Loss Of Fairwind

In Nsw Cyclone

Skipper Was Well-Known Captain Sandy Campbell

THE 300 ton Navy ship, Fairwind, was lost with all hands in a cyclone off the NSW north coast on or about June 24.

Fairwind he>l, been in New Guinea waters for the last six months on fishery research and was coming South to be returned to the Navy. The master was Captain A. Campbell, 62, of Cremorne, Sydney—better known to pre-war Papua- New Guinea residents as Captain Sandy Campbell of Burns Philp ships, Macdhiii and later, Bulolo.

No bodies have been recovered but a great deal of wreckage, evidently from Fairwind, has been tossed on the beach near NambucCa heads, 250 miles south of Bx-isbane. This included two life boats, (one bearing the name Fairwind), hatch covers, cabin doors, etc.

The Fairwind had been away from Sydney since last September when it took a number of scientists to Papua and New Guinea to enable them to study fishing grounds in those territories. The scientists were not on board for the re turn trip.

The last heard of the Fairwind was at 4.30 p.m. on June 23 when the skip per radioed the Department of External Territories in Sydney stating that he was short of fuel and at that time was shelter ing from heavy seas at Cape Solitary, 12 miles from Coff’s Hai’bour.

He asked for permission to put into Cofl’s Harbour to obtain additional fuel.

It is believed that the Fairwind ran in to the full force of the cyclone within a short time of sending out the radio mes sage to Sydney and was possibly driven on to rocks where it broke up.

The seas that followed during the week-end after Captain Campbell’s last message are said to have been the worst experienced in the memory of residents of the NSW north coast. The captain of the small island ship, Awahou, which for a few days was also feared lost on a voyage from the Solomons, said that it had been “touch and go” for his ship and that the waves were the biggest he had ever seen.

Besides Captain Campbell the white crew consisted of First Officer J. E. Wil son, 25, of Cronulla (N.S.W.); Chief En gineer L. T. Myers, 31, of Bondi, Sydney; D. Connelly, 25, Fisheries officer, of New castle; W. Brightwell, technician, of Sydney. There were also 11 native sea men.

Captain Campbell’s Career

CAPTAIN CAMPBELL had been semi retired from the sea for the last few years.

He served in the Navy ixx World War I and became well-known to New Guinea residents who travelled on Burns Philp ships between Sydney and Papua-New Guinea ports between the wars. He served as master in most BP ships, par ticularly in Macdhui and later the modern Bulolo. He was her skipper at the outbreak of war when the British Admiralty took her over. He then went to the Neptuna but retired altogether from Burns Philp in the mid-war period.

Towards the end of the war he was working with Mr. Leonard Murray on in telligence work for the United States forces —it is understood this work was compiling sailing directions for Islands waters.

After the war he ferried a number of small ships to Port Moresby for the Gov

ernment and at one stage was acting Harbour Master, Port Moresby, for six months.

For the last six months he has been on the Fairwind.

Captain Campbell was of a quiet, re tiring disposition but a top-ranking sea man and popular with his fellow officers.