The crew of the Free French Force destroyer, Le Triomphant, race to apply a collision mat to the ...

The crew of the Free French Force destroyer, Le Triomphant, race to apply a collision mat to the damaged ship's hull during a cyclone on 2 December 1943. The collision mat, a large piece of canvas, is passed under the ship and is held in place by the pressure of the water trying to enter the breach. Le Triomphant left Fremantle, Australia, with five Royal Australian Navy and Royal Navy crew, Lieutenant Derek Percival Scales, Liaison Officer (RANVR, appointed to RN); D/SR615 Signalman George Horace Myall (RN); 25903 (C/JX223207) Signalman William Cutt Rendall (RN, on loan to RAN); PA1104 Telegraphist Ashmead Bartlett Croft (RAN) and 26092 (D/JX222003) Coder Harry Underwood (RN, on loan to RAN), on 26 November 1943. She was on convoy duty with the American oil tanker Cedar Mills and the Dutch cargo ship Java when the cyclone hit and receiving considerable damage being without fuel, water and provisions and listing 45 degrees, she was towed by the Cedar Mills to Diego Suarez, Madagascar, for repairs. Le Triomphant, one of six 'Le Fantasque' class destroyers built by At. & Ch de France of Dunkirk, France, was launched on 16 April 1934 and commissioned into the French Navy on 25 May 1936. She had a complement of 220 officers and men and was reputed to reach speeds of well over 40 knots. On 3 July 1940 she landed at the British port of Plymouth after escaping from the Vichy French government and was transferred to the French Free Force under the command of Commandant Pierre Gilly. She served in the Pacific after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour undertaking numerous escort and convoy assignments. Scales was fluent in French language and post war had an academic career which culminated in his appointment as Chair of French Language and Literature at the Australian National University, a position he held until his retirement in 1983, after which he was appointed Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University.