Smallcraft of RAE (Transportation) by Jack Madden.

This is a basic summary of the various types of Smallcraft in operation with RAE(Tn) in the 1960s.

 
Probably the oldest craft still in use in the 1960s- built between 1942 and 1946 by General Motors - Holden, Ford Motor Company, Botterill & Fraser and Brine was the Workboat 40ft Wooden. They were also built for the RAN and RAAF.   Initially built with Chrysler or Cadillac petrol engines later models were built with Australian made Gray Marine Engines Model 64HN9.   Eventually all vessels were converted to these engines. The last of these remained in working service both with 35 Water Tpt Sqn and 32 Small Ship Sqn until the formation of RACT.
 
336 of the reliable, extremely seaworthy boats were built for the Army.   Rick Mercer spoke about of a Troop of these being sailed from Sydney to Kure, near Hiroshima.   This extremely long voyage was achieved by island hopping from Sydney to PNG, Indonesia, what is now Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and eventually southern Japan.
 
In Kure, Japan the 40 footers were used for every imaginable task from disposal of Japanese munitions to personnel transport.   A check of the nominal roll for Korea shows that Rick Mercer was with the British Commonwealth Engineer Regiment from 1954 to 1955.   According to MBI 113/53 Britcom Tn Sqn (Aust component) was allocated for war service with British Commonwealth Forces Korea.    Can anyone report that the 40Ft workboats from Kure made it to Korea?
 
The next oldest were the Vessel Cargo Wooden 125Ft (300 tonners).   Built by various State Dockyards late in WW2.   (I also remember doing a Diving Supervisors Course on a Navy one at Rushcutters Bay - built by Slazengers - the tennis racket mob).   Two remained in service with RAE(Tn) up until the mid 1960s - AV 1359 VASSE and AV 1379 TARRA.   Crew of 14 and can somebody confirm if either Gardner Diesels or Ruston & Hornsby main engine(s)were fitted to these ships.
 
Built around the same time as the 300 tonners were the Launch Fast Supply 62Ft; built by Halvorsens at Ryde, NSW.   The two remaining with water transport in the 60s were the AM2833 MIZAMA and AM2834 FERN.    Unfortunately MIZAMA ran aground on an oyster rack in the Hawkesbury River while on a basic seaman's course in 1967 and was deemed too costly to repair and sold.   Re-appeared in civvy colours on Sydney Harbour carrying US Mil pers here on R&R for a $50 a head for a 1 hour harbour cruise complete with escourts.   The FERN was with the PNG Tn Sqn and disposed of from up there.   It was replaced with the Tarooki (AS3052)- 57ft Caterpillar diesel powered.
 
Also constructed at the end of WW2 were the TUG, Steel, 93 Ft.   With the run down of shipping requirements towards the end of the war only one of the ten tugs was delivered to the Army.   AT2382 FREDA was accepted in 1946 and spent her life at Rabaul before being sold to the Melbourne Harbour Trust.   DT933 MOLLYMAWK was transferred from the Navy in 1957 and re-numbered to AT2383.   Sold in 1963 but did it swing on a buoy in Chowder Bay - I vaguely remember something there when I came to 6 Water Tpt Wksp Tp from PNG in Jan 1966?
 
1962 saw the construction of two Landing Craft ALC50.   These were built by Mersey Shipyards at Devonport in Tasmania.    Designed for use in PNG they were barely adequate for the tasks assigned to them.    If Barry Schute was still around he may have had a few unprintable words to say about the ALC50s.
 
The fate of AB3001 is unknown to me but AB3000 was sailed and towed to Sydney from Port Moresby.   It was proposed to convert it into a floating workshop for 6 Water Tpt Wksp Tp/Wksp Tp, 35 Water Tpt Sqn but when it arrived in Sydney it was in poor condition and had suffered extensive pilferage of its fittings on the interrupted voyage from PNG and it was put up for tender and sold.
 
Landing Craft Mechanized Model 6.   Two were imported from the US in 1964 and the remaining 11 were built at Williamtown Naval Dockyard.   The original 2 from the US were fitted with Cadillac V8 petrol engines. One went to WA to the ARes Unit there.   Does anyone know where the other one went?   56Ft long, well built and quite seaworthy they were never used by the Army in the role they were designed for.   The only time they ventured outside of the Heads was for a joint 4 Water Tpt Tp/30 Term Sqn exercise at Laurieton
 
The Navy decided to put six LCM6s on board HMAS Sydney to assist it in its role as a fast troopship during the Vietnam era.   I was at Chowder Bay and it was hilarious watching the navy personnel try to become competent in the use these vessels.   The biggest problem was on the engineering side.   Navy personnel just weren't trained to be a fitter, electrician, pump expert and diesel mechanic all in one.   Stories were round that Navy had dropped one of the LCM6s off the Davit on HMAS Sydney with the crew in it!   All were disposed of in the 1980s.
 
Around this time there was also the Landing Craft Vehicle and Personnel (LCVP).   Built in Hong Kong and was predominately fibre-glass.   Powered by one 6-71 GM diesel it could go like the clappers when new but over its life slowly lost speed.   Took a long time to figure out why and it was only when the slipway at Chowder Bay was re-commissioned by Kevin Lockwood and the LCVP was slipped and it was realised that the gel-coat on the bottom had worn off, the fibre-glass was now porous and the foam layer between the inner and outer hull was waterlogged.
 
Eventually sold and used as a platform to film the movie "Age of Consent" in 1969 on the Barrier Reef.
 
Another mystery craft was the Pontoon Naval Lighterage Equipment (NLE).   Spent most of its life moored up the top end of Woolwich Dock but occasionally brought out for strange trials such as unloading LSM's off-shore and Len Sproule told me that there were trials with NLE and HMAS SYDNEY involving Bailey Bridging.   Built in the US and propelled by Chrysler Marine gasoline powered Murray-Tregurtha stern drive units.   RAEME succeeded in 'dropping' one of these into the dock at Woolwich when they oxy cut the front holding bolts first and the weight of the stern drive flipped the whole unit backwards into the dock.   Replaced by Murray and Tregurtha Harbormaster units driven by 6-71 GM diesel engines.
 
The next procurement was the Landing Craft Mechanised Model 8 (LCM8).   Built by North Queensland Engineers & Agents (previously sugar mill equipment makers).   After a few teething problems such as the compressed air bow door recovery system being ineffective after the first try, they eventually became a very versatile craft.   Much modified in later years to provide accommodation for the crew. Of interest was the aluminium wheelhouse protection.   Made from 18mm aluminium it was supposed to withstand small arms fire.   Ray Smith and I borrowed a SLR from the local CMF Inf Bn and took the "cut-out" from the wheelhouse access to the rifle range.   Every round fired at it up to 300mr went straight through and the ones at 300mr embedded themselves in the aluminium that far that the plate showed evidence of shrapnel break away on the other side.   Bad luck for the coxswain if they were ever fired at.
 
At the same time as NQEA were building the LCM8s they also built MV Carpentaria for civil shipping.   It was almost identical in design to the LCH except it had Sampson Posts halfway down the well deck and a couple of derricks.   This gave it the ability to hatch off the rear half of the well deck and carry dry cargo in that space.   When I returned to FNQ with 1 Fd Svy Sqn in 1982 it was still doing the Cairns to Carpentaria Gulf run.    I spoke to the skipper and he said it had operated trouble free and was ideal for the role it was used in.   NQEA said they built it to convince the Army that they had the ability to build the LCHs but unfortunately the contract for them went to Walkers in Maryborough.
 
Then there was the Boat Assault MK4, modified and operated by 6 Water Tpt Wksp Tp at Chowder Bay.   The MK4 was the heavy De-Haviland one with a bow that the ships boat on John Monash was also made of.   Anyhow the Wksps "got" approval to modify it which involved cutting the stern transom so that two 40HP Johnson outboards could be fitted.   The bow was decked in and a windscreen fitted.   Mysteriously a set of twin remote throttle controls appeared and electric starters also turned up.   Could certainly move faster than what it was designed for.
 
Kevin Lockwood told me that someone had experimented with a "home-made" hovercraft and the remains were still on the bottom of Chowder Bay.
 
There was also a Workboat, Aluminium 13mr, on loan from Transfield to 35 Water Tpt Sqn late in the 1960s.   I am unsure of the deal that we had this craft under.   I believe that it had a Cummins Diesel main engine and also that there were big corrosion problems appearing at this early stage of life.   Disposal unknown.
 
These make up the roster of watercraft that were around in the 1960s.   The first Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) LC126 BALIKPAPAN did not arrive in service with the Army till 1971 and remained with us till Sep 1974.