Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), Monday 21 June 1943, page 3


SHIP'S CARGO SALVAGED

From ALLAN JONES, Courier-Mail War Correspondent

NEW GUINEA, June 20.— Cargo, including motor trucks, gun bar-rels, and several hundred heavy tyres have been salvaged from the

flooded holds of the S.S. Anshun, which was sunk by enemy shell fire in the Milne Bay campaign more than nine months ago. Thirsty sailors, soldiers, and air-men have had a special interest in the old Anshun once in the China trade, as when she was sunk she was reported to have had on board several cases of bottled beer. Not long after the vessel foun-dered a hole was cut in her side and a large quantity of mail and other articles were recovered. There was a chance that the beer might still be there, so the hopes of the servicemen soared when a few weeks ago the diver, John Johnstone, who was chiefly responsible for the recovery of several million pounds worth of gold from the Niagara, came to Milne Bay with his nephew, Peter, and Captain Joseph Purdue, of an army docks operating company. Holes Cut In Ship Johnstone, in his diving suit, was lowered beside the ship, and over a number of days he sys-tematically searched the flooded holds. Cargo worth raising was located. Holes were cut in the upper side of the ship and cables were lowered and secured under water by the diver. Hoists were rigged, sometimes the base plates being welded to the side of the ship, and the cargo was raised. The salvaged goods were taken ashore in barges. Al-though several of the motor trucks raised had been in the water for more than nine months there was enough air in the tyres for the trucks to be towed to the work-shops. What happened to the beer is still a mystery.