Kyknet is making a series on disasters in South Africa AND the PK is the first in their series which will be shown in January 2010, I contacted them via their adress on the blog and they took me
to Simonstown to shoot (whatever my experience was that day)the documentary on the Disaster of the PK and through the comments left by other members and family, they could also get hold of them and
put their memories on film.

Awesome stuff.

To all who have contributed to this forum

We are a Cape Town based production company who have been commissioned by kykNET to at last produce a project that has been very close to our hearts for some years. The theme of the 13 part series is South African disasters and we are beginning the series which goes on air in January with the sinking of the SAS President Kruger. This project is very close to our hearts and we are treating all the disasters with the utmost respect and dignity. We are currently speaking to the Navy as well as any one else with stories from that night. Our aim is not to lay blame, open old wounds or make anyone look bad, but rather to tell the story from the mouths of those who experienced it and were forever affected by it as well as those who are no longer here and cannot tell their story. If anyone on this forum would be interested in talking to us, being interviewed, has any articles, memorabilia, pictures or the like it would be greatly appreciated. I can be contacted on gen@plan-c.co.za

I was conscripted from Windhoek, South West Africa (now Namibia) to Simonstown to start my National Service in in the Navy, in January 1972. My Service number is 69 22 57 46. I spent the last six months of 1972 on the PK as a chef, although my main tasks were devoted to washing dishes and peeling potatoes! The head chef was WO second class Bender who ran a tight ship. There was a Cief Chef called “Pa” and a PO Chef called PO Botes; also an able Chef Steve Dickens. Us three “CF” chefs were Joe Bornman from Kimberley, Zacharias le Roux from Port Elizabeth and myself. The GI was GI Bosse, a very engaging person but a strickler for hair being kept accoding to Navy regulations. I think our captain was Captain Green, who, I think, succeeded captain MacNorton (?). I took my last leave from the PK on 14 Dec. 1972. Then in February 1982 I did a camp in Walvisbaai and while there, the news came through that the PK sank. Us PK old boys were shocked and saddened by the news. In 2009 I chanced to meet the owner of the Norvalspont Hotel, Rod Mann. Interested in sailing, he told me he was working on a project boat he recently aquired. IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE PK’S LIFEBOAT, A WHALER CUTTER, WHICH SURVIVED THE DISASTER. IT WAS PROBABLY THE SAME BOAT YOU CLUNG ONTO. Captain Bligh did his epic open boat voyage with 6 ” freeboard on an identical boat after he lost his ship the Bounty, to mutineers led by Fletcher Christian. My tel no is 00 33 562 700 168. I have a home in France but am planning to reurn to SA in Dec. this year

THE LAST VOYAGE

One daybreak the dignified grey lady set sail
Proud and with many promised tomorrows of hope.
The water was mirror quiet of calmness
While the fresh breeze tickles her hair.

The sunset for the last time for the lady
as the night gleams with cold hopes.
The clouds crowded around the horizon
filled with furious howling winds.

Unaware of danger lifting it’s hand.
They slept in the warmth of the lady.
The storm begins curling her up in fear.
The waves are furiously bigger with each breath.

From no where a penetrating cracking sound
tear through her feminine body.
Fear and horror cries filled the dark.
Then she disappeared into her deep dark grave.

Today she’s still wandering the seabed
With emptiness and horror I’m longing for her.
I was also one time part of the lady
and now the lovely graceful lady will never return.

Melt de Kock22/7/84

# A tribute to the SAS PRESIDENT KRUGER which sank in the early morning of 18 Feb ‘82
and lost 16 men. I knew 13 of the 16 lost in the tragedy. I served on her from Aug ‘80 until Aug ‘81.

my father was on the president Kruger. unfortunately he died on the ship, hes was Evert Koen.

So now im doing a bit of research on the whole incident for my own personal reasons. i was only 2 years old at that stage so couldnt remember much of what happend.

if any body has some extra info they can pass over to me ill be greatfull for it.

werner@basearchitects.co.za

My father was CPO Piet Botha on board that night. I was 4 years old when it happened. I remember my mother rushing out the house as soon as she had hear, crying her eyes out.

My dad suffered terribly from PTSD, often waking up in the middle of the night, screaming – They’ve come to get me!! – referring to his shipmates.

I’ve often wanted to get in contact with any of the crew that served with him, I didnt really get to know him as he took his own life a year after the PK sank…

I was Chief of the Watch in the Boiler-Room at the time of the collision.
I heard this dreadful sound which was metal tearing, then we lost all pressure out of the boiler’s which followed by the PK listing heavy to port side , by then we had lost power
supply ( elctricity ). I noticed a 10″ main fuel line that ran thru the boiler room above the evaporator part by it flange’s and sprayed fuel all over. Then I lost comm’s between the bridge , engine-room and boiler-room. We were waiting for order’s but nothing happened …..dead silence .
Then on came the electricity again after Kevin Sumner started and put on line one of the “forward” paxman’s. Just after that CPO Monty Minnaar shouted down the hatch to get out and get prepared for abandon ship .I instructed my watch to clear the boiler-room , as they where cleary I went thru all the emergency shut down procedure’s and by the time I climbed up the ladder to exit the boiler-room the seawater was flooding down thru the hatch .By this time the PK was listing about 45° to port and I made my way forward walking on the ” bulkheads” as if it was the deck.
After I had located my life-jacket I exited out the forward hatch and once on deck I noticed the 4.5″ bofor was pointing toward’s the list and also the jupitor was half submerged. I took one look at that sea and went into a panick as the seas were huge and the wind was howling .

We are presently writing the study material for the new Emergency Care Technician Military Maritime Elective. This is the new 2-year National program replacing the old OECO program.

I have decided to use you as the character for the case study on rescue and boarding a rescue raft and using the sinking of the PK as the case scenario. New Maritime Medics will now be trained using the case study. Unfortunately we must adapt some of the facts to meet the outcomes, but the basic case study remain medic on PK, in lifeboat, then in water will correct drills and then into lifeboat.

Officer Commanding
School for Military Health Training

I was one of the national servicemen aboard at the time. I have no material on the incident. I am interested in making contact with others who were aboard to help refresh my memory

I was serving on Tafies at the time of the collision, as the chief stoker. I was awakened by the impact at 0355. MY cabin was on the funnel deck, by the engineers office. I went on deck & P.K. was coming all the way down the port side of Tafies, scraping the side. I phoned the Engine Room to inform them, & then went to the bridge which was my ,damage control station. I was watching the bridge radar plot, when P.K .sank ,& said to the Capt, Capt Smit , That P.K. had gone from the plot. His comment was , I suppose I will be remembered, as the man who sank the P.K. At the court of enquiry,as i remember it was stated that both Captains Smit TF & De Lange P.K. had arrived on their respective bridges within seconds of each other & on reading the situation both ordered course alterations away from each other, had this not have happened , TF would probably hit P.K. amidships & rolled her right over ,which would have meant a much higher casualty rate.However it also came out in the enquiry, that the O. O.W. on both Ships during the middle watch did not have a bridge watchkeeping certificate between them. I ask you in the middle of the night, doing a anti submarine exercise involving 3 surface ships & a submarine . This was disgraceful. It would NEVER have happened in the ROYAL NAVY.I subsequently bailed out & returned to the U.K. as this was the biggest of many Cockups.There is nothing new here that wasn’t reported in The Cape Times, Just thought you would like another insight, of the tragic incident. Les Stokes