大象传媒

H.M.S. Volage having been first ship into Penang with Vice Admiral Walker on board for the surrender of Japanese forces in that area. Had for a month stayed alongside wharf acting as wireless ship, now relieve by Military Signals Reg鈥檛s.

Proceeding to sea, destination Trincomalee home port, as now at peace time routine at sea. Bridge, Wheel house, Radar, Stokers only working watch keeping of four hours on, eight off. Rest of crew on working mornings only in tropical areas.

Our first call was back to Steward Sound, North Adamans Isle, to pay a visit where on the 19th March 1945; we saw against superior guns and were lucky that all three destroyers got back to sea and safety, having been fired on by our late enemy the Japanese.

In my separate writing re that incident, how three British destroyers H.M.S. Saumarez, H.M.S. Volage and H.M.S. Rapid proceeded to sweep the Nicobar and Adaman Isle for Jap shipping.

H.M.S. Saumarez, Captain D Manley Power entered into the Stewart Sound, passing two bluffs, found only a mechanised lighter which they sank. Captain D calling Rapid and Volage into the Sound, Rapid on rounding the first bluff, came under fire from hostile guns mounted up on the hillside of the Sound, and was soon damaged and stopped in the water.

Saumarez having turned 180掳 came to Rapid鈥檚 rescue; Captain D put Saumarez alongside Rapid, shielding his ship by placing Rapid between his ship and hostile guns. Another salvo from shore guns did further damage to Rapid.

Us on Volage rounded the bluff and powered past both destroyers, laying a smoke screen to hide the ships, which meant that Volage placed herself highly visible to enemy observation.

Volage was soon hit by hostile guns and steering out of control, while turning secondary steering connected, we found safety in our smoke screen and followed Saumarez towing Rapid, out of the Sound and to safety of the open sea. With repairs to Rapid, all three ships sail away.

Proceeding into Steward Sound on return visit, Volage anchored, a party of Officers, Gunnery Director Crew, also three members of our 4 x 4.7鈥� guns, went ashore on the ship鈥檚 motor boat on a fact finding mission.

On returning, told us there was three 6鈥� (150mm) guns of Vickers British manufacture, instead of only one gun as previously thought.

60 years on, I interviewed an ex Stoker, Charlie Howells of the motor boat crew on that fact finding party. His memory was that the crew took the motor boat to some steps that lead up the steep hillside, the steps were wide, deep, the support for each one by a tree trunk.

There were a considerable number of steps going up to the first gun. As six months had passed since our last visit, the place was overgrown and they couldn鈥檛 estimate when the gun site had been abandoned. No sign of human habitation could be seen, vegetation could be hiding gun control position, living huts could be away from the guns. Others of the shore party climbed higher up the steps to find two more guns of the same calibre.

Charlie said that he didn鈥檛 go up to the other two guns, he was interested in the view from up there of the Sound. He could see that the gun positions looked down, giving the gunner a wide firing range.

The guns were mounted on a concrete platform, which sloped them to depress low enough to fire the whole width of the Sound. So depressed would have to raise barrels to reload. On the day of the action on 19th March 1945, Eric Gates gun layer of A gun on Volage, shouted out 鈥淕uns on shore, barrels are being raised for loading鈥�.

Charlie鈥檚 recollections on looking down from the gun site, considered Volage at anchor, made a good target, which must have been the same for Jap gunners on March 19th firing down, first on H.M.S. Rapid and then H.M.S. Volage.

The shore party boarded the motor boat and proceeded back to Volage without investigating around second bluff to see lighter sunk by Saumarez had been raised or not.

Captain Commander L G Durlacer was awarded the D.S.C. Two of Volage ships crew received the D. S.M. with one a mention in despatches.

On reaching Trinco a Commander Smith came aboard to relieve Commander Durlacer, who had been Captain of Volage since commissioning in May 1944, some 15 months.

A short time in Trinco, Volage was sailing in company of H.M.S. Verulam to Calcutta, India to show the flag.

Sailing up the Hoogli River, Verulam astern of Volage, a tributary of the River Ganges Delta, the water of a deep brown silt all the way down from the Himalayas. Myself always interested in viewing new horizons. A sight of a hayrick coming down the river to meet us, coming closer I could see a wooden boat underneath with about 18鈥� free board.

Tying up on the wharf near the Howgarth Road and Rail Bridge, Verulam astern. Local English newspaper, plus S.E.A.C. (South East Asia Command) forces newspaper reporters came aboard, interviewing the Captain and ships company about our war experiences and taking photos of us. Interested to read about ourselves on publication the next day.

An invitation came aboard for some of the ship鈥檚 company each day whilst alongside to go to a gentlemen鈥檚 club for swimming in the pool, beer and lunch.

With runs ashore, about Calcutta, I walked over the Howgarth Bridge looking down on Volage, went shopping for items to take back 鈥淗OME鈥�, when. We could go to a cinema which has walls and no roof, it didn鈥檛 rain that evening.

We had an invitation to go to R.A.F. Dum Dum Aerodrome, about twenty of us went, we took off in a Dakota transport plane. Looking down on the local scene flat delta, plus flying over Howgarth Bridge and Volage and Verulam, both seemed small from two thousand feet. We each took over flying the plane for three minutes, there were many comments about each shipmates piloting when coming back from the pilots cabin.

Open Day on board for R.A.F And Army personnel, plus W.A.F.F. and A.T.S. The whole ship鈥檚 company volunteering to act as hosts for the girls.

Duty of showing the flat executed, we sailed back to old Trinco. I even had to do a duty up at the wheel house for morning watch, 0400 to 0800 hrs, which came hard these days on board for peace time routine.

Back at Trincomalee, days followed days, with plenty of swimming in the afternoon, plus playing water polo. Swimming one day from the stern of the Volage, we noticed the film actor George Formby was being entertained by Officers of H.M.S. Verulam, on her foc鈥檚le. We shouted to him to come and join us swimming, he said he would but of course he never did.

We were called to do duty down in the shell room, myself and others, to move some 4.7 shells (56lbs) up to a higher shelf. Being tall my job was to place the shells on that shelf. Two days later I had to report to the Doctor, who confirmed that I had a hernia and would need an operation.

A buzz going around the ship that Volage was going home to Portsmouth, back to UK. Wonderful news, but not for us younger ratings, we were to give up our places on board to other seamen who had served longer out East.

The war over, first in first out to be executed. About twenty of us, we were a bit peeved at the thought that Volage had been our ship, commissioned her and taken Volage to war through great endurances of action and duty, and horrendous seas that King Neptune could throw at us.

The day came that we packed our kit bags, first time for fifteen months, other than taking them to Assigii Camp in Durban, South Africa, when Volage had a refit. Some are going to other ships, my mate Eric Gates a draft to H.M.S. Wolwich a depot ship. He had been in the R.N. for four years, but signed on for seven years, five years reserve.

Ten shipmates boarded the motor boat, myself included to go ashore destination H.M.S. Bambara, a Fleet Arm Air Base and part of R.N. Trinco.

Ex A B Lofty John Mills.

No more.
For the next chapter in John's story go to: A8888115

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