SAS Amatola pays tribute to sunken vessel with trip
ON FEBRUARY 21, 1917, the troopship SS Mendi, en route to France with hundreds of members of the “Native Labour Contingent” on board, collided with another ship, the SS Darro, in thick mist in the English channel, off the Isle of Wight.
More than 600 African labourers and 12 white officers died in the tragedy.
Later in a rare display of empathy towards their mainly black compatriots, the entire South African House of Assembly rose in silent respect to those who had lost their lives.
Today, the SAS Amatola will leave South African waters on a relatively rare journey to European waters, for naval exercises with the Royal and German navies. The culmination of its exercises with the Royal Navy will be a tribute to the fallen, at the site of the wreck.
“Divers will go down to pinpoint exactly where the Mendi is lying,” said Francois Roux, the captain of the Amatola. “We believe she is at the bottom in about 40m of water.
“Some relatives of some of the dead will be flown out to take part in the ceremony.”
‘Surviving relatives of the dead will take part in the ceremony’
At a media briefing on the SAS Amatola last Friday, Captain Roux also provided other details of the ships European visit.
“These days a modern navy also has to be combat ready and then hope that we never have to go to war.”
Thus, the manoeuvres with the Royal Navy, known as British Operational Sea Training, is important in this regard, as will be the exercises with the German Navy.
The manoeuvres with the Germans take place every two years, usually in South African waters. This will be the first time that the South Navy will be off Germany for training.
“We want to pit ourselves against the training of our partners. We know what is expected. We working the crew hard.
In Germany, the Amatola will take part in exercises with three German ships.
The SAS Amatola will have a crew of 177.