HMAS Nepal: The chameleon, 1939-43 (Ships at War) by Allan A. Murray

Author:Allan A. Murray [Murray, Allan A.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-06-09T04:00:00+00:00

HMAS Nepal in 1942 as part of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla. Source: Australian War Memorial AWM POO490.032 (Public Domain)

By 20 November, it was two months since HMAS Nepal had seen any activity; this was about to change. The large United States cargo vessel SS Pierce Butler was sailing unescorted east of Durban en route from Baltimore to Suez, Egypt, with 8,880 tonnes of general cargo and coal. At 11.40 am on 20 November, she was hit on the starboard side by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-177. After ten minutes, the engines were secured and the eight Officers, 33 crewmen and 21 armed guards abandoned ship in four lifeboats. At 12.10 pm, the vessel sank by the stern. The Germans questioned some of the crew then left.

The distress signal had been picked up by the Eastern Fleet and HMAS Nepal and HMS Fortune were dispatched to the scene. After travelling all afternoon and through the night to reach the reported position, they commenced a box search looking for tell-tale flotsam and lifeboats. After 20 hours in the lifeboats, all 62 crew were picked up, HMS Fortune landed them at Durban. November 1942 was one of the worst months of the War for losses of merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean, 23 vessels were lost to Japanese submarines and German U-boats.[24]

In December, the first of the Commissioning Ship’s Company began to post off HMAS Nepal. Bobby Forbes left the ship on 8 December 1942 and returned to Australia. For a brief period, Commander Morris performed the role of Captain of Destroyers, Eastern Fleet in addition to his ship Captain duties. He worked directly under Commodore S. Arliss, RN, then Commodore of Destroyers, Eastern Fleet. In the second half of December, HMAS Nepal was detached to join the South Atlantic Command to bolster the convoy escort force.

HMAS Nepal brought in the New Year in the South Atlantic; the first seven weeks of 1943 were uneventful for her in the convoy escort role. Not so for Sub-Lieutenant Murray who was promoted to Lieutenant in January. By late February, she was back in Kilindini when a rumour circulated that HMAS Nepal would be the first of the N Sub-class destroyers to return to Australia. George Ramsay recalled the events of 23 February …

… “I originally commissioned on HMAS Norman … in September 1941 and served happily in her till one day … at the ungodly hour of 4.30 am, I received a ‘crash draft’ to join HMAS Nepal at 6.00 am. With bag and hammock hurriedly packed, I left HMAS Norman with several other shipmates, and in HMAS Nepal’s motor boat, travelled across the Kilindini harbour to join her.

That Sunday was really a ‘shuffle around’ day as sailors from HMA Ships Nepal and Nizam crossed over to HMAS Norman and other ‘N’ class men who had been overseas a considerable time, most over three years, were also being transferred to HMAS Nepal”.[25]

With an almost new crew, albeit they were very experienced, HMAS Nepal undertook some working-up.

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