´óÏó´«Ã½

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jan Bedford of Kent County Walter Hagan and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions

´óÏó´«Ã½ People’s War - Madginford Library Wednesday 21st July 2004

Mr Walter Hagan

Our voyage south in May coincided with the end of the war in Europe. We became aware of this as we were passing through the Coral Sea, north-east of Australia. The Captain ordered that all the ship’s guns be fired in celebration and that an effigy of Hitler be launched from the catapult. The order was also give to ‘Splice the Main Brace’, which meant that all the crew take a dose of Pusser’s Rum to help the celebrations. The wardroom were not normally participants in the daily rum tot, but VE Day was an exception, so I had my first tot of naval rum. Whilst in training, before being commissioned, I had not been eligible for the rum tot. My second and last splice of the main brace was later, on VJ Day. Our celebrations, in the Coral Sea, with gunfire were spotted by an American reconnaissance aircraft, which reported that a naval battle was in progress in the Coral Sea. No doubt the Captain was able to justify his activities where needed.

As we approached Southern Australia we flew off to R.N.A.S. Nowra again. The ship docked in Sydney before returning to U.K. for further repairs to the centre propeller shaft. The squadron was given leave in Sydney. After this we of the aircrew were sent to Canungra, a jungle training centre in Queensland, for an 'escape and evasion’ course, in case we were forced down in enemy territory in the next spell of operations. Whilst at Canungra I developed tonsillitis and was confined to sick bay for two weeks or so, whilst the rest of the squadron experienced a commando-type training. One member of the squadron, my friend Peter Cave, a pilot, injured himself during the course, so he joined me in sick bay. At the end of the course Peter and I were given sick leave on return to Nowra. We took ourselves off to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, north of Sydney, and had an enjoyable two weeks exploring the area.

On return to Nowra, the squadron was given a new objective to train for in our next series of operations. During the Okinawa campaign we found that our attacks on airfields in Sakashima had limited kamikaze operations, but had not erased them completely, because the holes we made in runways by bombing during daylight hours were filled in by the Japanese during the night. Accordingly, it was decided that we, in 854 Squadron, should work up as a night intruder squadron. This meant that our flying operations at Nowra took place in the hours of darkness as well as by day. We were also equipped with more advanced aircraft, Avengers mark TBM 3, as opposed to our older mark TBFI and II aircraft. The TBM 3s had the advanced radar ASH, showing map-like pictures on the screen, instead of straight lines.

We continued our preparations until, in August 1945, the Americans dropped the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan and the Japanese surrendered. Our flying operations were immediately suspended and 854 squadron aircrew were transported to a remote beach area near Jarvis Bay, south of Sydney, where we camped and relaxed for a few days. On our return to Nowra we were briefed that a Victory Air Pageant was to take place at Essendon Airport near Melbourne on the 1st September and that a flight from our squadron along with flights from other squadrons from our fleet carriers were to take part. We were the chosen flight and flew down to Point Cook R.A.A.F Station near Essendon on 29th August. Here we practised formation flying, attacks from our fighters, dive-bombing and dummy deck-landings. The actual display took place on the 1st September. We returned to Nowra on 3rd September. Here we resumed our working-up practices until the middle of October, but with no indication of what our future role would be.

In October we were instructed to abandon our aircraft and to return to the U.K. on the liner Stratheden, which was carrying British nationals, mostly children, who had been evacuated to Australia during the bombing at home. We later learned that our aircraft, which were on lend lease from America, and for which we had no further use, nor did the Americans want them back, were to be dumped in the ocean, off Brisbane. On 25th October, H.M.T. Stratheden sailed from the Sydney Heads and headed homewards. We called into Bombay and spent a few days there before continuing to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, arriving at Southampton on December the third.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.