After a very successful maiden patrol, USS FLIER left Fremantle on her second patrol, headed for the coast of Indo-China via Lombok, Macassar and Balabac Straits. Following a carefully plotted course through Balabac, FLIER was making this surface transit at 18 knots when, at approximately 2200 on August 12,1944, she apparently hit a mine.

While still making full speed FLIER made her fatal plunge in less than 30 seconds, leaving just a few dazed and struggling survivors groping in the inky blackness of the moon less night. Shouting out their names in a weird muster, it was ascertained that 14 men had survived to this point, 72 having gone down with FLIER. Although the nearest land was just 3 miles away, its direction could not be established in the moonless, starless night. Cdr. Crowley gathered the survivors in his vicinity to a conference and it was agreed that it would be useless to start swimming without a reference point, so it was decided to tread water until moon rise, expected at 0300. In spite of all the precautions, six of the survivors slipped away during the night. The eight remaining were Cdr. Crowley, Lt. Liddell, Ens. Jacobson, CRT Howell, FCR2 Tremaine, QM3 Russo, MoMM3 Baumgart and MoMM3 Miller.

When it became light enough to see one of the small islands, the sea became choppy and it required greater effort just to stay afloat. It was no longer feasible, nor necessary, to keep everyone closely together, so Cdr. Crowley gave the order for each man to get to the beach as best he could. Slowly Cdr. Crowley swam toward the island, alternately floating and resting. He sighted a palm trunk floating ahead of him at about noon, and after swimming to it found Lt. Liddell clinging to it also, resting. Sighting a larger palm tree, the two men swam to it and there found Ens. Jacobson, Howell and Baumgart holding on to it. Palm fronds were broken off and used as crude paddles and the five men slowly paddled landward. The water shoaled at about 1600 and it was possible to wade the half-mile distance to Mantagule Island. Struggling ashore, this weary little band had been adrift on the open sea for about 18 hours. Russo awaited them on the beach and Tremain landed, a short distance to the East, and joined them an hour later. All but Miller had been accounted for.

Clad only in underwear, these survivors were severely burned by the tropical sun and their feet were gashed and bleeding from walking across the sharp, poisonous coral. All were hungry, thirsty and bone tired. When night fell, they burrowed in the sand and huddled together for warmth.

Somewhat refreshed by the night's sleep, at dawn Ens. Jacobson and Howell started building a lean-to out of leaves and vines. Russo, Baumgart and Tremaine were searching for food and water while Cdr. Crowley and Lt. Liddell reconnoitered the beach, discussing plans. Both officers were familiar with the area from long study of charts aboard FLIER. They knew that tiny Mantagule Island afforded no food or shelter that their only hope lay in reaching one of the larger nearby islands and that delay in starting would be fatal. Two possibilities were Balabac to the West and Bugsuk to the East. They finally decided on Bugsuk. Cdr. Crowley and Lt. Liddell decided to have a raft built for the voyage to Bugsuk and as the men were foraging for materials to build it, they found Miller who had come ashore on the eastern tip of the island and had spent the night alone. Upon return of the foraging party, the plan to build a raft was set in motion. Lt. Liddell and Russo, both powerful men, wretched and twisted vines from the jungle growth which the rest of the "crew" used to lash together the lengths of bamboo they had gathered. Howell improvised two paddles. The slow process of building the raft became tedious as the day wore on, and the weakened condition of the men became more pronounced as their movements became uncoordinated and their attention wandered. Howell licked some drops of moisture from leaves and became violently ill. Thirst was their worst enemy, with no one having had more than a swallow of water in two days. Rainsqualls swept tantalizingly off shore but scarcely a drop was collected in the myriad of seashells spread out for the purpose. Hundreds of coconuts were hastily examined as they washed ashore but all had either been opened or were spoiled. The raft building chore proceeded grimly however and was nearly finished by nightfall when the men went back to the lean-to to spend their second night ashore.

Their tiny 3 x 5 raft was completed the following morning and it was decided that they would shove off at low tide, determined by Cdr. Crowley to be about mid-afternoon. While waiting, Ens. Jacobson and Tremain each found an unopened coconut which was shared equally by all - this was to be their only food and drink for days. Starting for Byan Island, Russo and Howell rode the raft and manned the clumsy paddles, while the rest of the men clung to the side and kicked along to help provide "way." Midway in the passage a Jap plane appeared, forcing everyone to submerge as much as possible to avoid detection. After hours of strenuous effort, they finally reached Byan. Too exhausted to even talk, they huddled together on the sand and slept.

At dawn the eight survivors struck out across Byan and across a mile and a half channel to Gabung where they spent the fourth night. According to Cdr. Crowley, the following day on Gabung was their worst day yet. This was their fifth day without food or water. Their blistered arms and backs were raw and swollen while their bare feet were cut and festering from coral poison, making it extremely painful to walk. Adding to their agony were swarms of stinging insects that preyed on them. This small band of survivors was still three miles from their destination, Bugsuk, and Cdr. Crowley seriously doubted that they had enough strength left to make it. Knowing however that their last and only hope of survival lay in their reaching Bugsuk, they doggedly proceeded once more on their clumsy raft. They made remarkably good time in this crossing due to the shallowness of the water, but at the expense of further torn and lacerated feet from the jagged coral. Reaching Bugsuk, the FLIER survivors found themselves in a small coconut grove where, with considerable effort, they were able to knock down and open several of the nuts to partially satisfy their excruciating hunger and thirst. After scouting the several buildings on the island, and finding them abandoned, the survivors collapsed into an exhausted sleep inside one of them after they had earlier found a cistern full of fresh water from which they finally quenched their thirst for the first time in nearly a week.

When Ens. Jacobson arose ahead of the others at daybreak, he was approached by a young native who knew very little English, but by sign language and a few English words, made it known that he was friendly. After Jacobson gathered the rest of the survivors around the native, this young Filipino told them that he was a member of the guerrilla group, the "Bugsuk Bolo Battalion." His battalion had watched the FLIER survivors come ashore and assumed they were Japs. He further informed the group that he expected to find them all dead because the fresh water cistern had been poisoned in anticipation of a visit from the Japs. He then led the survivors to their nearby guerrilla headquarters where about 20 more guerrillas were encamped. Here the survivors had their first hot meal in many days, fish and rice, cooked by the guerrillas.

Part of this guerrilla band was from Palawan Island and had been sent to Bugsuk to search for possible survivors of a lost submarine. At first Cdr. Crowley thought they were referring to the FLIER but found out later that they were looking for ROBALO survivors, lost three weeks earlier in this same vicinity. The guerrillas had a boat on the opposite side of the island and offered to take the FLIER survivors to their Palawan base. After three painful days travel, the group reached Cape Buliluyan, on Palawan, where they were joined by the guerrilla leader, Sargeant Cruz, who had been scouting Balabac for ROBALO survivors. After several more days traveling 100 miles up the East Coast of Palawan, they reached Sir John Brooks Point, the guerrilla base. Also at the base was a U.S. Army coastwatcher unit, which had recently been landed by a submarine. They readily agreed to send a message to Commander Seventh Fleet.

In the meantime, the FLIER survivors were taken 5 miles into the mountains to a trading post owned by an American, Mr. Edwards. In the cooler mountain retreat, the men quickly began recovering. The Seventh Fleet Commander, apprised of the presence of FLIER survivors, sent Cdr. Crowley a message directing him to submit a date, several days in advance, and provide a suitable signaling device from an abandoned lighthouse when all was clear. Learning of a Moro chief who had a motor launch, Cdr. Crowley made arrangements to borrow the launch. In return, he promised the chief a supply of badly needed lubricating oil from the rescuing submarine.

When rescue time finally arrived, eight other refugee's turned up for rescue also. On the appointed day, 30 August, 1944 the refugee party set out in spite of the disturbing presence of a Japanese merchantman anchored near the rendezvous point. Not daring to employ the agreed upon light signal, the party set out anyway, hoping to attract the submarine by a small hand-cranked radio. Hours went by as the radio was constantly kept busy, and Russo signaled with a shielded lamp in as wide an arc as dared.

The party was just about to give up hope when they received a signal from the submarine REDFlN, which soon came into view. Cdr. Austin, REDFlN's commanding officer, was an old friend of Crd. Crowley. Informed of the guerrilla's needs, Cdr. Austin generously gave them a large supply of food, lub oil, medical supplies and small arms ammunition. The REDFlN crew also donated all their spare shoes and clothing.

After the guerrilla boat was safely out of danger, REDFlN attacked the anchored merchantman by gunfire, but after several ineffective rounds, decided too late, to attack with torpedoes. By this time the merchantman was well underway, headed out of range into shallow water. Reluctantly, Cdr. Austin gave up the chase and set course for Darwin.

Upon arrival in Australia, the FLIER survivors were flown to Perth where Cdr. Crowley made his report and was awarded the Legion of Merit for organizing and leading the escape of the FLIER survivors. Lt. Liddell, Howell and Russo also received awards for displaying initiative and resourcefulness in the escape. All eight were awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

(In the letter which accompanied this article, Captain Crowley points out the significance of the information that was heretofore unknown that Balabac Strait was mined. How many boats might have been saved by a decision to close Balabac to traffic bound for the South China Sea?

Finally, I want to pay tribute to the gallant shipmates who gave their lives in FLIER as well as those in the other fifty-one boats that are "still on patrol.)