Page 5.
THE HMAS WARREGO STORY
Continued: -
On the 9/9/45, under the command
of Commander R.B.A. Hunt the Warrego left Sydney once more bound for Darwin
& then to Morotai where she arrived on the 22/9. On the 24th she sailed for
Balikpapan, Borneo carrying 10 Army Officers & 40 OR's. She arrived on the
27th transferred stores to HMAS Barcoo & the passengers ashore then
embarked 10 Military Officers & 120 OR's and sailed for Macassar in the
Celebes arriving on the 27th. With the survey & buoying completed Warrego
in company with HMAS Burdekin sailed for Balikpapan on the 4/10. Warrego sailed
from Balikpapan at midnight on the 8th to pull a Liberty ship the John Catron
of a reef. This endeavour resulted in the towing wire snapping & being
fouled on her port propeller and the ship arrived in Tarakan, Borneo on one
engine on the 12th October 1945.
On the 13/10, on one engine,
Warrego sailed for Sandakan, Borneo & at 2300 on the 14th anchored of
Taganak Island. Next morning a commencement was made in establishing a safe
channel, clear of the Allied Minefield in the approaches to Sandakan. The
channel was established & buoyed by 1300 & Warrego proceeded up harbour
and anchored off Sandakan. The Japanese Commandant, Colonel Ohtsuka &
Governor Kurambe came aboard & were interviewed. The ship then returned to
Taganak Island. On the 16th. Commander Hunt accompanied by a party of seamen in
full uniform, complete with webbing & gaiters & armed with .303 rifles
proceeded ashore in HMAS Black Snake, on an inspection tour. They returned with
a considerable quantity of Samurai Swords and after the Officers needs were
satisfied the balance were distributed, by lot, amongst the crew. In the
meantime the diver was removing the wire from the screw and the Doctor was
treating the natives of the Island who had been neglected by the Japs &
were in a debilitated state. Warrego left on the 17th. Further survey &
clearance work was carried out at Tarakan & Macassar and the ship arrived
in Darwin on the 1/11.
A boiler clean was completed
& on the 10/11 the ship proceeded for Yampi Sound, WA where she arrived on
the 13/11. The survey in conjunction with the Australian Iron & Steel
Company's Iron Ore mine on Cockatoo Island was completed and Warrego arrived in
Darwin on the 27/11. She sailed for Thursday Island on the 29th. and after
engaging in further surveys arrived in Sydney on the 8/12 at 1630 and commenced
an extensive refit.
Her real peacetime survey
service commenced on the 28/1/46 when she arrived in Launceston to commence the
survey of the North Coast of Tasmania. The following years saw her carrying out
survey's of the Australian Coast, from Spensers Gulf in the South through Bass
Strait along the East Coast and around to Monte Bellow Island in the west. Immobilised
& re-mobilised, emasculated as a ship of war, she still performed as an
efficient & comfortable survey vessel.
Under the command of Commander
H. C. Dillon HMAS Warrego ended her final voyage in Sydney Harbour on the 9th.
August 1963 flying a paying off pennant 260 feet long representing 22 1/4 years
as a ship of the RAN.
PARAMUS EOS SECUNDOS.