大象传媒

This story was submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Ric Ellam, who is President of the HMS Bonaventure Association. Ric Ellam fully understands the house rules.

There she is, over there in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Here I am on Circular Quay awaiting the Bonaventure鈥檚 boat to take me on board, along with all my worldly goods. Kitbag, hammock, Pusser鈥檚 (RN) suitcase and small attach茅 case. The tide was out and the motorboat clung onto the rope ladder dangling from the quayside with a boathook, rising and falling with the incoming tide鈥檚 lively motion.

鈥極kay, chuck it down鈥� ordered the helmsman, a Killick seaman; leading seaman to the landlubbers amongst you. The kitbag was first and it landed squarely in the arms of the seaman waiting to catch it. Both he, and the kitbag, disappeared over the side of the boat. I shouldn鈥檛 have dropped it so fast I was told. How fast can you drop something when told to 鈥榗huck it down鈥�! Not a good start to my becoming part of the crew of the Bonaventure. Once we were all shipshape again within the confines of the motor boat; dripping sailor, dripping kitbag, dry hammock, cases, and me, off we steered towards my first seagoing ship as proper crew.

Using the port side gangway I was left, high and dry, on the bottom platform with all my trappings around me. I lugged my cases up onto the quarterdeck, dropped the case carried in right hand and saluted, then left them with a stoker who happened to be standing there and went back down the gangway to struggle up it with my hammock first then my kitbag which was still soaked.

Whilst I鈥檇 been busy getting my kit aboard, a sparker had been sent for to help carry my gear to 23 Mess. This was where I was to be domiciled for the next 20 months or so, when the Bonaventure paid off, and then returned to the UK.

Leading Telegraphist Ross greeted me with 鈥業 wonder who you are relieving?鈥� Most of the radio operators in the mess reckoned I was due to relieve 鈥榟im鈥� personally. They were the H.O鈥檚, hostilities only, personnel. And why should I be relieving one of them?鈥� The WW11 VJ (Victory in Japan) happened a couple of weeks back and ALL the H.O.鈥檚 thought they were now entitled to go back home for demobilisation (demob).

Officially the War was over and the midget submarines were disposed of along with all their maintenance equipment. Now the world had to be put to rights beginning with transporting VAD鈥檚. (Voluntary Aid Detachment) (We nicknamed them Virgins Awaiting Destruction)to man the hospital on the hill at Hong Kong, then ship a company of Ghurkas from Singapore to Kure, in Japan, along with a troop of ENSA entertainers bound for Hong Kong.

The voyage from Sydney to Hong Kong via Brisbane, Townsville and, with careful navigation, taking in the beauty of, The Great Barrier Reef, was very exciting and enlightening for yours truly. Captain W R Fell CBE DSC, our skipper, was a New Zealander and a very knowledgeable submariner. What he didn鈥檛 know about a submarine and X-craft was not worth knowing. All the crew admired his efficiency. When he said 鈥榡ump鈥� we all needed to know 鈥楬ow high?鈥� The VAD鈥檚 were housed in the officers鈥� quarters, all fell for Fell, and other officers too of course. The Radio Room had a porthole opening onto the promenade deck just below the bridge. That deck became 'cuddles corner' and with lights dimmed, porthole open, we sparkers inside the darkened office were privy to the many chat up lines given by both sides of the sexes.

Our Chief Telegraphist who had recently married an officer WREN based at Sydney had asked her to pack a large green case with his belongings and ship them out to Hong Kong on the then Flagship HMS Bermuda which arrived there whilst we were berthed alongside the Dockyard providing it with electrical power which had been cut off at the power station. I was detailed to collect the case from the Chief Telegraphist aboard HMS Bermuda who had been requested to make the delivery.

The Bonaventure鈥檚 boat鈥檚 crew motored me out to the Flagship moored in the harbour. An officer, with telescope, signalled us to approach and our coxswain shouted to me to 鈥榡ump aboard鈥� so I did as ordered, landing squarely on the lower platform of the long, seemingly never-ending gangway up to the quarterdeck, whilst the motor boat carried on. Steering around in circles waiting to take me, and case back to the HMS Bonaventure.

鈥楧oesn鈥檛 your boat鈥檚 crew know the boat鈥檚 drill?鈥� was the greeting I was met with from a Midshipman, also in charge of a telescope, at the top of the gangway. 鈥業鈥檝e got no idea鈥� was my prompt reply 鈥� after saluting of course. I was referred to the Duty Officer, a two-ringed Lieutenant, who pointed out that social calls were expected to take place during the afternoon watch 鈥� between noon and 1600 hours - not at 1000 hrs in the morning, and then he ordered me to report to the Royal Marine on Quarterdeck duty. After a telephone call was made a sparker came up from below decks and herded me down three of them to the after transmitting room.

I was amazed at the size of it, compared with the one I manned on the Bonaventure. In one corner there was a green trunk not case as I had been led to believe. Stood on end it was nearly as tall as me and I am just 5鈥�6鈥�.

With the help of a rating wearing overalls I was helped up the three flights of stairs onto the upper deck where the rating with overalls left me 鈥� he was not allowed onto the quarterdeck in overalls apparently. So, I could do nothing else but pull the green trunk along the deck, which had just been scrubbed, and onto the quarterdeck to await my transport to be signalled in to pick me up. The word gob-smacked was not in the dictionary at the time of this event but if it had have been then the whole of the Quarterdeck Staff were just that. It appears that the tracks made by the trunk being pulled along the deck was a punishable offence in the first place, and in the second place they were made by a sparker who was not entitled to be aboard at that time of day on a social call and whose boat鈥檚 crew did not know their boat鈥檚 drill.

My name, rank 鈥� which was obvious 鈥� and ship were made a note of then the Officer of the Watch waved the Bonaventure motor boat in. In the meantime I was told, in no uncertain terms, to get 鈥榯hat thing鈥� down the gangway and wait for the boat to come alongside.

I bounced the massive trunk down the steps of the gangway stopping for a rest half way, on the mid-way platform, and looked upwards towards a voice that was shouting orders at me. I then looked forward and sighted the Green Barge, which was the Admiral鈥檚 Barge, gliding round the fore end and preparing to come alongside right where I was going to stand, with trunk, on the lower platform 鈥� I did not intend struggling upward and back on board the Bermuda. My motor boat had been frantically waved off; leaving me to face whatever music going to be played. I do know for sure that the Green Barge boat鈥檚 crew knew their boats' drill. I all but got hooked off the platform.

There was I resplendent in my tropical rig, with shorts, standing, saluting and gazing straight at the Commander in Chief, British Pacific Fleet. All sorts of signs were being made at me by a Captain, a Commander, a lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, a Sub Lieutenant and, finally, a Midshipman who were all part of the Commander in Chief鈥檚 party. But that made no difference to my rigid stance, which included salute.

Eventually it seemed like hours but must have been less than a minute, they all sidled past me and I am sure the Admiral had a grin on his face. When the end of the line edged passed me, the Sub Lieutenant, my name, rank and ship were made a note of yet again. Aren鈥檛 I doing well? The Green Barge pushed off and my boat was waved in, yet again. This time it managed to do a sloppy boat鈥檚 drill because it had to stop so that I could manhandle the trunk on board. You should have heard the boat鈥檚 crew sniggering and betting how many days stoppage of pay and privileges I was due for once I got back on board Bonaventure.

Captain Fell鈥檚 cabin was next door to the Radio room so I did not have far to go when he called me to his office. 鈥業鈥檝e received a signal from HMS Bermuda informing me that you have been waylaying Admirals on gangways Ellam!鈥� 鈥極nly one Admiral and one gangway Sir鈥� was my timid retort. 鈥楾he signal states that disciplinary action must be taken鈥�. 鈥榊es Sir鈥�. He then handed me a signal sheet with 鈥榊our 201130z. Disciplinary action has been taken鈥� written on it. 鈥楬ere you are Ellam. Send it to Bermuda personally 鈥� and that鈥檚 your punishment. Glad somebody now knows that HMS Bonaventure is in Hong Kong.

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