Ordinary Seaman Neil F. Roberts interviewed by Alexandra Torrens about the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul by a Japanese Midget Submarine in Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May - 1 June 1942.

Places	Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Newcastle Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney Oceania: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney, Bondi Oceania: Australia, Victoria, Mornington Peninsula, Westernport, Flinders Naval Depot, HMAS Cerberus
Accession Number	S01996
Collection type	Sound
Measurement	12 min 59 sec
Object type	Oral history
Physical description	BASF DM 120 DAT
Maker	Roberts, Neil F Torrens, Alexandra Roberts, Neil F
Place made	Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Northbridge
Date made	17 September 1997
Access	Open
Conflict	Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright	Item copyright: © Australian War Memorial This item is licensed under CC BY-NC
Copying Provisions	Copyright restrictions apply. Only personal, non-commercial, research and study use permitted. Permission of copyright holder required for any commercial use and/or reproduction.

Description

Discusses: early life; enlists in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at age 19 years; training at Flinders Naval Depot; posted to Sydney; on sentry duty four hours on and four hours off; quartered on HMAS Kuttabul; on board when vessel torpedoed by Japanese midget submarine; describes escaping the sinking ship; an unexploded torpedo found at Gun Wharf; sent to hospital for recovery; mentions New Zealander Colin Whitfield and describes injuries Colin incurred as a result of the explosion; returns to sentry duty at Gun Wharf; attack by Japanese at Bondi and Newcastle; posted to corvette HMAS Dubbo; sea patrols; reaction of local people to Japanese attack. END TAPE
A transcript of this recording may be available. For further information please contact the Sound section.

Listen to Ordinary Seaman Neil F. Roberts interviewed by Alexandra Torrens about the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul by a Japanese Midget Submarine in Sydney Harbour on the night of 31 May - 1 June 1942.