MV Harpa
| Career |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | MV Harpa |
| Operator: | Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company, London |
| Builder: | Hawthorn, Leslie & Co. Ltd., Hebburn |
| Yard number: | Build number 575 |
| Launched: | 5 December 1930 |
| Identification: |
Callsign GTQK    |
| Fate: | Sunk 27 January 1942 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Oil tanker |
| Tonnage: | 3,007 |
| Length: | 93.14 m (305.58 ft) |
| Beam: | 15.26 m (50.07 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.87 m (19.26 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Two 6-cylinder Hawthorn oil engines, twin screw |
| Crew: | 41 Merchant Navy plus 2 DEMS gunners |
MV Harpa was an oil tanker of the Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company (later Royal Dutch/Shell) and was in service with the British Merchant Navy during World War II.
Bombing
Bombed 22 December 1941 at Port Swettenham, with the loss of 4 engineering officers:
Cheras Road Civil Cemetery (Malaysia)
| Name | Rank | Age |
|---|---|---|
| BOYACK, THOMAS B. | Fifth Engineer Officer | 26 |
| VAN VUUREN, JAN | Fourth Engineer Officer | 28 |
| WIDDAS, GORDON | Chief Engineer Officer | 43 |
| WOODBRIDGE, L H J | Third Engineer Officer | 22 |
Sinking
Was sunk by a British seamine in Main Strait, Singapore† en route to Batavia with a full cargo of aviation spirit on 27 January 1942 with the loss of 7 British officers, 2 Royal Navy DEMS gunners and 25 Chinese crew:
Tower Hill Memorial (London)
| Name | Rank | Age |
|---|---|---|
| CAMPBELL, WALTER DOUGLAS | Chief Officer | 38 |
| HOWARTH, CHARLES ALEXANDER | Master | 42 |
| MILES, ROLAND CHARLES VICTOR | Second Officer | 27 |
| MITCHELL, DOUGLAS CHARLES STEWART | Radio Officer | 27 |
| McEWAN, THOMAS | Fourth Engineer Officer | 26 |
| RUSSUM, REX GELDARD | Third Officer | 23 |
Kranji War Cemetery (Singapore)
| Name | Rank | Age |
|---|---|---|
| GRANT, ALEXANDER HOPE GORDON | Chief Engineer Officer | 42 |
Book of Remembrance (NUMAST)
| Name | Rank | Age |
|---|---|---|
| DIXON, JONATHAN | Able Seaman R.N. | 22 |
| RITCHIE, GEORGE WILLIAM | Able Seaman R.N. | 27 |
Hong Kong War Memorial
| Name | Rank | Age |
|---|---|---|
| AH WONG | Sailor | 35 |
| CHEONG TEE | Fireman's Boy | 21 |
| CHIA SEE FONG | Chief Steward | 53 |
| CHOW FATT SOON | Sailor | |
| CHOY NAM | Donkeyman | |
| CHUNG KAM | Fireman | 29 |
| FOO SUAN YEE | Boy | 24 |
| GOH MOH WEE | Mess Room Boy | |
| HO CHAN | Carpenter | 43 |
| HO KEE ANN | Chief Steward | |
| HO KEE WEE | Chief Cook | |
| HONG KUM | Fireman | 36 |
| KWAN MUI | Cook | 51 |
| KWONG WAH | Fireman | 31 |
| LAM FANG | Fireman | |
| LAU HAU | Boy | 23 |
| LAY YAU | Fireman | 31 |
| LE AH SING | Storekeeper | 33 |
| SIE KAY POH | Quartermaster | 23 |
| TAY CHAN | Fireman | 36 |
| TEAN YIT | Cook | |
| TING AH TAY | Quartermaster | 34 |
| TING EE CHING | Boy | 35 |
| WONG CHIN | Cook | 31 |
| YU SHUN | Quartermaster |
†Tom Simkins MBE, Chief Radio Officer of SS Pinna, stated the sinking to be in the Rhio Strait (now Riau Strait, between Batam and Bintan Islands).
Sources
- Harpa and Pinna
- Another Door Part 1: War in the Far East
- NAVAL EVENTS, JANUARY 1942, Part 2 of 2, Thursday 15th – Saturday 31st
Coordinates: 1°15′N 104°00′E / 1.25°N 104°E