Witness History The British oil tanker sunk in Indonesia
Oct 20, 2025
Joseph McCorry, a former Merchant Navy utility hand, shares a gripping firsthand account of the 1958 bombing of the British oil tanker SS San Flaviano in Balikpapan, Indonesia. He recounts being ordered to paint Union Jacks on deck to deter local unrest, the chaos during the attack, and the scramble to evacuate as a bomb struck the ship. Megan Jones investigates CIA involvement and unearths declassified documents, revealing the covert support for rebels. McCorry also reflects on how that fateful day shaped his life and career.
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Bombing Of The San Flaviano
- Joseph McCorry describes painting Union Jacks on San Flaviano and witnessing a plane drop a bomb on the ship.
- He escaped by grabbing a lowering lifeboat and later learned his cabin area was where the bomb hit.
US Covert Support In Outer Islands
- Declassified records and a book link CIA air operations to Borneo actions during the 1957–58 rebellion.
- Documents show the US approved covert actions supporting dissidents in the outer islands starting March 1957.
Evidence Versus Official Silence
- Contemporary newspaper reports and New York Times research tied the B-26 raids to the sinking of the British tanker.
- The CIA declined to comment but files and press link the agency to authorised aid for rebels.
