COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

STATUTORY DECLARATION

I, JOHN REID BARCLAY, Fourth Mate of H.M.A.S. “Manunda” at present at Port Adelaide in the State of south Australia, do solemnly and sincerely declare:-

1. At about 10 a.m. on 19^th February, 1942, I was on watch on the bridge of “Manunda”. The first untoward incident I noticed was a flight of seven planes at a high level. These planes appeared to be approaching the shipping in the harbour from a southerly direction. In a few seconds a number of bombs dropped on or near the wharf.

2. Just after I saw the planes before the first bombs fell I heard what I believed to be a siren sounding in the town but as soon as I was the planes I gave the alarm on the ship. The bombs had fallen by then. The alarm was given from H.M.A.S. “Platypus” about a minute after I gave the alarm on “Manunda”.

3. I was immediately joined on the bridge by the Master, the second mate and the third mate. The first mate joined us a few minutes later, having in the meantime taken steps to close all side doors and other side openings. We were also joined on the bridge by Lieutenant Wheeler.

4. Almost immediately there was a heavy explosion on “British Motorist” and she began to settle down by the head at once. It is hard to estimate the time that elapsed between the falling of the first bombs and the attack on “British Motorist” because when this latter attack took place anti aircraft fire had started up from the shore and the ships.

5. The next incident of note was the U.S.S. “Preston” came up on our port beam and suddenly altered course at right angles and steamed close across our bow. She was ablaze aft and evidently her steering gear had broken down. It was at this moment I notice the U.S.S. destroyer “Peary” was covered with blazing oil. She was then about 400 yards away on our port side and drifting.

6. A motor driven lifeboat was then launched from “Manunda” and Junior Engineer Angus Campbell and I proceeded in it with two A.B.’s (R. Weston and E. Jones) for the purpose of picking up survivors from “Peary”.

7. We proceeded as close as possible, at times getting within a boat’s length of the burning ship and picked up between 30 and 40 survivors.

8. While we were engaged in this task someone called out “They’ve got the ‘Manunda’”. We were then about a quarter of a mile abeam of the “Manunda” on the port side. I looked towards the ship and saw debris flying from amidships about No. 3 hatch.

9. About the same time I noticed a single aeroplane turn and travel in a shallow dive towards “Manunda”.

10. The best description I can give of this plane is: a single-engined monoplane silver coloured with a pointed nose. It was not a radial-engined plane. It had a fixed undercarriage and the wings appeared to taper towards the tips and lift slightly. I cannot recall having seen any markings on this plane but I saw a number of planes with Japanese markings that morning and this plane may have been so marked but I cannot vouch for it.

11. This plane passed over our lifeboat at a low level (about 200 to 300 feet) with its machine guns blazing.

12. I saw a bomb released from this plane as it was about mast high (about 200 feet) near the “Manunda”. I watched this bomb fall. It struck the water between our lifeboat and “Manunda”. It fell very close to the “Manunda” and exploded.

13. After dropping this bomb the plane climbed steeply out of vision.

14. This plane appeared to be acting independently. I saw a number of planes that morning which attacked shipping and which appeared to be acting independently. These were all small monoplanes. In fact the only planes I saw that day which remained in formation were the high level bombers.

15. I hold the opinion that his particular attack on “Manunda” was deliberate. My reason is that at the time the closest ship to “Manunda” was H.M.A.S. “Zelandia” which was about 400 yards away on the starboard side and then burning fiercely. The bomb which I saw fell on the port side of “Manunda” and it is difficult to believe that it could have been aimed at “Zelandai” or any other target having regard to the fact that it was delivered from such a low level. Furthermore, when the attacking plane passed over our lifeboat the angle at which it as flying indicated that the machine gun fire could have been directed at that point only at “Manunda”.

16. I feel certain that had “Manunda” been one of the objects of the high level bombers which were the main force she would have suffered the same fate as “British Motorist”.

AND I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1911-1922 conscientiously believing the statements contained therein to be true in every particular.

DECLARED at Port Adelaide in )

The) State of South Australian )

This day of March 1942 before me )