HMS Banka was a British minesweeper which was officially sunk on 9 December 1941 (but in reality probably the night of the 7 December 1941)[citation needed] by a mine off the coast of Malaysia. Its crew of four British officers and 40 Malays all died with the exception of six Malay crew.
HMS Banka's final resting position is at 57m, 12 nm NE of Tioman Is. near the two sunken Dutch submarines (O 16 and K XVII) on the same mine line laid by Japanese ship Tatsumiya Maru. On 6 December 1941 IJN Minelayer Tatsumiya Maru laid a line of 456 mines from North of Tioman to the Anambas Islands.
She most likely struck the mine on the night of 7 December, just one day after the field was laid. As she was recalled (from East Malay coast) on 6 December and was overdue in Singapore on 9 December. According to the survivor accounts it was dark at the time of the explosion.
Crew
Name
Position
Age
Official Date of Death
cross reference multiple sources
1
Arthur Earnest Stephenson
Temp. Lieut. RNR (Captain)
40
10 December 1941
Y
2
J.R. Smith
Temp. Lieut. RNR (Engineer)
53
10 December 1941
Y
3
R.E. Scales
S/Lieut. SS RNVR (explosives — New Zealand miner based in Malaysia)
