OFFICIAL Commando News Magazine Edition 15 2023

Leading Seaman Frederick W. L. 'Boof' Marsh and Ordinary
Seaman L. K. `Tiny' Hage, members of Z Special unit, Australian
Services Reconnaissance Department, paddling a home-made
experimental two-man canoe "HMAS LYON" a hard-to-steer craft
christened with this name as a joke and "launched" by the
Governor General, also as a joke during a visit to Refuge Bay on
the Hawkesbury. The canoe was made by Lt Donald Montague
Noel Davidson, RNVR, and B3666 AB Frederick (Fred) Walter Lota
Marsh, RAN, to fill in time at the Refuge Bay camp while waiting
for MV Krait to arrive. The men were at Refuge Bay on the
Hawkesbury River before leaving aboard MV Krait on
Operation JAYWICK.
Source. AWM
Refuge Bay, Hawkesbury River, NSW. c.1943-01-17. Two members
of Operation prepare to enter the water with a two-man canoe
known as "HMAS Lyon. It was hard to manoeuvre and christened it
HMAS LYON as a joke.
Source. AWM
(ii) Canoe Maintenance
a) The Skin. Sand should be washed out from
the inside of the canoe after every time of
using. Sand working between the frames
and the skins tends to wear out the latter.
Canoes should never be allowed to run up
onto the send. The outside of the canvas is
treated with rubber and running onto sand
wears this off. Should a hole appear either
from wear or from staking a patch of canvas
on both the outside and the inside, stuck
down with some waterproof glue, and sewn
with hemp and a darning needle (a sail
needle makes too big a hole), is the best
repair. ‘X’ Camp has found good results with
‘Gripcraft’ an Australian production based
on Latex that seem to live up to its claim to
be waterproof, unaffected by fresh or salt
water, or climatic conditions, and to be able
to stick anything for ever. Repair with tyre
patching gear seems to be quite good
although in the ease of the second-hand
canoe which has been repaired in this
manner, some of the patches have in time
peeled off.
b) Aprons. The cockpits of canoes must be
fitted with spray aprons. The coaming rail
and the apron should have cushion cover
clips such as are used in motor oars, or
some device equally practical. The apron
should be of strong canvas. As it will sag in
the middle it is difficult to avoid water
collecting there and dripping through into
the canoe. Waterproofing with beeswax is
good. The beeswax should be grated fine
and dissolved is petrol heated in boiling
water, and the solution applied by brush.
Ordinary paint is good but heavy. The apron
must be out to reach well up the canoers
body; shoulder straps should be used to
support it. If these are frail there will be no
fear of them entangling the canoer in the
event of a capsize. The apron needs to be
attached to the canoe in such a way that its
after end will break away in in the event of a
capsize.
c) The Frame. In the course of time the frames
will break. The main weaknesses seem to be
in the midship stringers and the 'No.2 cross
frame. The stringers have strong pressure
exerted on them when fitting them into
place and during dismantling. The are not
the only breakages that occur, but the most
frequent. After trials with many local woods
the best results for stringers are obtained
from thick rattan. It’s one disadvantage is
lack of uniformity in size; paring down the
outer skin to make a good fit will weaken
the canoe. 'Cross* frames out from 7.ply
Bond wood in one piece prove far stronger
than the original frames and are no heavier.
They need waterproofing with varnish or
paint prior to use.
Care should be taken to avoid attempting
be assemble n canoe when the deck canvas
is wet. In this condition it is shrunken, and it
will be found that the strain necessary to fit
the stringers into place hill invariably snap
use or two. To a lesser extent canoes should
net be dismantled when wet.
(iii) Painting. The canvas decking tee paint well but
the rubberized skin needs periodic attention
and repainting, as the paint wears off. Matt
triton is the meet suitable colour, showing up
30 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 15 I 2023