Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
[QUOTE=David Seddon;295480]Hello Terry,
Not a survivor myself but my brother Ken was one of the 7 fatalities, as it happens after years of me trying to track him down, one of his crewmates who was on the ship that night moved into the street where we live a couple of years ago but he is not in the best of health, he remembered my brother but seemed reluctant or unable to recall much of the incident. I know it,s very personal to you but if you could forward the captains account it would be very gratefully received and treated with the utmost respect, hopefully it would answer just some of the many questions that my family and myself have had for the many years since it happened.
David[/QUOTE Hi Dave, I will try and email the P.D.F. File to you that contains Capt, Houstons report he would have submitted to J@C Harrisons, I am not that good on the p.c. as most, I have only just read your post, So plz bare with me Regards Terry. :thumbsup:
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Originally Posted by
Gulliver
For those not knowing about the ss Venus Challenger circumstances here is a Lloyds List extract:
There was no sign of any bodies but it was assumed that all 33 men on board had lost their lives.]
Dave there is no doubt in my mind that the Indian Navy targeted all merchant shipping in the Bay of Bengal. Terry.
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
During the Indo-Pakistan confrontation the m.v.
"Harmattan" was at anchor at an outer anchorage
awaiting a berth from which to discharge her cargo,
when an attack from the sea was launched by naval
forces and "Harmattan" was struck by a guided
missile which wrecked the crew accommodation, killed
six members of the crew and injured seven others. The
accommodation and the cargo below was set on fire
and within minutes the whole mid-ship superstructure
became a raging inferno of intense heat and thick
smoke. When the missile struck, Mr. McPhee and Mr.
Robinson were in their cabins which caught fire. The
hot water pipes passing through Mr. McPhee's cabin
fractured and severely scalded him, but through the
jagged and torn steelwork caused by the entry of the
missile he saw the ship's Electrical Officer clinging to
an obstruction in a shattered opening in the engineroom
casing. Without regard for his own safety and
the aggravation to his injuries by the almost unbearable
heat of the fire, he went to the Electrical Officer's
aid, assisted him past the obstruction, over the
wreckage, back through his cabin and out on to the
comparative safety of the main deck ; his action undoubtedly
saved the man's life. Mr. Robinson escaped
from his burning cabin into the working alleyway,
only to find that this too was on fire. As with great
difficulty he was making his way aft he found the
Second Engineer Officer and one of the ratings lying
seriously injured in the alleyway. Despite many difficulties
he assisted one of them a distance of 25 feet out
on to the deck at the aft end of the alleyway. Although
by now the fire had intensified and the smoke was
almost suffocating, he re-entered the alleyway and
returned to where the other man was lying and got
him out on to the deck aft. Unfortunately the Second
Engineer Officer died from his injuries while being
taken ashore in one of the ship's lifeboats. When
Captain Houston found that members of his crew
were missing, he made several gallant attempts to reach
them in the wrecked accommodation, but each time
was driven back by intense heat and suffocating smoke.
When forced to abandon these efforts he coolly and
efficiently mustered the remaining crew members, including
the injured and shepherded them into the two
ship's lifeboats which he had had swung on their davits
in readiness for any emergency. On shore conditions
were chaotic because of continual air raids, but he led
his men to a place of comparative safety and, despite
disorganisation of the local -services, he got the injured
men transported to hospital. This final action undoubtedly
saved the life of the seriously injured engineroom
rating. Captain Houston, Mr. McPhee and Mr.
Robinson behaved with outstanding courage and
showed a complete disregard for the safety of their
own lives; but for their actions the loss of life in
this incident could easily have been much greater.
George Medal
To be an additional Member of the Civil Division of
the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire for
Gallantry :
Hubert Patrick HOUSTON, Master, m.v. " Harmattan ",
J. & C. Harrison Ltd., London.
George Medal
Donald McPHEE, Junior Engineer, m.v. " Harmattan ",
J. & C. Harrison Ltd., London.
David ROBINSON, Catering Boy, m.v. "Harmattan"
J. & C. Harrison Ltd., London. Its worth mentioning D. Robinson Catering Boy who was awarded the George medal for repeatedly re boarding the burning Harmattan to assist in searching for survivors was just 14 years old. I am awaiting an email or feedback from Dave Seddon who lost his brother aboard the ship and i intend to scan and post extracts of Capt Houstons events. As there is a lot of interest in the incident i can at least prove to you that this attack was no freak accident. It was a deliberate attack on a British Merchant ship, Unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hang on in there lads i am going through the 48 page report typed on an old typewriter and submitted to J@C Harrisons. Regards Terry.
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Ivan, I cant help but think to myself and i am sure you can answer this. I would have thought that with our ship the Eucadia sailing in and out of both Bombay and Karachi in the time leading up to the conflict, Both the Indian and Pakistan governments would have been aware of our presence so to speak. The Harmattan sailed from Gdansk in Poland arrived at the safe anchorage and never got the chance to discharge cargo or go alongside, Therefore i assume no customs clearance and no visit from a shipping agent, Could there have been a failing on the part of J@C Harrisons to make the Indian Navy aware of her presence at the anchorage point. And could the attack on her then give an excuse for the incident and justify in any way the Indian Navy,s actions. Any warships captain could distinguish a Merchant ship from a man o war so to speak. Regards Terrry.
5 Attachment(s)
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Selected pages from Capt Houston,s report. R.I.P. Them all Terry.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Terry, Thank you so much for these pages, they paint a very vivid picture of the events of that night and to be honest is very much how I had imagined them for all these years. Through my internet searches I had previously been in touch with Robin Marsh, the electrician that had been pulled out of the wreckage. Apparently he carried the burn scars for the rest of his life, I was informed that he had unfortunately passed away a few years ago, I would have liked to have met him to talk about the happier memories he must have had about his time with my brother.
By a strange coincidence Ian Watkinson who was a survivor and good friend of my brother and had sailed with him earlier on another ship, moved into the street where we lived. Unfortunately he has serious health problems and is unable to recall much of those days.
If there are any other survivors reading this I would really like to hear your memories of my brother, I was just 13 at the time so didnt really get to know him as an adult but the memories I do have are all good.
Thanks again Terry and if you have any other info or documents I would be very interested.
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Hi Terry,
If I recall correctly from my research, the Harmattan had been at anchor for about 10 days prior to the attack unable to go in and unload because of the troubles, apparently supplies on board were running low and the beer had been rationed, would not have gone down well with my brother by all accounts. Was you ship the same? I have never believed that the missile struck her by accident as surely any attacking force would have intelligence to identify vessels that would be the most risk. I have been in touch with Peter Harrison who is the son of the then owner of the shipping line, apparently it was on the orders of Harrisons that the Harmattan was anchored at Manora which was supposedly a safe anchorage until a safe window presented itself to go in and unload. With hindsight it may well have been better to leave for a safe port while they had chance but hindsight is a great thing after the event. Apparently also our own government were aware that the region was on the brink of war before the Harmattan arrived so why did they not advise merchant vessels to stay clear. So many questions that I suppose will never be answered.
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Read your private message from me Dave, I have given you my email address if you email me i can forward a lot more than i have posted here, This was all 47 years ago and believe me there hasn't a day gone bye in all that time when i haven't paused for just a moment and thought about the men killed aboard that ship, It was very harrowing indeed and i gave a lot of thought of packing it all in however i carried on until 1980 before swallowing the anchor, It was certainly a xmas i will never forget in my life and i know a lot of the seaman who where aboard the Harmattan never returned to sea again, It also had a profound effect on the men of our ship the M.V. Eucadia. The thing i couldn't get my head around was the lack of information our trip aboard the Eucadia was a 12 month voyage and yet after returning home and reporting back to the pool not even the seaman's union seemed to know anything about the event my own parents recalled hearing a 2 minute report on the event on the national news, Know one from our ships company had bothered to assure the family's of the men aboard the Eucadia { Anchor Donaldson Line of Glasgow } Of our position amongst it all There where only two British merchant ships in the Bay of Bengal at the time of the conflict your late brothers and ours. May he and all the men lost R.I.P. Email me on the mail i have given you in the private message and i will get the full report from capt Houston to you. Best regards Terry.
2 Attachment(s)
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
[QUOTE=David Seddon;295813]Hi Terry,
If I recall correctly from my research, the Harmattan had been at anchor for about 10 days prior to the attack unable to go in and unload because of the troubles, apparently supplies on board were running low and the beer had been rationed, would not have gone down well with my brother by all accounts. Was you ship the same? I have never believed that the missile struck her by accident as surely any attacking force would have intelligence to identify vessels that would be the most risk. I have been in touch with Peter Harrison who is the son of the then owner of the shipping line, apparently it was on the orders of Harrisons that the Harmattan was anchored at Manora which was supposedly a safe anchorage until a safe window presented itself to go in and unload. With hindsight it may well have been better to leave for a safe port while they had chance but hindsight is a great thing after the event. Apparently also our own government were aware that the region was on the brink of war before the Harmattan arrived so why did they not advise merchant vessels to stay clear. So many questions that I suppose will never be answered.[/
Dave, Karachi was suppose to be a dry state no alcohol allowed or consumed. Here are Capt Houston,s last 2 pages of his report which i will provide you with all, Make your own mind up ???........ We where offered along side in Karachi 2 cans of beer a man we where there all xmas and new year the ships bond which contains the alcohol along with all the other goodies to buy aboard ship if available are bonded by the Karachi customs, Which in a nut shell means none available for sale against there religion to consume alcohol the ships bond is sealed. Yet capt Houston in his final 2 pages of his report wrote this............. Make up your own mind Dave Terry.
Re: Bangladeshi War of IndependenceIndo-Pakistani War of 1971
Dave, I wont shatter your thoughts on Peter Harrison, Or as i know him Harcelo............. Did he tell you how distraught he was after taking the telephone call informing J@C Harrison's of the tragic news, Did he also tell you how T@J Harrison's split the hulls insurance between the survivors to help them out the rest of there life........................................... Porky's mate sorry the survivors where landed and taken to a hotel or hospital they where given £100 each and flown home. Now that,s gratitude that,s what a seaman's life was worth to shipowners J@C Harrison's and a lot if not all of them, I got that news from a survivor who was a friend of a friend i kid you not Regards Terry.