Nicholas Martin had a very important role in the Pong Su story, but it’s one he’s never talked publicly about until now. 

Nicholas was a navy clearance diver who boarded the Pong Su with the SAS troops. After clearing the ship for improvised explosive devices, Nicholas took command of the bridge and working with one of the captured North Koreans steered the Pong Su back to Sydney Harbour.

In this interview you’ll also hear about what it’s like to skipper a navy patrol boat in Australia’s northern water at the age of 20, and what it takes to be a clearance diver. 

The Last Voyage of the Pong Su is brought to you by the newsrooms of The Age & Sydney Morning Herald. A new episode of this 10-part series drops on Tuesdays.

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Reporter - Richard Baker (Get in touch: rbaker@theage.com.au )
Executive Producer - Rachael Dexter
Narrative Consultant - Kate Cole-Adams
Consulting Producer - Siobhan McHugh
Music & Composition - Vicki Hansen
Sound design & mixing - John Greenfield
Script translations - Yan Zhuang
Production assistance - Margaret Gordon
Head of Audio - Tom McKendrick