The sinking of the ship Wollongbar II by a Japanese submarine off Crescent Head 80 years ago, with the loss of 32 lives, was the closest World War II action would come to Kempsey, although few knew it at the time due to censorship.
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The Government was doing its utmost to avoid loss of morale by hiding such incidents.
The Wollongbar II, carrying 18,000 cases of butter from Byron Bay to Sydney was torpedoed by the enemy submarine off Crescent Head on 29 April 1943 at 10.15am.
The ship sank rapidly and there were only five survivors from the crew of 37.
An unarmed RAAF Catalina seaplane saw the attack but lacking any weapons was powerless to intervene. It was however able to fly back to Port Macquarie and guide the fishing boat XLCR, crewed by members of the Radley family, to the site of the wreck where they were able to pick up the survivors.
During the media blackout, rumours spread during early July that five Japanese parachutists had landed at Hungry Head, one mile south of Hat Head.
The late Noel Bannon, of Belmore River, recalled army reservists and other defence personnel having to guard bridges at Gladstone and Kinchela on the Saturday night.
On the following Sunday, Volunteer Defence Corps members, Jack Turner and Dick Lewis of Gladstone, were detailed to march from Hungry Head to McGuires Crossing to check for signs of the enemy.
Each man carried a pack and rifle, although by the time they had reached McGuires Crossing, Dick, the younger of the two, was carrying Jack's pack as well.
On the Monday morning, Noel and other Belmore farmers were astonished to see seven or eight Australian Army Bren gun carriers heading along the Belmore River road towards Gladstone.
Earlier the year before, a meeting had been held in Kempsey to outline a "scorched earth" policy in the event of a Japanese invasion. This involved moving cattle from the coast to the New England region and destroying crops.
The sight of the Bren gun carriers left some local farmers speculating whether it was time to put the plan into action.
Most of the Army personnel and the Bren gun carriers had been billeted on Jim Eakin's property on the Belmore River. The soldiers were generously supplied with bacon, eggs, bread and milk on the Eakin property. Son Terry remembers that in gratitude for the hospitality, their guests hitched up a plough to one of the carriers and ploughed their paddocks for them. The Eakins managed the Belmore River telephone exchange and as the exchange was opened, an Army sergeant sat nearby to monitor calls to ensure that confidentiality was maintained.
The presence of the Army in Kempsey was kept secret and not covered by the press of the time.
In 2019, reports from local mariners of the Wollongbar II wreck were followed up and an archaeological investigation confirmed the location of the wreckage off Crescent Head.
On 29 April 2022, an official memorial service was held over the wreck site with descendants of the lost mariners among those attending.
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