Historical information

The British Phosphate Commissioners (BPC) was a board of Australian, British, and New Zealand representatives who managed extraction of phosphate from Christmas Island, Nauru, and Banaba (Ocean Island) from 1920 until 1981.
Captain S.G. Ellams Walter Harbord (Wal or Wally) (b.1923 in Brisbane-d.), master mariner in the Merchant Navy on British Phosphate Commission ships.

George Garrett Kitching (1926 - 2005) was second mate on the following ships onboard which he records the events:
MV Gorgon : 5-12-46 to16-1-48
SS Titan: 25-1-49 to 16-6-49
MV Orestes: 5-8-49 to 22-9-50
MV Astyanax: 28-4-51 to 7-5-51 (Coasting)
MV Trienza: 8-4-53 to 9-10-53

Significance

Walter was interviewed by the Australian at War Film Archive in 2003.
He served on these ships:
SS Corinda
SS Macumba
SS Mildura
SS Nellor
SS Ormiston
SS Reynella