A few months ago I asked my readers to share their stories about Matson’s Great White Fleet. Most talked about coming to Hawaii, seeing Diamond Head for the first time and being greeted with music and lei.
One of the more interesting stories that came in involved the SS Monterey and its service during World War II. Tourism came to a halt, and the military took over most of the Matson ships.
Chris McKenzie told me that his father, Robert, was chief officer on the SS Monterey during a Mediterranean convoy of ships in 1943.
On the night of Nov. 6, 1943, the Monterey was carrying U.S. troops in a convoy of 23 ships and 14 escort vessels in the Mediterranean, close to North Africa, Chris McKenzie says.
The convoy was attacked by approximately 25 German planes dropping deadly glide bombs and torpedoes.
Several ships were struck and started to sink, including the Santa Elena, carrying Canadian doctors, dentists, nurses and other medical personnel.
The convoy commander directed the Monterey to drop out and pick up survivors. “My father, Robert McKenzie, was in charge of the rescue. Dad had insisted that the crew practice and drill for just such an eventuality.
“Dad also ordered — apparently against the wishes of the captain because of the risk of being seen and attacked — the Monterey’s deck lights switched on briefly so that the survivors from the sinking Santa Elena could see the rescue ship in the pitch-black night. They said later that the lights gave them hope, prevented panic and encouraged them to stay afloat until rescued.”
Madeline Shavalier was a 25-year-old registered nurse aboard the Santa Elena when it was hit. The nurses climbed into lifeboats, and the soldiers jumped into the water, she said. “We spent four harrowing hours in the dark.
“And then out of the darkness came the Monterey,” Shavalier recalled. Shavalier didn’t realize at the time she had become a part of history. “We had no idea then, but it’s now known as the world’s largest rescue at sea.”
Although the Santa Elena eventually sank, only four crew were lost. In all, 1,675 Canadian servicemen and women were saved.
In comparison, 1,660 were rescued from the SS Andrea Doria in 1956, and 750 were saved from the Titanic in 1913.
Just as the last lifeboat was lifted aboard and the Monterey started to depart the area, it dodged a torpedo launched from an enemy submarine. The survivors were offloaded at Naples, Italy.
The Monterey remained in service to the U.S. government in 1945-46 ferrying troops, war brides and citizens back to the U.S. In all, during World War II, the Monterey made 26 voyages, steamed 328,000 miles and carried 170,200 passengers to ports in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Morocco, Italy, Hawaii, San Francisco and New Guinea.
J. Walter Rodgers Jr., who sailed with McKenzie, said that “volumes could be written on the valor of the officers and men of the Monterey during World War II. Her narrow escapes were many, and the skill, courage and can-do spirit of her crew brought her safely home.”
Three Matson ships, Monterey, Lurline and Mariposa, were requisitioned for service, but at war’s end only the Lurline was immediately restored to peacetime service by Matson.
Finally, in 1956 the Monterey was restored to service by Matson and renamed the Matsonia, and later the Lurline. It continued to carry passengers between California and Honolulu until 1963, when she was sold to the Greek-owned Chandres Lines and renamed the Britanis.
The Britanis sailed in the Caribbean until 1994, when it was taken out of service. At the time, it had the distinction of being the world’s oldest cruise ship, according to Rodgers.
After World War II, McKenzie served as chief officer of the Matsonia and staff captain of the Lurline for several years. He retired from Matson in 1981 after 41 years, and served as captain on the interisland cruise ships Constitution and Independence from 1982 to 1984.
McKenzie’s wife recalled that on more than one occasion, Canadian visitors to Honolulu would contact her to say how grateful they were for the rescue of a loved one or relative who was on the Santa Elena.
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Bob Sigall, author of the Companies We Keep books, looks through his collection of old photos to tell stories each Friday of Hawaii people, places and companies. Email him at Sigall@Yahoo.com.
