Page 47 - History of War - Issue 05-14

FOR VALOUR
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One of the few existing photographs Unsung heroes
of HMS Jervis Bay, which was
sunk by Admiral Scheer in 1940

HMS JERVIS BAY

he British passenger liner was built in 1922, one
of five made for the Australian Commonwealth Line
(later to be bought and run as the Aberdeen &
Commonwealth Line). The ships were originally used
T for ferrying emigrants from Britain to Australia,
and were named after famous bays in the country’s five
states. Jervis Bay was seconded to the Royal British Navy
at the outbreak of the Second World War, painted grey and
fitted with seven six-inch guns, dating from 1898, and
two three-inch guns. In 1939, she accidentally sunk the
British cruiser HMS Sabre when the ships collided while
at Rosyth and Jervis’ anchor ripped a hole in Sabre’s
hull. After this, Jervis Bay was repainted in her original
colour scheme of green and white hull with tan funnel,
which is how she stayed until sunk by Admiral Scheer.

After the rescue, OB Jennings was towed to Responding to her distress signals, Fegen of more than half a billion pounds to its
Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight, where she quickly reached the stricken vessel and, despite commonwealth cousin in what was the largest
continued to burn for the next ten days until the stormy conditions, used motor launches to movement of wealth in history. Churchill had
she was torpedoed and sunk. The tanker was rescue the 14 crewmen. The Dutch Government devised a secret plan to move huge amounts of
later refloated and refitted, returning to service subsequently awarded him a lifesaving medal. bullion offshore, so that the nation could continue
only to be torpedoed on 4 August 1918, The 1930s followed a similar pattern, with the fight should it be overrun by Hitler’s forces.
by U-140, ten miles off the Virginia coast. appointments to various cruisers, including
SS War Knight was being towed to Watcombe HMS Dauntless, Curlew and Dragon, and Washed overboard
Bay when she hit a mine, laid by UC-17, Fegen performing various duties all over During the first winter voyages, Agar was again
just off the Needles. The blazing ship was the world. He took command of the light full of praise for his Executive Officer: “I shall
eventually sunk by gunfire, however, the cruiser HMS Emerald in July 1939, which was never forget the biting cold… the hail and snow
remnants of her cargo of bacon, oil, rubber and recommissioned at the outbreak of war, and blizzards. When boats were either stove in
lard washed up on the nearby beaches and joined the 12th Cruiser Squadron on Northern or washed overboard, he was always first on
scavenged by the ration-starved locals from Patrol in September. This was a line of ships the scene and invariably in the most exposed
the nearby town of Freshwater. Eventually, 38 position. I have met few officers with less regard
of the townsfolk were sent to appear in court RESPONDING TO HER DISTRESS for their personal safety or more for their crew,
at Newport, and the train carrying them was and he was universally loved and respected by
nicknamed the Bacon And Lard Special. SIGNALS, FEGEN QUICKLY all on board.”
War Knight now lies upright in 13 metres of However, Fegen’s fate was about to take a
water and is a popular attraction for divers. REACHED THE STRICKEN VESSEL drastic turn. On 28 February, at the age of 49,
Hit by a monsoon AND RESCUED THE CREWMEN he was promoted to Acting Captain and given
command of HMS Jervis Bay, a 14,000-ton
When the war ended, Fegen remained in the liner adapted to wartime duty by the addition
forces, and he was later seconded to the of deck guns. With warships in short supply,
Royal Australian Navy. During the 1920s, he operating in the waters between Greenland, the Admiralty was forced to requisition 50
was appointed to a number of different ships, Iceland, and the Faroe and Orkney Islands, with commercial liners and convert them into fighting
and his longest tour was an extended stretch the intention (as it had been in the First World ships. But with only small-bore guns and no
of land duty from 1927 to 1929, when he War) of keeping German ships from breaking real armour, these Armed Merchant Cruisers, or
was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy out of the North Sea and into the Atlantic. AMCs, soon gained the nickname of “Admiralty-
College – situated, coincidentally, in Jervis Emerald’s Captain, Augustus Wallington Made Coffins”.
Bay, New South Wales. While there, he trained Shelton Agar VC, was highly complimentary of Shortly after taking command, Fegen called
young officers and was commended for his Fegen, later writing, “We had as our Executive the crew together to express how pleased he
performance, earning promotion to Commander. Officer Commander Edward Fegen (‘Fogarty’, was with his appointment. He also relayed
Fegen’s reputation was further cemented as he was known to some), my right-hand man praise from the Navy for the crew’s performance;
in 1929, while commanding the light cruiser and a born seaman… I was very lucky to have the previous incumbent, Commander JAP
HMS Suffolk in Chinese waters. The Dutch him on board.” Blackburn, had them well drilled and spirits were
trading ship Hedwig was returning to Hong Kong Between October 1939 and August 1940, high. Fegen then paused and said, “So far, we
from the Pacific but was hit by a monsoon and Emerald was responsible for transporting some haven’t seen any real action, but I promise you
ran aground on a reef off the Pratas Islands, £58million worth of gold to Halifax in Canada, this much: if the gods are good to us and we
an atoll situated in the South China Sea. as part of Operation Fish – the transferral meet the enemy, I shall take you in as close
HISTORY WAR 47
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