Frosty Moller – tug involved in evacuation of Waglan Island lighthouse staff, December 1941
HF: The article, Waglan Island lighthouse – a brief history, contains a brief mention of the Frosty Moller:
Stephen Davies: Come the Japanese invasion in 1941, as far as I know, the original lens was broken up and thrown down the cliff into the water and the lighthouse machinery put out of commission. In Tony Banham’s exhaustive campaign narration (linked below), the keeper and his eight staff were evacuated at 1030hrs on 13th December by APV (Auxiliary Patrol Vessel) Frosty Moller and taken to Aberdeen.
Stephen adds: I have learned that the APV Frosty Moller, was a commandeered into being a service tug.
This is a tiny image from a generally reliable Japanese WW2 site (1):
She was sold to Moller in 1936/37 (see the last Lloyd’s Register entry for her at 3).
HF: The Western Australian, Perth, 23rd May 1938
The ship was captured by the Japanese (possibly raised post-scuttling since it seems all bar a few vessels were commanded to be scuttled on 19/12/41) and put into service as the Haraji/Harachi/Genchi Maru (there is some debate about which is the correct name) converted into an auxiliary netlayer.
And was later sunk by a US air attack 26/11/43 (or possibly 24/1/44) in Ceihang (or Chianghai) Bay, Guangdong, in position 21.33 N, 112.00 E.
Sources:
- http://www.geocities.jp/tokusetsukansen/E/205/205TOP6.htm
- http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19270924.2.132
- http://www.plimsollshipdata.org/pdffile.php?name=37b0819.pdf
- Warsailors.com has this forum concerning the Frosty Moller with details and conjecture about her time in HK and her demise.
This article was first posted on 3rd May 2015.
- Tony Banham’s War Diary
- Waglan Island lighthouse – a brief history