ML 814 | Sea Power Centre

Fairmile motor launches were small, fast, highly manoeuvrable, lightly armed ships designed in the United Kingdom. They were originally intended to be used for coastal anti-submarine and convoy protection duties but soon proved to be vessels capable of much broader operational tasking.

In April 1941 the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) recognised the need for a vessel which could be built locally and used in the littoral waters of Australia, New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies and their surrounding islands. On 5 January 1942 the War Cabinet gave approval to construct Fairmiles in Australia. Between November 1942 and April 1944, 35 vessels were commissioned into RAN service.

ML 814 was the second of the Fairmiles to be constructed in Australia. It commissioned on 1 January 1943 under the command of Lieutenant Gilbert R Kennedy RANVR, a veteran of small ship actions fought against German E boats in the English Channel while serving with the Royal Navy.

Unlike other Fairmiles that were being brought into service, 814 was painted in a distinctive zigzag disruptive camouflage pattern with hues of white, light blue and green being used to break up its appearance. This colour scheme was later determined to be impractical to maintain and in time it reverted to the normal plain grey found on most other RAN vessels.

Living conditions in Fairmiles were spartan. There was a small wardroom which the 3 commissioned officers shared, a cabin for 2 Petty Officers (normally the Coxswain and Petty Officer motor mechanic) and a small mess deck which accommodated 12 sailors. There were no showers and just 2 small hand pumped toilets. As the complement sometimes varied between 17 and 20, additional crew were faced with either sleeping on deck or adopting what was known as a ‘hot bunking’ routine in which they took turns sharing a bunk with a shipmate who was on watch. For the sailors all activities such as sleeping, eating and relaxing took place in the mess deck.

ML 814 wearing her distinctive disruptive pattern camouflage.

ML 814 wearing its distinctive disruptive pattern camouflage.

Generally, there was no trained cook assigned to the Fairmiles. These duties were shared among the crew who took turns preparing meals on a small kerosene stove in the galley. Some Fairmile crews were fortunate in having one sailor who was both a good cook and who was willing to take on the job permanently. ML 814 was one such ship.

Following 814’s commissioning, Kennedy and his crew turned their attention to working the ship up. This involved a period at sea off the east coast of Australia during which the crew conducted drills and got to know their ship’s strengths and weaknesses. It also coincided with a period of increased Japanese submarine activity along the eastern seaboard. Twenty-one attacks were made on merchant ships in the first 6 months of 1943 resulting in 11 sinkings including the Australian hospital ship Centaur.

On 18 February 1943, 814 sailed from Sydney for Brisbane. It stayed in Brisbane waters conducting engine trials until early May, at one point losing its hull mounted Asdic dome while taking avoiding action to pass clear of the SS Buranda in the Brisbane Channel. A new dome was fitted and a formal inquiry was held into the loss of this expensive and highly secretive piece of equipment.

Not long after the inquiry into the loss, Kennedy was posted as the First Lieutenant of the corvette HMAS Inverell (I). He was replaced by Lieutenant Charles C Skarratt RANVR; however, within a week of his arrival, he too was posted. Lieutenant R R (Reg) Lewis RANVR - who like Skarratt and Kennedy had seen action with the Royal Navy in the English Channel, was subsequently appointed in command. In mid-May 1943 ML 814 received orders to sail for Darwin via Townsville, Cairns and Thursday Island.

Joining a north-bound convoy assembling near Cape Moreton, 814 was taken in tow by a United States (US) Liberty ship for the passage to Townsville. This was to save wear and tear on its engines which required a substantial service every 500 hours. After a 2-day passage the tow was abandoned and 814 made its way independently through the Whitsunday Passage to Townsville. On 14 May it continued its voyage north, again under tow, astern of the SS Cardross. This time the passage was incident free, and the 2 vessels parted company at Thursday Island. ML 814 proceeded to Darwin arriving there on Sunday 23 May.

Although new to the area, 814 was immediately put to work. On 1 June it left Darwin to protect the American ship Admiral Halstead while it was unloading supplies and aviation gasoline at Millingimbi, an Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) advanced operational base on the north-east coast of Arnhem Land. The outpost was home to Spitfire fighter aircraft, 350 RAAF personnel and around 600 Aboriginal people. It was also within easy striking distance of the Japanese and had previously been bombed by enemy medium range bombers.

ML 814 took 34 hours to make its way though the heavy weather and poorly chartered waters to its destination. On arrival it refuelled then, after completing its assignment, began the return voyage to Darwin. In contrast to the outward leg, this took only 22.5 hours.

ML 814’s next task was to assist the night passage of a convoy through the Clarence Strait. During peace time, this stretch of water was illuminated by navigational buoys, however, as a wartime security measure they were now lit only when considered necessary. Lewis and his crew were required to find and light one of these marker buoys with the assistance of a reef Pilot.

The night was dark with mist rising from the sea. Despite their best efforts, the buoy could not be located. It was then that one of 814’s lookouts reported a flashing light on an unexpected bearing. The pilot checked his charts and determined that the light was originating from a particularly rocky section of Melville Island. Concerns over the origin of this light led to naval authorities in Darwin ordering the convoy to anchor overnight. It completed its passage in daylight the following day.

In late June, 814 was given an air-sea rescue task off the Japanese occupied Island of Selaru in the Tanimbar Group, 350 miles north of Darwin. A flight of Vultee Vengeance and Beaufighter aircraft had been ordered to attack an air strip under construction on the island and 814 was pre-positioned nearby to recover any Allied aviators who might be downed during the operation. Deep in Japanese controlled waters, the crew waited anxiously while the raid took place before receiving orders to return to Darwin.

During the return voyage a submarine periscope was sighted astern of the Fairmile and was seen to be closing on a steady bearing. The alarm was sounded and the crew raced to action stations, not knowing whether the submarine was friend or foe. Moments later the submarine surfaced, and a visual challenge was made by 814 using flashing light. To their great relief the submarine identified itself as an American. Japanese submarines had been detected in these waters and if the Australians encountered one of these fast and well-armed vessels the outcome could have been disastrous for them.

While in Darwin between missions the crew of 814 experienced firsthand the Japanese air raids which had caused so much damage since February 1942. When the air raid warning was given, 814 would proceed to sea and take up a pre-determined station, standing by to go to the assistance of any downed Allied airmen. It was during once such raid on 28 June that a near miss slightly wounded the First Lieutenant, ‘Chips’ Wood.

On 9 July, ML 814 left Darwin to escort the steamer Alagna, to the Drysdale Mission at Napier Broome Bay in Western Australia. Arriving there 2 days later they were faced with the problem of unloading Alagna’s cargo of heavy equipment, motor vehicles and thousands of gallons of aviation gasoline stored in drums. There were no wharves or port facilities at the mission and 814’s crew set about improvising a ferry service using an old lugger and Alagna’s lifeboats. Two days later, after much hard work, the cargo was safely ashore and 814 returned to Darwin.

Operation LAGARTO/MOSQUITO

On the morning of 26 July 1943, Lieutenant Lewis and Lieutenant Charles A J Inman, RANVR, the commanding officer of ML 815, were briefed to prepare their ships to proceed to Japanese occupied Timor in support of Operation LAGARTO. The naval component of the mission was named Operation MOSQUITO and required the 2 Fairmiles to slip deep into enemy controlled waters and resupply the Portolizard guerrilla group. They were also to insert an Australian Army signaller (Sergeant A J (Jim) Ellwood) and evacuate approximately 70 civilian refugees.

The MOSQUITO operation was among the first of several clandestine activities in which the RAN Fairmiles and Harbour Defence Motor Launches (HDML) supported the Allied Intelligence Bureau (AIB) and Services Reconnaissance Department (SRD).

There was little time to prepare for the impending operation which called for a landing on Timor within 3 days. The Fairmile’s depth charges were unloaded to provide extra deck space, and a special launching ramp was built over the stern of each of the 2 MLs to enable the rapid deployment of a large wooden and canvas landing craft. These craft were to be pushed into the water to seaward of Timor’s surf and rowed inshore to land stores and provisions. They would then return to the Fairmiles with the civilian evacuees and be taken in tow for the return voyage to Darwin.

Final preparations were made at the secret AIB base located about 18 miles from Darwin on the east arm of the harbour. Here the landing craft was loaded in 814 and members of the SRD, the army’s ‘cloak-and-dagger’ men, embarked along with a specialist navigator, Lieutenant W B Hill RANVR, and a Portuguese navigational pilot named Baltazar.

At 10 pm on 27 July, the 2 Fairmiles set course for Melville Island. The following morning, they arrived in Kings Cove, St Asaph Bay where they rendezvoused with the tender, HMAS Terka, to take on additional fuel and water. Later that afternoon they continued their passage bound for a reference point on the southern coast of Timor close to the mouth of the Dilor River. In the early hours of 29 July, radio silence was broken when a signal was received recalling both vessels to their staging position. No reason was given and by 7 pm they were again in St Asaph Bay refuelling. The ships remained there for 2 days awaiting further orders before they were eventually recalled to Darwin. The mission had been postponed at the request of an operative in Timor who was concerned about the presence of Japanese forces in the landing area. The operation was soon rescheduled to take place on 3 August.

The 2 MLs re-embarked their cargo of equipment and personnel. At 10.31 pm on Monday 2 August they set out again, this time refuelling at Snake Bay, Melville Island. At 5.30 pm the next day they proceeded on a north-westerly course for the position on the south coast of Timor. The night passed without incident and early the next morning they were joined by their RAAF Beaufighter escort which maintained a presence until late that afternoon.

Just after nightfall the 2 Fairmiles closed the rendezvous position where they observed 3 small fires on the beach. This was followed by the reception of a faint blue recognition signal from the shore. Baltazar confirmed that they had arrived at the correct location on the chart and the Australians quickly set about lowering their landing craft.

With their vessels loaded with provisions, the crews of 814 and 815 headed through the surf towards the shore where they were eagerly met by the guerrilla force. ‘Chips’ Wood commanded the first landing party from 814 and was soon busily overseeing the insertion of Sgt Ellwood, the unloading of stores and the embarkation of the first load of refugees. After about 15 minutes he returned to 814 where Hordern relieved him to oversee the subsequent landing parties.

After several further boat trips, the 2 Fairmiles took their landing craft in tow at 10.50 pm and shaped course for Darwin. The return voyage was made at a brisk 17 knots with the aim of putting as much distance as possible between the Australian ships and any Japanese patrols before daybreak. Dawn the following day revealed the desperate state of the refugees embarked in 814. Many were suffering from malnutrition, wounds and tropical ulcers. Nearly all of them were seasick. The crew provided what assistance they could, but it was a great relief to all on board when they finally secured alongside Darwin at 11.30 am on 5 August. Ambulances and medical attendants transferred 814’s passengers to hospital for treatment and observation.

ML 814 at high speed. Note the depth charges on her quarterdeck

ML 814 at high speed. Note the depth charges on its quarterdeck.

After MOSQUITO, 814 settled down to the comparatively dull but essential routine of convoy duties, anti-submarine sweeps, exercising and escorting Allied submarines into Darwin.

Allied submarines were not permitted to approach Australian harbours without an appropriate escort which normally rendezvoused with them well out of sight of land where a challenge was made by visual signal. On receipt of the correct reply to the Port War Signal Station would be advised of the impending arrival, and the submarine would be escorted into harbour. This duty was one well suited to the Fairmiles as they had sufficient speed to match US submarines.

On 6 August 1943 the 8000-tonne steam ship Macumba was attacked off the Arnhem Land coast by Japanese float planes. Its escort, the corvette HMAS Cootamundra, scored a hit on one of the attacking aircraft, shooting off a float. However, a well-aimed bomb struck Macumba’s engine room killing and wounding many of its crew. The ship soon foundered, leaving Cootamundra to rescue survivors. ML 814 was ordered to proceed at top speed to rendezvous with Cootamundra where it transferred a doctor onboard to provide further assistance. The ML then escorted the corvette back to Darwin where the dazed survivors were landed and taken to hospital.

Operation COBRA/BULLDOZER

Towards the end of January, 814 supported another SRD operation, known as COBRA. The naval component of the operation was called BULLDOZER. As with the LAGARTO/MOSQUITO operation, it involved carrying and inserting SRD and Z Special Unit operatives into Timor. This time, however, 814 would sail alone.

There was little time to prepare for the mission which again called for carrying a special landing craft and building a temporary cradle and launching ramp over the stern.

The COBRA landing party was embarked at Shell Island at 8 pm on 27 January. 814 sailed from Darwin at 11 pm for St Asaph Bay, Melville Island, where it refuelled from the tender HMAS Coolebar the following afternoon. At 7.20 pm on 28 January, 814 cleared St Asaph Bay and set course for its destination, a point near the western entrance of the Dara Bai River on Timor.

As 814 made its approach, numerous shore lights were observed and the ML issued challenges by flashing light. They received no reply. 814 continued on a southerly course. At 11.40 pm, when it seemed likely that the party would have to be landed without assistance from the shore, the designated signal of 3 fires on the beach was observed. The Fairmile anchored and began ferrying the guerrilla’s stores and equipment ashore.

The COBRA operation was doomed from the outset when details were communicated by SRD HQ in Melbourne to the already compromised LAGARTO group. This enabled the Japanese to plan to apprehend them shortly after their insertion.

Operation ADDER

During the period that 814 was undergoing refit, SRD HQ continued to plan and execute further clandestine operations around Timor. ML 429 (Lieutenant H F Wadds DSC RANVR), another Fairmile, was directed to operate in support of Operation ADDER in May. However, following a close encounter with a Japanese encampment and after running into difficulties off Timor and losing its landing craft, the mission was aborted. A further attempt to insert the SRD’s ADDER party was again aborted when 429 was spotted by an enemy aircraft.

In mid-August, the operation was ordered to proceed despite protests by the 3 senior officers involved, who believed that to continue with the same operational plan would be reckless and put lives at risk. Finally, after 2 further attempts, the ADDER party was successfully landed on the northern tip of Timor on 21 August.

ML 429 was another of the Fairmiles that supported operations in Timor under the auspices of Operation ADDER.

Three weeks later SRD HQ had received no contact from the ADDER party, raising concerns for their safety. Consequently, another operation to Timor was ordered in an attempt to locate them. MLs 814 and 807 were selected for this mission.

The 2 Fairmiles sailed from Darwin on 18 September. Both vessels were initially operating on only one engine to conserve fuel, but consumption was still high at 20 gallons per hour. By the following day they had transferred all the fuel from the 11 44-gallon drums carried on their upper decks into their main tanks and jettisoned the empty ones, filled with sea water, over the side. Once again, a Beaufighter escort was provided by the RAAF which maintained a low-level patrol around the 2 vessels as they continued their passage.

Land was sighted at 5.30 pm on 19 September and by 9.30 pm both vessels were patrolling approximately 200 to 300 yards offshore where they investigated several small lights which were later identified as camp fires.

At 9.45 pm when leaving the vicinity in a south-westerly direction a large and very bright fire was observed to be lit on the beach about 400 yards away. As there was no sign of enemy activity, 814 closed to investigate further. It was clear that the fire had been deliberately lit and as if to support this, a man was observed to be standing near the fire looking at the Fairmile as it passed by. He made no attempt to do anything and Fry, conscious of the risk of an ambush, cleared the area and resumed the south-westerly patrol.

Visual contact with 807 was lost shortly afterwards in spite of the clear skies and good visibility, leaving 814 to continue its patrol alone. Two more large fires were later observed, however, there was no sign of deliberate signalling from operatives ashore. The sweep concluded at 11.45 pm when a course was set for a pre-determined rendezvous with 807, 80 miles off the Timor coast. 807 failed to make the daylight rendezvous leaving 814 no alternative but to continue the return passage to Snake Bay alone. Two Beaufighters joined 814 at 6.50 am on 20 September and one of these was detached to search for the missing 807.

814 entered Snake Bay that evening where it remained at anchor overnight refuelling during the forenoon of 21 September. At 12 pm the crew of 814 were relieved to see 807 arrive safely and it too took on fuel for the last leg of the voyage to Darwin. Both vessels completed the passage without further incident the following day. There was no immediate explanation for the various fires that the Fairmiles had observed on the beaches of Timor and on 10 November 1944 the members of the ADDER party were officially posted as ‘Missing in Action’.

Epilogue to SRD operations in Timor

It would be years before the Fairmile crews who took part in the MOSQUITO, BULLDOZER and ADDER operations learned of the fate of the SRD men they had come to know and support in operations.

By November 1944 the AIB’s advanced operating base in Darwin, known as the Lugger Maintenance Section (LMS), had become suspicious that both the LAGARTO and COBRA parties in Timor may have been compromised. Without informing SRD HQ, or the suspect Timor parties, it was arranged for Captain A D Stevenson and Sergeant R G Dawson, both of ‘Z’ Special Unit, and Celestino dos Anjos, a Timorese guide, to be parachuted into Timor 2 days ahead of a proposed supply drop to LAGARTO. No resupply was ever intended, but on the night of 29 June 1945, Stevenson’s party, operating under the codename SUNLAG, landed safely in an area close to the signalled drop zone and prepared to observe any Japanese intervention.

It was here that Stevenson saw Ellwood of the LAGARTO party approach under armed guard carrying a signalling lamp. The AIB now had proof that LAGARTO was in enemy hands and that Ellwood was being forced to make the bogus transmissions. Due to problems with their radio set, Dawson was unable to inform Darwin of the compromise until 3 July. In the meantime, yet another party had been inserted by parachute.

This party known as SUNCOB comprised Captain P Wynne and Corporal J B Lawrence, both AIF and Z Special Unit men. Both were captured and tortured by the Japanese who soon learned of the existence of the SUNLAG party and immediately committed a large force to hunt it down. The rescue of SUNLAG was now paramount and although Stevenson and Dawson were competent bushmen, the LMS considered it only a matter of time before they were captured.

On 15 July arrangements were made to extract them using the captured Japanese trawler, Krait, which was to meet them close to the mouth of the Dilor River. Strong winds, poor visibility and other contributing factors resulted in this attempt being aborted and a further extraction, codenamed BRIM, was arranged. This time Harbour Defence Motor Launch 1324 under the command of Lieutenant R G Evans RANR, was the rescue vessel and the operatives, who were in a very poor physical state, were finally extracted on 5 August. ML 1324 arrived back in Darwin on the evening of 6 August. Stevenson and Celestino survived the ordeal but Dawson, who was rushed to hospital on arrival in Darwin, died from kidney failure 2 days later.

A subsequent report concerning the SRD’s operations in Timor stated:

The LAGARTO Operation has no redeeming feature. It is a story of hardship, death, torture, humiliation and degradation meted out by a ruthless enemy. It is a story of colossal waste, since all subsequent operations in the area for a period of 2 years depended on the assumption of LAGARTO’s freedom. It produced nothing whatever of value and neither did the subsequent operations.

Final years

ML 814 continued to operate from Darwin performing anti-submarine patrols, boom defence patrols and escort duties until 19 May 1945 when it sailed for Brisbane calling at Cairns, Townsville and Gladstone en route.

It paid off at the small craft base in Brisbane on 12 October 1945 having covered an impressive 30 154 nautical miles during its wartime career. Its hull was sold for disposal in Brisbane on 30 August 1947 for ₤200.

Specifications

Dimensions & Displacement
Type	Fairmile "B" Type Motor Launch
Pennant	ML814
Builder	Lars Halvorsen Sons, Pty Ltd, Ryde, NSW
Laid Down	15 April 1942
Commissioned	1 January 1943
Decommissioned	12 October 1945
Displacement	75 tons
Length	112 feet
Beam	17 feet 10 inches
Draught	4 feet 9 inches
Performance
Speed	20 knots
Range	840 miles at 12 knots
Complement
Crew	17-20
Propulsion
Machinery	Twin Hall Scott Defender petrol engines, 650 HP each, twin screws
Armament
Guns	1 x Rolls Royce 2-pounder Mark XIV gun, mounted forward 2 x twin Vickers .303 machine guns
Other Armament	1 x 20mm Oerlikon, mounted aft 1 x "Y" gun depth charge thrower holding 2 depth charges 14 x depth charges in chutes with release gears Small arms including Thompson machine guns, .202 rifles, hand grenades and explosive charges
Awards
Battle Honours	PACIFIC 1941-45 DARWIN 1942-43