Lucky escape

A regular reader recalls the devastation caused by Cyclone Tracy to the Australian city of Darwin back in 1974 – mentioned in a recent news item on the subject of the Montrose-built wooden Ton-class minesweeper HMS Chediston/HMAS Curlew.

“The story concerns a late friend of mine who had served on Arctic convoys in late 1944-45 on an aviation-laden tanker from a Staten Island refinery to Murmansk in northern Soviet Union,” he explains.

“Much later, in 1974, he had been promoted to master of the 25,000-ton BP oil tanker (product carrier) British Wye, carrying a variety of hydrocarbon fuels etc from a Singapore refinery to a series of discharge locations around the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.

“He and his officers had tracked by radio weather forecasts regarding the progress of Cyclone Tracy prior to berthing at the capital of Northern Territory, the port of Darwin.

“During the brief spell in port, the local harbourmaster visited the captain, as was the custom and, among other matters of mutual interest, discussed the approaching storm.

“Not wishing to get caught if possible in coastal waters by the everstrengthening gale force conditions, he asked the port official what he thought would happen when the cyclone reached the city. ‘It will go down like a pack of cards,’ was his reply.

“Next day his prophetic words sadly became true and the city of Darwin was a scene of utter devastation, with over 70 residents killed.

“Fortunately, the tanker had completed the discharge of her part cargo of fuel and had departed for her next port of call – a classic case of running before the storm!”