M/S Hai Lee

To Hai Lee on the "Ships starting with H" page.

Misc. War Details:

Quickly left Hong Kong as soon as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (on Dec. 7-1941) was made known, and headed for Manila, but continued from there to Singapore as the Japanese bombardments of Manila had already begun.

Transported 150 survivors from the battle cruisers Prince of Wales and Repulse from Singapore to Tanjong Priok, Batavia in Febr.-1942. The battle cruisers had been sunk in a massive Japanese air attack off the coast of Malaya on Dec. 10. Over 2000 out of the about 2800 on board had been rescued by escorting destroyers. The external links provided below have more on these events.

The last external website that I've linked to at the end of this text has Hai Lee in Convoy SL 130/MKS 14 in the spring of 1943. The SL portion of this convoy, in which Hai Lee sailed, left Freetown on May 30, joined up with the MKS section from Gibraltar on June 11, the combined convoy arriving Liverpool on June 21. She was on a voyage from Lagos to Mersey. Note that several other Norwegian ships are also listed in this convoy.

Billy McGee, England has told me that Steward Donald Bunting is commemorated at Tower Hill, Panel 54. Further details on him can be found on this page on The Commonwealth War Graves Comm. website (external link), where he's said to have died on July 20-1944 - I'm not sure what caused his death.

Related external links:
The Pearl Harbor Attack - From the Naval Historical Center Home page.

Force Z Survivors Association - Includes the story of Prince of Wales and Repulse, as well as a Forum and a list of Prince of Wales Crew Members.
London Gazette 1948 - Force Z - Reports on the loss of Prince of Wales and Repulse.

The Fall of Malaya and Singapore

SL convoys - As can be seen, Hai Lee is listed among the ships in SL 130/MKS 14.

Back to Hai Lee on the "Ships starting with H" page.

There was later another ship by the name Hai Lee. This was the ex Wilh. Wilhelmsen ship Taiko, 12 546 gt, launched Sept. 18-1967 (Japan?) and completed in Jan.-1968. Sold on May 20-1985 to Thoresen & Co. (Bangkok) Ltd. (Brussgaard Kiøsteruds Skibs-A/S, managers), Thailand and renamed Hai Lee. Management ceased in 1986 and she was sold in 1993 to Indian shipbreakers. (Wilh. Wilhelmsen fleet list).

The text on this page was compiled with the help of: "Nortraships flåte", J. R. Hegland, Roger W. Jordan - and misc.