大象传媒

The next stop was Alexandria. Leave was given for each watch and then we went through the Suez canal to Port Tufick and into the Red Sea. Our next run ashore was Trincomalee in Ceylon. There was nothing to see except a few native shops and a village. In this climate, except for your four hours on watch, it was like a luxury cruise.

We had left the Cocos islands and were just entering the war zone when the first atom bomb was dropped. The second one was dropped the next day and before we reached Fremantle in Western Australia, the war was over.

When we reached Fremantle it was VJ day and we spliced the mainbrace again. There was 48 hours leave for each watch and the lovely city of Perth was only about 8 miles from Fremantle. Orders were then changed and instead of going to Sydney we had to go to Singapore.

Singapore had been badly bombed and shelled by the Japanese before they captured it and they had not bothered with any rebuilding. It had been such a beautiful city in 1941.

There were thousands of Japanese prisoners in Singapore. The airborne troops were in control and gave the prisoners a rough time after seeing the state of our boys.

We had Jeeps latched on to the upper deck and took General Christianson and his staff to Java. We did various jobs among the islands of Java, Sumatra and Singapore. The American fleet called at Singapore on its way home and they were in high spirits; then the British fleet called in on its way home. Before it left, about twenty of us who were due for demob had to change with men from the destroyer Virago and work our passage home.

We went through the Suez canal into the Med and the last stop before the UK was Malta. Excitement was rising now for the men who were to be demobbed. Most of us never thought that we would see the end of the war and we couldn't get home quick enough.

My depot was Devonport and I had to return there to be demobbed, have a medical examination and be kitted out with civilian gear. There was a choice of three cloths for your suit. You had to give back your kitbag and hammock. I was sorry to see my hammock go - it had been my best friend for years. I caught a train from Plymouth to Paddington station then the Underground to King's Cross and the early morning train to the North-East.

On the 50th Anniversary of the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse, a reunion of survivors was held in the Crest Hotel in Liverpool. I met a messmate and we recognised each other at once even though our looks and bodies had altered a lot.

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