By Peter Cole. [Peter and the team undertook salvage dives on the SS President Coolidge on two occasions: for a month or so early in 1971 and for around six months (February to August) in 1972].

The shipment of rope and slings arrived from Sydney and we were busy making baskets for the Vanikoro job, but first we had to get the spare blades out of the Coolidge. Next day Des (Des Woodley) arrived with a new diver from Sydney and we set off to Santo. Santo of course hadn’t changed one bit, nor had we expected it to either. So we got ready.

But now, there was a more pressing problem, it was the new diver. He was a bit of a prima donna; he didn’t like the Onewa, didn’t want to help steer the boat which we all took two hour shifts doing steering by compass – no autopilot in those days!! He didn’t get on with Bill (Bill Martin) and when we reached Santo, he walked off and flew back to Sydney. Nobody was sorry to see him go, but they were now a diver short, so obviously, all eyes turned to me! Des asked if I thought I could handle it – they knew I had been shallow diving with AP (Alan Power) that was no secret. So I said yes, I could handle it.

Next morning we steamed up to the President Coolidge which was situated a couple of miles up the coast, picked up the moorings and positioned the boat above Number 2 Hold, which was about 140 feet below. Des kitted me up with an old wetsuit and took me down to the hull and gave me a signal to wait there. He went in with a long wire sling, and attached it to a prop. Then we both went back up. Back on the boat he asked “How was it?” “No problem” I replied. So that was that; now I’m a diver!!!

The Onewa didn’t have a heavy lift winch, but we adapted the cargo winch for this role. Bill slung a bridle around the hull and we connected the end of the winch cable to the bridle under the keel, and fitted a snatch block to the loop in the cable, this gave us a double purchase. The cable ran over a large roller fitted to the stem and was more than enough to handle the four and half ton blades, and some!

The President Coolidge was a pre-war, two funnel luxury liner that plied the Asian ports from San Francisco before the Pacific War. When the Americans were attacked by the Japanese, the Coolidge was turned into a troop ship. On October 6th 1942 it left San Francisco with 4800 troops plus crew and a full cargo of war equipment and munitions. Its destination was Santo, which was the front line of the American counter attack at the time. The full story of the President Coolidge can be read in Peter Stone’s book, The Lady and the President. It’s a great, and worthwhile read.

Put briefly, when the Coolidge arrived at Santo, the captain was unaware that both entrances to the Channel had been mined. No one had bothered to tell him, even though they had berthed in Noumea before leaving for Santo. So, reluctant to wait outside because of enemy submarine activity in the area, the captain steamed into the Channel and straight into the minefield, and set off two mines. When this happened, the captain ran the ship aground to save lives and the ship. But the reef was very steep, and as the ship filled with water it sank and slid back into the sea and disappeared into the briny!! The ship ended up with 240ft of water over the stern and 80 ft over the bow and rolled over onto its port side. Only two lives were lost.

Next morning Des explained what he wanted me to do. The plan was for Des to sling up each prop, one at a time, and attach the sling to the winch cable. He would then blow the prop off the bulkhead with a small charge of dynamite, then go back inside and make sure the winch didn’t get snagged while pulling the blade out. My job was to hold station at 80 feet, and relay his winching signals to the winch driver, who was Bill. Des would signal through his hookah air-hose; two tugs for up, three tugs for down and one tug to stop. TC was tending my hose, I was tending Des’s, and I relayed the signals through my hose. Des told me how to remember the signals, two arms up, three legs down!! Typical Des; he was a real rough diamond, but a great guy, and totally competent.

Everything went smoothly, and we got the four blades out in six days. When they found a buyer – the same people in Japan who had bought the main props – we hired an old US ridgeback crane and a low loader and pulled the blades out of the water and put them on the loader and took them down to the wharf. The locals were amazed that we had found more prop blades on the wreck.

The day Des went back to Sydney, he gave me $300 bonus. I was happy!!

Copyright Peter Cole 2023. All rights reserved.