North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Ive just been made aware that the ‘old piece of poop boat’ that sunk in the harbour last week was (AND STILL IS) part of our military history – it is HMAS HDML 1321, also known as Rushcutter and was used as part of the Z forces operations
In WWII, the Australian 'Z' Special Force was formed. Z Special Unit was a specialist reconnaissance and sabotage unit and numerous raids were undertaken during the Pacific war
I’m sure that you have heard of the MV Krait - it was also involved in ops in the Pacific
Well this is no less important.
The Krait has been restored with public help and is still a part of our history
Unfortunately, if the HMAS HDML 1321, also known as Rushcutter is lying at the bottom of the harbour and if not raised, it will eventually break up
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_Special ... ecial_Unit

the owners have set up a go fund me page but has drawn little attention
https://www.facebook.com/Save-HDML-1321 ... 828658609/

We put in a major effort to make some FADs so Surely we can organise something to help out?

That's a shame

Plenty of other military history lying on the bottom. With the elective surgery waiting lists down here, and probably in other states too, governments have got more important things to spend money on.

I'm not on the lists by the way, but there are people waiting years for serious surgery.

You are right in acknowledging the boat's significance. But if it is between fixing busted hips and old boats, the hips win ...

Not to mention it will make a good reef

you're getting old Matt!

its a pity when any vessel sinks

Definitely a shame when any boats sinks, but it was privately owned which carries private responsibility. I'm with you Matt. There is no real difference between this boat and any other privately owned Heritage listed property throughout the country. You buy it for it's historic value, you can profit from this also, but the onus is on the owner to maintain it, and in this case keep it afloat.

On a side note, why do boats seem to sink shortly after a for sale sign goes on it? Must be a curse...

The Krait was restored by the central coast nsw Coast Guard who then donated Maritime museum

now the taxpayer foots the bill
suppose the people of Gosford hold their history on a higher level than we do up here?

Yep, so they (Gosford Council) paid to restore the Krait. They also paid $1m to have the HMAS Adelaide scuttled off their coast for a dive site in the sake of tourism. Maybe the Adelaide wasn't an historically significant enough part of Australian Maritime to donate to the museum when they can capitalise on it as a dive site. It's still a significant part of maritime history, I know, I served on it, and did active service at that. Are people in 20 years time going to then donate the funds to raise it and donate it to a museum because they realise it has a heritage value? Just saying.

yeah good point. I'm not sure if the council paid for the restoration but the Coast Guard did it

ABC News' article on the boat - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-23/e ... in/7958216

suppose the people of Gosford hold their history on a higher level than we do up here?

The reason I mentioned the "more important things" is because there was recent story about people contemplating suicide because they couldn't get elective surgery, they are left waiting months or years in pain.

Plus, a new fishing wreck is a new fishing wreck ...

I'm not sure if the council paid for the restoration but the Coast Guard did it

No. It didn't happen that way.

The Krait was found in Penang in 1964 where it was being used to haul timber.

A committee was formed to buy it and get it back to Aus as deck cargo. The committee had a few of the old Z-Force guys.

The committee allowed the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol in NSW to use and maintain the vessel if they promised to look after it.

After some advertising on TV showed the Krait with scantily clad females the remaining original members of Jaywick decided that enough was enough and organized for Horrie Young ( Z-Force radio operator on Krait during Operation Jaywick raid on Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour) to contact Aust War Museum with a view to have the RVCP modifications (which hadn't been asked about) un-modified. The old Z-Force guys were really p....d at what had been done to Krait and especially with it being used for TV ads.

The AWM agreed and Krait was restored to original condition. It resided in the Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour. Still does I think.

There was an unsuccessful move to have it shifted to AWM and displayed permanently there.

Horrie Young was interviewed by SBS/ABC at length about Z-Force and Krait in early 2000s and he died at age 90 in 2011.

I got the following info from their website
http://vmrcc.org.au/aboutus/history/

'The Krait 1996 – 1968
World War 2 hero ‘Krait’ was restored and maintained by Coastal Patrol and dedicated as a floating war memorial, was still a training and rescue vessel operated by the Coastal Patrol on behalf of the Krait Trust donated to the National Maritime Museum at Darling Harbour'

I was a member in the 80's

Matt, there is always somewhere better to spend our taxes depending on your point of view. obviously medicine and education should always take precedence over others

No mate.

The Trust did indeed give the Krait to the Coastal Patrol on the condition that they maintained it properly and treated it as a floating memorial.

However, the Krait was apparently modified and used for purposes other than what the Trust intended. Horrie was involved with the Trust and during a later interview commented how do you think people would feel if any town's local cenotaph was modified and used for TV advertising with scantily clad ladies draped all over it.

The Trust decided to ask the war memorial if they'd take the Krait and the WM agreed to do that, pay to have it restored to original condition and keep it at Darling Harbour Maritime Museum on permanent loan.

I'll dig out an interview with Horrie Young about his life.