WHEN the Iron Knight was torpedoed off the south-east coast of Australia, more than 36 men lost their lives in the line of duty.
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It was among the highest loss of life on a merchant ship during World War II, with only 14 survivors.
Now, to mark the 70th anniversary of the sinking, three descendants of crew members are determined to ensure the men are not forgotten.
Ken Iredale, 70, was only two months old when his father, also named Ken, died on the Iron Knight on February 8, 1943.
He will lay a wreath at the Newcastle Mercantile Marine Memorial with his sister, Dawn Taylor, and Rosemary Ross, descendant of the ship’s captain, Donald Ross.
‘‘Being the 70th anniversary, we wanted to do something special,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s not forgotten and even though I didn’t know my dad, I’ve got to keep his memory alive.
‘‘It’s not just for him either, it’s for the 36 that gave their life for the nation.’’
The Iron Knight was one of three BHP ships destroyed during the war.
It was en route from Whyalla to Newcastle with a cargo of iron ore and many of the crew were from Newcastle.
About 2.30am, near Montague Island, the Japanese submarine I-21 fired a torpedo at the Iron Knight’s convoy.
The I-21 was the same submarine that shelled Newcastle seven months earlier on June 8, 1942.
While the intended target was one of two escorts, the HMAS Mildura and HMAS Townsville, the torpedo went underneath and smashed the Iron Knight.
The convoy was forced to continue moving and survivors of the blast were picked up more than 10 hours later by French destroyer Le Triomphant.
Mr Iredale said he didn’t know much about his father but wanted him and other merchant seamen to be remembered.
‘‘He was only 20 when the ship went down,’’ he said.
‘‘It went down very quickly, in only two or three minutes.
“The merchant marines are often forgotten when people talk about the war.”
The Iron Knight was one of 41 Australian and Allied merchant and naval ships sunk off the east coast of Australia during “The Forgotten War” between 1939 and 1945.
More than 1550 people were killed on the ships and hundreds wounded.
The Newcastle Maritime Centre has an exhibition dedicated to The Forgotten War and houses models of both the Iron Knight and the I-21.
The centre will commemorate the deceased in a special service on June 1 this year.
THE FALLEN
AS the nation pauses this morning to remember the crew of the Iron Knight, a historian has compiled a list of Hunter men killed in the World War II sinking.
“From my research I have identified the following 19 merchant seamen from the Newcastle area who died in the early hours of that morning 70 years ago,” Hunter historian David Dial said.
The list:
■ Fifth Engineer Officer Roy Frederick Anderson, of Newcastle
■ Chief Steward John Hugh Callinan, Hamilton
■ Fireman Arthur Dives, Stockton
■ Third Engineer Officer Kenneth Edward Haynes, Newcastle
■ Carpenter Harold John Hodson, Hamilton
■ Able Seaman Kenneth J. Iredale, Stockton
■ Able Seaman Basil Jack Johnson, Wickham
■ Steward Ronald Harry Jordan, Carrington
■ Able Seaman Cyril Malone, Newcastle
■ Third Officer John O’Connor, Newcastle
■ Second Officer Francis Thomas George Perrin, Bar Beach
■ Cook Alfred Pinnington, Carrington
■ Master Donald Ross, Stockton
■ Chief Officer Reginald Bateman Steere, Newcastle
■ Chief Engineer Officer Harry Tate, Newcastle
■ Ordinary Seaman Alexander Douglas Thomas, Carrington
■ Steward Byron Thomas Vivian, Charlestown
■ Fireman Thomas John Weller, Sandgate
■ Second Engineer Officer Henry Wilkinson, Mayfield
