大象传媒

On the 22nd May we left to join the Far East Fleet in company with other Carriers and Escorts, passing through the Suez Canal, where Army lads shouted 鈥� Where have you been, they鈥檙e waiting for you out east.
On 13th June we arrived at Madras, India, where our aircraft markings were altered, as the Americans tended to mistake the British Roundels with the Japanese red sun ensignia.

After calls at Columbo and Trincomalee in Ceylon, we set off for Australia, 鈥淐rossing the Line鈥� on July 9th. Then onto the 鈥榝leshpots鈥� of Sydney. After years of rationing, I recall a canteen in the dockyard at Garden Island where we could buy creamcakes and bottles of cold milk 鈥� bliss!

The ship was docked, our A.A. armament updated and extra power operated close guns fitted.
Then the Atomic Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and shortly after the War in the Far East was over. V.J.Day.
The following day in company with our sister ship H.M.S Vengeance, the Fleet Carrier Indomitable, plus Cruisers, Destroyers, Tankers etc. We left Sydney surrounded by hundreds of small boats with gorgeous girls waving farewell. We were to re-claim Hong Kong before the Chinese Communist鈥檚 arrived.

On the way we called at Manus and then Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines on August 22nd (my 21st birthday) . There I saw the greatest Armada of Warships and troop transports I could ever imagine.

Soon we were off again arriving off the shores of Hong Kong on August 28th. We went to 鈥楢ction Stations鈥� in case of Japanese reaction. Aircraft were flown off to check for any opposition, especially as later Japanese Kamikazi high speed motor boats were found ashore. #

First a ship was sent in to check, especially as the entrance channel is narrow and the sides of the land steep.
On Sept 3rd we entered and all the Fleet sailed in. Royal Marines and Naval landing parties from the assembled ships went ashore to take over from the Japanese. Admiral Harcourt became C in C and Governor . The Union Jack was raised once again over Government House ( I have a Japanese flag which I found there).

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of John Frank Redvers Finch and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

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