Commando News Spring17

Krait’s Farewell
A Special Operations ‘Vice’ found in Trigg in Perth in September 2017 by Jim Truscott
A Never Before Told Story
by
Horrie Young, Ex Leading Telegraphist RAN, MV Krait, Operation Jaywick 1943
October 18, 1943 saw MW Krait tied up to her
mentor, USS Chanticleer and her crew eagerly waiting
to partake of her ablutions, meals and other comforts.
We were kitted out in US Navy clothing from our own
navy caps and were starting to feel reasonably normal
once more. Lyons and Davidson had departed for
Melbourne to deliver their respective official reports
while Bob Page flown to NSW to be with his future
wife, Roma. Taffy had taken off for Perth to be
hospitalised for treatment to his injured ankle.
The remainder of the crew together with Lieut. Ted
Carse were placed ashore at Potshot to await further
orders. Lieut. Davidson returned after a couple of
weeks and advised us that we would be required to sail
Krait to Darwin and on arrival handed her over to the
Lugger Maintenance Group who were servicing other
SRD bases.
On arrival at Darwin we proceeded to unload her
stores and on completion took up residence in a camp
in a nearby crocodile-infested swamp. We could hear
them barking all night long so there were no night visits
to the toilet.
I was one of the last to leave the ship and after
Davidson’s comment that we could take everything off
the ship except her chronometer and her compass cast
around for something to remind me of Jaywick. It was
at this point I just happened to notice a small vice fitted
to the after engine-room hatchway. I chose to remove
it as it was no longer required for use by our party and
it seemed to be a useful and worthwhile reminder of
Operation Jaywick. I have since passed it onto my
eldest son Brian who was born on the departure date
of Krait’s now famous voyage, and so that is how one
small vice has survived the rigours of World War II,
The Special Operations
‘Vice’ at Brian Young’s
house at Trigg.
View of operational folboat,
17’ 6“ long, 2’ 6” wide,
capacity about 700 lbs,
weapons, stores, explosives,
limpet magnetic mines.
Lieut Ted Carse, MID,
navigator.
Weapons on the deck of the Krait.
Poppa Falls about 5 miles
from the target area.
Islands very close to Singapore Harbour (10
miles) used by canoeists to launch their attack
against Japanese shipping in the
harbour.
Left: The Krait approaches
Singapore about 17 miles away.
COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 11 I September 2017 7