connolly for £7000 by Mr. Edgar John Church, of the Criterion Hotel in 1928. For a time it passed into the hands of a company, which subdivided it [The subdivision did not proceed as the company collapsed into bankruptcy]. Later most of it was leased from Mr. Church by the Dunreath Golf Club. In May, 1943, the estate was compulsorily acquired by the Commonwealth for the construction of an aerodrome, which was afterwards shared by the R.A.A.F. and the civil aviation authorities, and it has now become the State's chief airport. In an action commenced before Mr. Justice Dwyer In the Supreme Court to-day, Mr. Church is suing the Commonwealth for £17,068 12/7 compensation for the resumption of the land, the value of which, he maintains, should be assessed, not on its original value, but, having regard particularly to what should be adjudged its present value, in the light of its special adaptability for subdivision and sale in subdivided lots. The Commonwealth has admitted that the plaintiff is entitled to compensation, but is contending that the amount he claims is excessive. It has offered £8622, but this offer has been rejected, and Mr. Justice Dwyer is now called upon to decide the compensation due, and, in order to assist him in arriving at his assessment, testimony is being given by expert valuers called for both sides. Mr. H. B. Jackson, K.C., and Mr. J. M. Lavan are appearing for the plaintiff and Mr. F. W. Leake, K.C., and Mr C. J. O'Sullivan for the defendant. The hearing will be continued to-morrow (“GUILDFORD-AIRPORT,” 1945, Pg 4). The airport was referred to as Guildford Airport for some time before being renamed Perth Airport. The rationale for the construction was also reported in the late 1940’s. The report appears to have been written by a serviceman who was involved from the outset. The report states: “It was March, 1942. The Japanese were sweeping southward and Western Australia was daily expecting bombing and invasion. With only a handful of Wirraways, a few Hudson bombers and a couple of rebuilt Swordfish aircraft-the strength of the R.A.A.F. at Pearce at the time-Perth was particularly vulnerable to enemy bombing. So it came about that No. 77 Squadron, to be equipped with American P40E fighter aircraft (or Kittyhawks, as the R.A.A.F. termed them), was formed at Pearce. Assembled at Maylands aerodrome, these Kittyhawk aircraft were delivered to Pearce in ones and twos, and at the same time pilots and ground staff were arriving at Pearce each day to join the squadron. Over the ensuing week or two of chaos and confusion let me draw a veil. It shall suffice to say that in the fullness of time No. 77 Squadron emerged, I am tempted to say miraculously-from the welter of counter-orders, cross-postings and other red tape associated with the formation of all such bodies in the Air Force, as an operational fighter squadron, equipped and armed and ready to give battle. We were, however, still at Pearce. and though we enjoyed the comfort of its spacious peacetime quarters and were grateful for a good landing from which to fly our new aircraft, it had to end. It is no part of a fighter squadron's policy to have its maintenance section and planes grouped invitingly at an aerodrome which will obviously be a primary target for enemy attacks. Pearce, then, was no place for us, so it had been decided to build fighter strips from which we would operate. Camouflage and secrecy was the primary object. If the enemy could not find our fighters when they were on the ground, re-fueling or being maintenanced [sic], then our losses would be confined to those sustained in aerial combat or accidents; in view of our pitifully small numbers, a sound policy. Thus of necessity was created Guildford aerodrome-nee Dunreath. In peacetime a small suburban golf links just off the Great Eastern-highway, it had offered admirable facilities for camouflage. The natural growth had been little disturbed in carving out the fair ways. Its disadvantages as a landing ground seemed equally obvious, and we Kittyhawk pilots cast a slightly jaundiced eye on the boggy ground, the shortness of the landing strip, its extreme narrowness and; the bunker and high telephone wires which enclosed one end. Perhaps I was slightly prejudiced. I had played over the course several times before the war and had vivid recollections of wading up to my knees in water over some parts of it just where our aircraft parking area was to be, if I remembered rightly. Also, when driving from the first tee down the fairway towards the hills, I had invariably succumbed to the magnetism of the trees on the left and hooked into them. It was with some trepidation that I visualised myself bringing in a comparatively strange aircraft at 100 miles an hour down the same fairway. The prospect of falling into the old habit and finishing up where my ball had so often landed pleased me not at all! It was not strange, therefore, that in the early days of our occupation, any working party, engaged in improving or widening the surface of the strip numbered me among its workers. Never before, or since, has the urge to toil been so strong in me. By May we had moved to Dunreath as a squadron, although still keeping a detachment at Pearce to carry out major overhauls. The club house was converted to a mess and sleeping quarters for pilots while tents were erected among the trees to house the ground staff. Gradually we settled down to the routine of keeping one flight standing by at "readiness" while the other carried out a very necessary training programme-the flights exchanging duties on alternate days. In this way all pilots had their share of flying and as our hours in Kittyhawks increased, so did the squadron efficiency. We were fighting a "phoney war," but it proved to be good basic training for the days that were to come. In the meantime the monotonous days went on. Before dawn, engines were run up and aircraft and armament checked. Then, in the little "readiness" hut built back among the paper-bark trees, rostered pilots sat and read, yarned, smoked and played cards as they waited for the ever-expected signal that the enemy was on his way. Those of us not down to fly found plenty to do. The sandy, boggy nature of the dispersal pens was one of our greatest worries. We had strict instructions that aircraft must not stand on the strip where they could be seen from the air, and thus give away the strip's importance. But the ground beneath the trees was so soft that aircraft became bogged as soon as they rolled on to it. So we shovelled gravel and laid boards and sweated and shovelled and cursed. Camouflage nets were strung and re-strung as slipstreams tore them down. Equipment was scarce. It was hard work, but in the end we had things pretty ship-shape, and became quite proud of the little strip from which we operated. We had minor accidents on it, but no major disasters. Fortunately a Kittyhawk is not given to swinging violently on take-off or landing and no one ever took a header into the bush, though strong crosswinds occasionally caused a few grey hairs. We operated under difficulties, but we operated continuously from the day we landed the first Kittyhawk on Dunreath until we handed over to our successors when the squadron received orders to move to Darwin. …” (M, 1947, Pg 4) There is a subsequent report that gives more detail of the construction and early part of the operational history. The article is possibly by the same writer. The subsequent report focuses more on the operational aspects of 77 Squadron and states: "B" flight aircraft under Flight Lieut. Shave were the first to use what is now the South Guildford airport, but it was very different from the fine aerodrome of today. The only runway was a dirt strip at right angles to the Great Eastern-highway, just east of the Dunreath Golf Club's clubhouse. It was not unusual for the planes to be grounded because of the soft, soggy surface. When the strip was wet, but usable, the Kittyhawks taking-off towards the road usually became airborne opposite the clubhouse. The pilots were often heard to say that they were never quite sure whether to go over or under the telephone wires. Perhaps this was the usual Air Force "line-shooting." The commanding officer, his adjutant and staff, the operations and wireless sections and the squadron medical officer (Dr. Dunstone, of Adelaide) all had their offices in the clubhouse. …
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The strip, a grassed paddock running to the foothills, was extremely well camouflaged so much so that the pilots themselves were often forced to make another circuit before landing to make sure they had picked the right paddock. With dispersal bays under the trees, the Kittyhawks were so well hidden, that even aerial photographs failed to reveal their presence… ("SEVENTY-SEVENER.", 1950, Pg8). The important note is the orientation of the only runway. It runs more or less east-west. One end faces the Darling Range the other was impeded by telephone and power cabling. Runway orientation was one of the critical factors in relation to the events of 19 April 1945. In addition RAAF Dunreath’s facilities were allied to operations at Fremantle |
VIEW OF THE AIRPORT FROM GOOSEBERRY HILL #4 |
Fremantle Submarine Base
The creation of the submarine base at Fremantle was driven by the same factors that drove the creation of RAAF Dunreath. Fremantle because of its position relative to South East Asia quickly became a multinational facility. As a consequence the related support operations at Dunreath were not exclusively RAAF. However, a blanket of secrecy was thrown over the joint West Australian naval operations which lasted until mid 1945 (see (“FREMANTLE WAS BIG SUBMARINE BASE,” 1945, Pg 3) and (“R.N. Sub's Daring Sortie To Sink Jap Cruiser,” 1945, Pg 24)). The naval build up at Fremantle started in early 1942. In one of the first newsprint articles after the censorship black out was lifted the Sydney Morning Herald states: “...Immediately after the fall of Singapore many small ships from the old China fleet and Dutch ships from the East Indies arrived at Fremantle, … . H.M.A.S. Vendetta, which was refitting at Singapore was towed to Fremantle by the Ping Wo in an epic tow of 2,223 miles. FREMANTLE'S VITAL ROLE … The immediate effect of the threat to the Indian Ocean was to enhance the importance of Fremantle tremendously. The United States became responsible for the strategic defence of Australia as a whole during 1942 and based a large force of submarines, auxiliary vessels and aircraft on Fremantle and Albany. … Oil fuel tanks were built at Fremantle and at Onslow, and a minor base was developed at Exmouth Gulf. Seaplanes were operating from all ports on the west coast” (“Big Force In WA. In Grave Period,” 1945, Pg 6). A similar report in the Army News referring to the loss of US facilities in the face of the Japanese advance also states: “With the loss of Cavite in the Philippines, and then Sourabaya, the American submarines arrived at Fremantle early in 1942 (“FREMANTLE WAS BIG SUBMARINE BASE,” 1945, Pg 3). The Dutch East Indies were also overrun by the Japanese. This displaced the Dutch Navy. However, the Dutch were more profoundly affected as they were comparatively a smaller force and were more geographically stretched as reported: “The Dutch were comparatively late arrivals at Fremantle because they had been extraordinarily busy elsewhere. Their patrols had extended from the Norwegian coast to Cape Town, the Java Sea and eventually; to the Pacific. The beginning of the Fremantle operations started with the arrival of H.M.S. Maidstone in the middle of last year, with Lieut. Commander Bach Kolling aboard. The largest number of submarines under his base command at any one time was six, and some were under operational orders from the Royal Navy and others from the U.S. Navy. The submarines would set out from Fremantle with 10 to 15 picked Intelligence officers or commandos of the Netherlands Indies Army, and make for the Indies coastline at selected points. There they landed their passengers and provided a protective marine guard from the submarine crew. All the time the submarines were in danger of air and sea attack, yet each had to keep its rendezvous and take off any landing party. In the course of the war hundreds of people were landed and brought back from the Netherlands Indies, and through these daring operations it was possible to maintain a constant stream of intelligence reports of the enemy activity in conquered territory (“DUTCH SUBMARINES TAKE THEIR TOLL,” 1945, Pg 5) The actions of the Dutch navy are important at this point. The report alludes to but does not specifically note the importance of Dutch Submarines. The critical point in this extract is the arrival of HMS Maidstone in the middle of 1944 but again the commentary does not address the importance of HMS Maidstone. The following report is indicative of the relationship between the British operational support vessel HMS Maidstone and operations at Fremantle, the report states: “FROM a secret base at Fremantle, a fleet of British submarines have harassed Jap navy and merchant shipping in East Indies waters. Highlight of the operations was the sinking of the 11,500-ton class Jap I cruiser of the Asigara type, considered unsinkable. These destructive punches at the enemy were planned and developed aboard a Royal Navy submarine mother ship at Fremantle that seldom went to sea yet played a big part in the final victory (''Daring Submarine Sortie, From Secret Base, Sank "Unsinkable" Cruiser,” 1945, Pg 8). The nature and scope of the Maidstone's capabilities was also reported. This capacity was vital for the maintenance of the submarine fleet. But it should be noted that that capacity was available to the various Z force operations including Rimau, but also the Gustavus operations conducted by the Dutch into Malaya alluded to in the report “Dutch Submarines Take Their Toll” cited above. The Goulburn Evening Post reported: “The depotship for the Royal Navy submarines, which operated out of the Fremantle base, is the biggest and most modern of her class. Besides carrying vast quantities of fuel stores of every conceivable description, torpedoes, depth charges, ammunition, she is a floating hotel for the submarine crews when they are in port. About 15,000 tons, she was commissioned less than two years ago and is still being "worked up" to efficiency peak. ENGINEERING SIDE The engineering departments of the ship are a revelation in themselves. Large sections of the ship house lathes, drilling machines and other machinery of the most modern type. There is practically nothing in the repair or building line that the engineers will not attempt, and in almost every case successfully achieve” (“Servicing Submarines at Sea,” 1945, Pg 3). For those that are Bond fans think of Q’s facilities and the ability to produce gadgets of all kinds. The Fremantle base was the operational start for ‘conventional’ submarine warfare. It was also the base for ‘unconventional’ submarine warfare. This included the Gustavas Special Forces insertions into Malaya by the Dutch. It also included the Z Force operation Rimau and related operations. The Fremantle base is the reason for the presence of the Blue Goose and those onboard. All of the victims of the crash were associated with the Fremantle Submarine base.
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MAP SHOWING THE CRASH SITE AT GOOSEBERRY HILL #5 |
The CrashThe crashed plane was a US Navy C47 transporter with 13 on board including the crew. There is evidence that suggests that those on board were involved in a command redeployment operation. A commission of inquiry was constituted the following day (“Thirteen Dead,” 1945, Pg 6). The crash of the Blue Goose was the worst disaster in Western Australian aviation history until the loss of the M.M.A. DC 3 Fitzroy at Guildford in 1949 (“Tragic Air Accident,” 1949, pg 5). The loss of the Fitroy was then overtaken by the loss of the A.N.A. Amana which crashed west of York and which had a Kalamunda connection. The first report of the Blue Goose crash was in the Daily News:
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“13 Killed in WA Plane Disaster In the worst aviation tragedy in Western Australia, the 13 occupants of a U.S. Navy plane were killed instantly when the two-engined machine crashed into a hillside at Gooseberry Hill, about 17 miles from Perth, early today. The disaster occurred in thick fog, with visibility in the hills reduced to only a few yards. People who rushed to the scene could do nothing because of the flames that swept from the shattered plane. The 13 bodies were charred almost beyond recognition. Service vehicles removed them from the spot. Parts of the machine which missed a house by a few feet, were scattered over a wide area. The tail, sticking up like a memorial to the ghastly happening, finished up on top of a granite outcrop about 15 feet high. Crash occurred about 5.35 a.m. As it crashed, the plane ploughed through the garden of Mrs. D. M. Bartlett. One wing fell at the western side of five-acre property. The other wing fell on the southern side of the house where it crashed through the vines and lattice of a verandah. Two windows of the house were broken on the northern side. Strikes Tree After having ploughed up low trees and shrubs the plane struck a tree and the tail—the only intact portion of the machine— crashed on to the granite outcrop about 150 yards from Mrs. Bartlett's brick house. A water tank that had been in the plane's way was levelled to the ground. Burning petrol set fire to undergrowth and at one stage menaced a cottage which is on Mrs. Bartlett's property and about 60 yards away from her house. High tension mains were severed and telephone wires cut. Guildford volunteer fire brigade was quickly on the scene. Nearby residents had endeavoured to get the occupants of the plane away but the terrific heat made this impossible and all that they could do was to prevent the flames spreading to nearby houses. Guildford brigade received the call at 5.55 a.m., covered the eight miles to the scene of the crash in 15 minutes, despite the fact that driver K. Barker could see only a few yards ahead. The brigade was on the job for nearly two hours. Mrs D. M. Bartlett, whose property is about midway between Kalamunda Road and the railway line to Kalamunda, said: "I was awakened about 5.35 a.m. today by the noise of a low-flying plane. It seemed to be almost on top of the house and I dashed out to see what it was. "As it shot by the house, the plane seemed a mass of flames. One wing had fallen off on the western side of the hill where, apparently, the machine had first struck. “The plane came within about ten feet of my house, judging by the uprooted shrubs and small trees”. “The electric light wires had been severed and these were sparking. " Firemen and servicemen were quickly on the job but it was obvious that they could do nothing. "We were very fortunate that the plane missed the house; it was only a matter of feet that saved us." Occupants of the cottage near Mrs Bartlett's house were Mrs Dorothy Brodie-Hall and her two children, three-year-old Lesley and one-year old Robert. She said today that she heard a deafening noise and, fear of what it was, ran out just in time to see the plane a burning mass about 50 yards away She saw wreckage scattered practically all the way from Mrs Bartlett's house to the granite outcrop. One airscrew had fallen only a few yards away from Mrs Bartlett's house and burning.wreckage had set fire to the undergrowth near the cottage and to several trees. Volunteers Eight volunteers were quickly on the job when Guildford volunteer fire brigade received the fire call. They were Captain A. E. Barker, apparatus officer and driver K. Barker, brigade secretary W. Dobson, firemen Dunlop, E. Barker. V. Osborne, J Taylor and W. Dobson— the 18-year-old son of the brigade secretary Mr Dobson, Snr. said: "There was little we could do when we arrived except to stop the fire from spreading. 'So terrific was the blaze that we could not get within yards of it and blazing petrol had set fire to trees and undergrowth. "We used water and extinguishers in an effort to beat the flames but it was impossible to do anything much. "On the granite outcrop itself were four bodies. "The other bodies were in a depression between a clump of trees and the granite outcrop. "The clothing had been burned from most of the bodies but some of the personal effects of the occupants of the plane were intact. These included cigarette cases, coins and other articles." Mr Dobson.Snr., is a bootmaker. His son left for Perth later in the morning to be sworn in as a member of the Royal Australian Navy [emphasis in the original] (“13 Killed in WA Plane Disaster,” 1945, Pg 1). The immediate military response was to place an armed guard on the site (“Thirteen Dead,” 1945, Pg 6). As would be expected the crash was reported nationwide. There was no immediate list of victims. The only names released in the days after the accident were the names of the Red Cross workers. The Western Australian register of deaths only contains twelve names but the media reports all refer to there being thirteen victims. In the longer term the crash resulted in changes to the landscape which improved navigation “ ROBERT JOHNS (Kalamunda Road, Maida Vale) writes: … In the distance in the hills I can see the red beacon which was erected after the aeroplane crashed Every night now to guard the other planes over the hill, which is Gooseberry Hill, the red light blinks on and off and is a landmark” (“Little Letters,” 1948, Pg 76) The light towers with their distinctive red lights were removed in the mid 1990’s. Following the crash the HMS Maidstone was tasked with returning liberated Prisoners of War in SouthEast Asia to Fremantle (“HMS Maidstone Arrives at Fremantle,” 1945, Pg 6). The return was documented by the Western Mail Given information now available and despite the lifting of the censorship restrictions, operational security seems to be a consideration for the withholding of the identification of the other victims. However it is now possible to compile a list of all victims. |
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VIEW OF THE CRASH SITE THE DAY AFTER |
VIEW OF THE CRASH SITE THE DAY AFTER |
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VIEW OF THE SITE WHERE THE CRASH HAD HAPPENED YEARS EARLIER #6 |
VIEW OF THE SITE WHERE THE CRASH HAD HAPPENED YEARS EARLIER #7 |
The VictimsFollowing the accident the only victims names published were those of the three American Red Cross women, Ann Woodward, Cecil Nichols and Geraldine Crow. There was a full military service for the American victims led by Lt Nichols, brother of Cecil Nichols (“Red Cross Girls Die in Plane,” 1945, Pg 14). There are conflicting reports in relation to the burial of the Red Cross workers at first instance. A search of West Australian burial records imply that the news reports stating the Red Cross workers were to be buried at Rookwood Cemetery Sydney are correct. There were two separate funerals; the first for the Royal Navy officer who was on board (“FUNERALS OF CRASH VICTIMS.” 1945, Pg 6). Of those killed the Royal Navy officer is the only one who is not listed in the register of deaths. The Karrakatta burial records related to him are not complete and contain only his surname and initials. This in comparison to all other available records is highly unusual. The reasons for this failure are not recorded but operational security is a likely reason. The question becomes what was he involved with that required a high level of security? The second funeral was for the American servicemen (“Tragic Plane Crash,” 1945, Pg 3). In addition to the 3 women Red Cross personnel previously named the list of victims contains the following details: Lt William C. Armstrong, pilot, (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, N.D.) There is no further information available in relation to most of the names on the list. However, there are two names that are traceable, the first Cdr R.R Helbert. Helbert was from the British Royal Navy and had extensive experience as submarine captain. Those with a literary interest would be familiar with Ian Flemmings Commander Bond. The reason for citing Bond in this instance will become apparent below. The second was the US Navy’s Lt Cdr M. G. McCormick, also a submarine commander. There were also subsequent reports that indicate that the Red Cross personnel on board were also attached to the joint submarine base Fremantle. |
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Cdr.REGINALD ROBERT HELBERT |
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There is a further record that states he served on the War Graves Committee, representing the High Commissioner for the Union of South Africa. That committee amongst other things was responsible for Egypt (Commonwealth War Crimes Commision, 2018). This means that GG Helbert with others including Rudyard Kipling was responsible for the interment of the war dead from the non British countries involved in WWI. This included the Egypt campaign. By extension this would have included the interment of the dead of the 10th Light Horse. However there is some conjecture as the writer has not been able to draw a direct line between the George Helbert referred to by the AWM and the Commonwealth War Graves Records. However, the date and place of birth for RR Helbert is consistent in Herbert’s and Freemans information and with the date contained in the UK National Archive entries. The unanswered question is whether the George Helbert referred to on the AWM site is the same George Helbert the father of RR Helbert. Based on the information compiled by Herbert Col. Geoffery Gladstone (1867-1934) and Mabel Sophia Helbert (1872-1949) had four children, Reginald Robert was the youngest. There were two elder brothers and one sister. RR Helbert joined the Royal Navy as a midshipman. His first posting was on the HMS Revenge on the 31st March 1917 (Herbert, N.D). The Revenge had just come from the Battle of Jutland (Freeman, 2018). Herbert (N.D) lists Helbert’s subsequent postings. The first posting after the close of WWI was at least one and possibly two short courses at Cambridge University. Following this he moved to submarines for a number of years, culminating as a commanding officer of the submarine HMS H44. He then moved to the battleship HMS Hood and then the HMS Renown, both ships becoming famous in their own right. Helbert married for the first in 1926, at the St Marylebone district, London to Kathleen Jane Mallinson (13.08.1902 - 06.1981), daughter of Sir Dyson and Lady Mallinson, of Birkdale, Lancashire; there was one son of the marriage. In 1930 he moved back to submarines as a commanding officer on HMS L25. In 1931 and 1932 he was on duty in China, this included during the Japanese invasion of Manchuria. From this point until early 1937 he was associated with submarines either as commanding officer or on submarine support vessels. The National Archive Kew gardens has a file on his divorce. He remarried in very late 1936 at Gosport district, Hampshire to Annie Vera Stigant (née Hunt) (06.12.1899 - 23.10.1974), who previously married to Clifford Stigant; there were no children. It appears he had a short break as his next position was February 1937 at a submarine training base in Hong Kong. He was responsible for escape apparatus training, merchant navy defence training and anti piracy officer. An interesting combination also falling within the Bond script. At the commencement of hostilities he moved back to submarine support as a “spare” commanding officer. Helbert was injured in 1940 and was hospitalised. Following this he was posted to HMS Victory in Portsmouth before returning to duty at HMS Dolphin at Gosport. He returned to ship board duties in November 1940. The last two entries are the pertinent and are the most intriguing, particularly in light of Kalamunda’s most well known military figure Jack Sue. The second last entry reads: There are a number of points that arise from these postings, the first is that Helbert was a Liaison officer with prior experience as an operations officer. This suggests he was the interface between the British, Us and Australian joint operations. This would likely have included the Australian Z Force and the Dutch gustavus operations. Herbert's notes suggest his duties involved midget submarines. This would put him squarely in Special Operations Executive (SOE) operations territory and in the Australian context Z force operations. The second major point arises from the last entry but is allied to this point. The Force 136 Advanced Operations Training School was in Trincomalee Ceylon. Helbert was in Trincomalee from March 1944 to mid September 1944 when he was moved to Fremantle. Further, the SOE assisted the Australians to establish an organisation known as Special Operations Australia (SOA) or Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD) referred to as Z Force (Weicker, 2020). Helbert arrived in Fremantle on the day that Z Force operation Rimau commenced. The details in relation to Rimau indicate that the supplies necessary or a large portion of them were on HMS Maidstone (HERMON GILL, 1968, Pg 544). Helbert was posted to HMS Maidstone. With respect to Rimau HERMON GILL states: “On 10th August 1944 the British mine-laying submarine Porpoise (Commander H. A. L. Marsham) of the 4th Flotilla, arrived at Fremantle from Trincomalee. On 11th September she sailed from Careening Bay [Garden Island] carrying the 23 members of RIMAU” (1968) It appears to the writer that the sequence of events was the Porpoise left Trincomalee followed later by the Maidstone. The Maidstone carried the supplies and equipment for the Rimau mission. The Maidstone berthed at Garden Island and was unloaded prior to arriving in Fremantle on the 16th September. Hermon Gill states: “RIMAU differed in a number of ways from JAYWICK. Instead of using a surface craft for transport from Australia, it was planned that the approach to the vicinity of Singapore would be by submarine. Reaching the islands just south of Singapore, a local craft would be captured for the final approach to the launching place of the attack on Singapore shipping, and this would be made, not in two-man paddled canoes as in JAYWICK, but in "Sleeping Beauties"—one-man electrically powered submersible boats. Using these, it was planned to affix limpet mines to ships in Singapore harbour as in the previous raid. Exhaustive and selective training for RIMAU was carried out over a period of some months at Careening Bay, Garden Island, south of Fremantle (HERMON GILL, 1968, Pg 543) The electrically powered one man submarines are straight out of the James Bond textbook. Unfortunately Rimau ran into difficulties and was not a success. There are a number of red flag issues in relation to Helbert. The first is the missing entry in relation to his death. The second, in an American plane full of American personnel, Helbert is the ‘odd one out’. Why was Helbert aboard the flight? Was he simply going to visit relatives in the east? The fact his name was omitted from the register of deaths militates against this proposition. In addition and as noted above there is a Kew Garden file in relation to US Naval honours awarded to Cdr. RR Helbert for his liaison services to the US Navy. The probability is Helbert was somewhere between the position of M and Q in the Bond analogy. It appears that as operations officer and liaison officer he would have had a hand in the planning and provisioning of some if not all of the special operations run from Ceylon and Fremantle. The only other indicator is McCormick’s reason for being on the plane and he is the only other name that is traceable. |
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1.4.1. Lt Cdr Montrose G. McCormick
Lt. Cdr. MONTROSE GRAHAM McCORMICK |
U.S. Naval Academy Virtual Memorial Hall has a significant listing for Lt Cdr McCormick. The listing appears to be a compilation from two sources. The listing states: “Montrose Graham was the son of U.S. Navy Lieutenant Ivan Montrose Graham and Lillian Addison (Sprigg) Graham. Ivan fathered Montrose, but died of Influenza on 21 September 1918 in Quebec, Canada, while on duty in World War I, without ever having the opportunity to see his son. |
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Montrose graduated from San Diego Army and Navy Academy. In 1935, his father was on duty at the academy as aide to Rear Admiral Thomas C. Hart. His two brothers were Jett and Lynde. The writer is unable to add anything to this information. The new assignment of USS Pintado (SS-387) appears to have been to patrol the waters of Tokyo in the run up to the dropping of the Atomic bomb. The unresolved question is what, if anything, ties Helbert to Mccormick and this patrol. In any event there were two substantial funerals. All of the military servicemen were initially buried at Karrakatta cemetery. The 64 US war dead who had been interred at Karrakatta during the war, including the victims of the Blue Goose, were exhumed and reburied at Rookwood Cemetery Sydney (“Australian Cemetery for USA,” 1945, Pg 3). In May 1947 it was announced that all US war dead from the Pacific theatre including Australia would be exhumed and relocated to the US (“Digest of Cables,” 1947, Pg 4). |
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FUNERAL OF THE CRASH VICTIMS #8 |
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FUNERAL OF THE CRASH VICTIMS #9 |
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The Red Cross at Fremantle
JEAN FERGUSON |
In the wake of the crash the American Red Cross was the subject of media interest. A brief summary of Red Cross involvement was set out in a report in August 1945 which states: “After a year in Perth, attractive 28-year-old Jean Ferguson of the American Red Cross has left Western Australia, is on her way back to the United States. A resident of West Newtown, Massachusetts, she served as a secretary to the U.S. Army In Washington before joining the Red Cross, After completing her Red Cross training, she came to Australia just over a year ago and came to Perth by way of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Her work for submariners in Perth included recreational activities and the writing of numerous letters to parents and other relatives of Navy men. Some submariners — like many other servicemen — are not keen letter writers and American Red Cross workers help and encourage them to write home as much as possible. Like other Red Cross workers, Miss Ferguson received a large number of letters of thanks for the assistance rendered to submariners and their relatives. Before leaving Miss Ferguson said: 'I love Perth and have greatly enjoyed my stay here. People here are kind and hospitable and cannot do enough for anyone. 'Perth's young women are as beautiful as any I have seen, and better and more smartly dressed than in the other Australian capitals I visited” (“Served Here for a Year,” 1945, pg 3). The bulk of the American contingent at Fremantle were redeployed shortly after this report |
1. Fremantle Base Photographs
In August 1945 the HMS Maidstone was redeployed to Hong Kong and was replaced by the HMS Trenchant. The base was documented by the Western Mail and published on the 6th September 1945 BRITISH SUBMARINES IN FREMANTLE |
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Submarines of the Royal Navy at present in FRemantle Harbour were visited by staff photographer J. A. Davidson recently. (1) The crew of the Trenchant line the deck of their submarine. On their last patrol they "bagged" a 11,500 ton Japanese cruiser. (2) The crew of the Trenchant being paid in the submarine's ward room on return from their last war patrol. The officer in traditional style places the money on their caps as they step forward. (3) HMS Adamant, the "mother ship", with submarines of the British Fourth Flotilla pctured in Fremantle Harbout. SUBMARINES OF THE ROYAL NAVY |
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Scenes aboard submarines of the Royal Navy at present in Fremantle Harbor. (1) Polishing the brasswork of HM S/M Stubborn. This submarine is the only vessel of the small "S" class in the flotilla. (2) Two gunners handling some of the four-inch shells aboard HM S/M Trump. (3) At diving stations in the electric motor room of HM S/M Taciturn. ($) Two Dutch submarines fly the Royal Netherlands flag from their periscopes on the occasion of Queen Wilhelmina's birthday. The submarine in the centre is British.
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1. HMS Maidstone's final duties at Fremantle
H.M.S. MAIDSTONE ARRIVES AT FREMANTLE |
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H.M.S. Maidstone, carrying Royal Navy repatriated P.O.W., arrived at North Wharf, Fremantle, on 30th September. The warship was greeted by a huge crowd, the pulic taking full advantage of the newly-restored liberty to visit the wharves. (1) A hospital patient lowered by a sling to waiting Red Cross ambulance. Portion of the crowd in arrendance can be seen. (2) Members of the crew of the Nam Jong, which was torpedoed in the Java Sea in March, 1942, were met by representatives of the British Sailors' Society. (3) P.O.W. wait to leave H.M.S. Maidstone when the vessel had berthed. (4) Leaving the vessel to have re-issue of clothes at H.M.A.S. Leeuwin.
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1. Resources
Note 1 National Archive Entry: Commander R R Helbert, RN: report of death in an aircraft accident Ref ADM 358/2777 1945 Jan 01 - 1945 Dec 31 Note 2 National Archive Entry: US Naval Commendations: description and procedure for acceptance: award to Cdr R R Helbert RN (Retd) for liaison services 1944-1945 Ref ADM 1/29822 2. References
13 Killed in WA Plane Disaster. (1945, April 19). Daily News, Pg 1. Australian War Memorial. (N.D). Quartermaster-Sergeant Geoffrey Helbert Helbert. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10049359 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. (N.D.). Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 in Perth: 13 killed. Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-r4d-5-perth-13-killed Big Force In WA. In Grave Period. (1945, August 9). Sydney Morning Herald, Pg 6. Commonwealth War Crimes Commision. (2018, October 5). Commission Meeting Minutes. CWGC Archive. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://archive.cwgc.org/GetMultimedia.ashx?db=Catalog&type=default&fname=06%5C9dd456-5154-446e-9c8c-56d2f0bb2660.pdf Commonwealth War Graves Commission. (N.D). Wikipedia. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://archive.cwgc.org/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=CWGC%2f6%2f4%2f1%2f2%2f3046 Daring Submarine Sortie, From Secret Base, Sank "Unsinkable" Cruiser. (1945, August 26). Sun, Pg 8. Digest of Cables. (1947, May 17). The Courier Mail, Pg 4. Dutch Submarines Take Their Toll. (1945, August 21). Age, Pg 5. Franz, K. (2023, November 30). VMH: MONTROSE G. MCCORMICK, LCDR, USN. USNA Virtual Memorial Hall. Retrieved March 5, 2024, from https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/MONTROSE_G._MCCORMICK,_LCDR,_USN Freeman, H. (2018, November 20). HMS Revenge - Harry Freeman RN. Freemanart Consultancy. Retrieved March 3, 2024, from http://www.freemanart.ca/HMS_REVENGE_Jutland_Crew.htm Fremantle Was Big Submarine Base. (1945, August 25). Army News, Pg 3. Funerals Of Crash Victims. (1945, April 24). The West Australian, Pg 6. Guildford-Airport. (1945, November 29). Kalgoorlie Miner, Pg 4. Herbert, A. P. (N.D). Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 -- H. Unit Histories. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://www.unithistories.com/officers/RN_officersH4.html HERMON GILL, G. (1968). Royal Australian Navy 1939-1942. Australian War Memorial. https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awm-media/collection/RCDIG1070721/document/5520004.PDF “HMS Maidstone Arrives at Fremantle.” The Western Mail, 4 October 1945, Pg 6. Little Letters. (1948, September 30). Western Mail, Pg 76. M, H. V. (1947, September 6). Birth Of An Airport. West Australian, Pg 4. Red Cross girls Die in Plane. (1945, April 23). Daily News. R.N. Sub's Daring Sortie To Sink Jap Cruiser. (1945, August 26). Truth, Pg 24. Served Here for a Year. (1945, August 23). Daily News, Pg 3. "SEVENTY-SEVENER." (1950, July 5). Squadron's Proud Record; From Perth To Korea. West Australian, Pg 8. Servicing Submarines at Sea. (1945, August 28). Goulburn Evening Post, Pg 3. Thirteen Dead. (1945, April 20). The West Australian, Pg 6. Tragic Air Accident. (1949, July 7). Northern times, Pg 5. Tragic Plane Crash. (1945, April 25). Pg 3. U.S. Naval Academy, Nimitz Library. “The Lucky Bag 1939.” Internet Archive, First Class, United States Naval Academy, 1939, https://archive.org/details/luckybag1939unse/mode/2up. Accessed 8 March 2024. Weicker, C. (2020, August 3). Chinese Canadian Secret Warriors in the Pacific, 1944-46. The Laurier Centre for the Study of Canada. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://studyofcanada.ca/chinese-canadian-secret-warriors-in-the-pacific/ |
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Reference: Article: David Mizen Images: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9 Internet
Copyright: Gordon Freegard 2008 - 2024
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