This is a story which Australians should have been made aware of a long time ago. It is a centenary since the disappearance of the crew of Australia’s first submarine – and I am honoured and humbled to recognise their stories and those of their families.
This book like any other could not be written without the help of many.
Members of the AE1 Descendent Families’ Association within Australia and overseas have been generous with their time, family records and photographs, to ensure I can tell the stories as accurately as possible – I hope I have achieved this. They are many and some are included in the bibliography, but I must thank particularly the stalwart efforts of Vera Ryan, Convenor of the Descendent Families’ Association (Aus), and Tom Tribe, Convenor of the Descendants Families’ Association (UK). Thank you Vera for allowing me to pester you endlessly and for reading through the chapters to check if I have the correct person and family in the right place at the right time. I could think of no one better and with greater understanding of the AE1 crew and the emotions involved with being family without closure.
This mystery would have been completely ignored if it had not been for what was almost a life quest of the late Commander John Foster (RAN Rtd). He refused to be deterred by agencies and people, governments and private enterprise, who did not wish to listen. I hope that in the near future these same agencies will solve the mystery and allow the final resting place of AE1 and crew to be identified and commemorated as a war grave.
Early valuable research was undertaken by Major Tom Hall. Without the time-consuming, methodical British research conducted by Barrie Downer this would be half the book it is. I would like to thank my son Lieutenant Commander Nigel Spurling (ex-RAN), former Collins Class Marine Engineering Officer, for ensuring I understood clutches from gears and oils from oils.
I congratulate the National Archives for undertaking the enormous job of digitising records and service cards, it so important for relatives and researchers. I also applaud the ongoing work done by the many volunteers of AE1 inc.com whose dogged persistence will not cease until the submarine and crew are found. My thanks go to the Australian War Memorial, the RAN and RAN Sea Power Centre, Canberra, particularly Dr David Stevens, for allowing me to intrude into files and for many of the photographs which highlight this volume.
This final product would not have been possible without enormous assistance from my friend and editor Elizabeth Van Der Hor. Liz you make my words sing. To the long suffering Len, thank you for allowing me to yet again take too much of your wife’s time.
Last but not least, I should like to thank Margaret Hadfield. Not only do you inspire me Marg but your support is greatly appreciated and I am honoured that you have embellished this book with your amazing artistic talent.
Kathryn Spurling