A small but deep TC crossed the coast south of Cooktown after incidents with ships off Port Douglas. Before landfall a ship 195 km ESE of Cooktown at 10am 17th reported a pressure of 978 hPa and 80 knot winds.

A Netherlands Merchant ship, the Sibigo, which escaped to Perth before the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies became attached to the Allied shipping pool and made many trips between Australia and New Guinea. As the cyclone approached the coast the Sibigo was bashed by huge seas and developed engine trouble and could only steer into the wind.

Seas broke right over the top of the vessel. At 5.30 pm Friday 16 March 1945 the Captain gave the order to abandon ship and minutes later the Sibigo sunk. Extensive air and sea searches rescued 13 of the 85 crew though 72 seaman were lost at sea. Two ships heard the Sibigos S.O.S, and one ship got within 30 nm of her but could not get much closer and by 6am Saturday 17 March 1945 the bar was dropping and the wind reached 80 to 100 knots.

The captain stated it was impossible to see the sea from the bridge as the air was full of spray and spume. This ship just made in back to port with little fuel left. Shipping damage included the wrecking of a a ketch. Details of the coastal affects of the cyclone are sketchy due to the large war coverage in the press at the time and communication from Cairns northwards was lost.

A Bureau report mentions ?Storm damage at Mossman on the 17th. There were widespread floods in N Qld.up to Cooktown with 4 rail bridges under water between Cairns and Innisfail. In Cairns the wind uprooted trees. High seas and winds destroyed part of the jetty at Green Island while a mine floated ashore at the Island and exploded causing damage there. A beacon in Grafton Passage was washed away.

Rockhampton Regional Council in partnership with the Queensland a…