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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Bad feeling between two great War Ships

by witnessblackwater

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Archive List > Royal Navy

Contributed by听
witnessblackwater
People in story:听
Boy Seaman R.H.Skillin, Vice Admiral Rawlings and Admiral if the Fleet Fraser
Location of story:听
Sydney Harbour,Australia
Background to story:听
Royal Navy
Article ID:听
A5912174
Contributed on:听
26 September 2005

This story takes place in Sydney Harbour, the battleships involved are H.M.S. King George 'V' and H.M.S. Duke of York.
Just prior to the end of the war The K.G.V was engaged in the bombardment of the Japanese coast, which was received some resistant from Japan United States warships were also engaged in the action.

The bad feeling betwen these to ships arose because Admiral Faser,on the Duke of York led the fleet onto Tokyo harbour for the surrender of Japan and Admiral Rawlings came in at the rear of the fleet. The ships company of the K.G.V felt that they had been in the action they should have led the fleet into Tokyo harbour not the Duke of York.

Admiral Fraser on hearing of this discontent desided that he would come aboard K.G.V. and explain his reasons . So on a particular morning all hands we called to on the Quarter deck Of the K.G.V. As Admiral Fraser
was piped aboard the assembled ships company hissed and whisled and it was obvios that he was aware of the feeling of the men. He explained the the reason he was in Australia during the action in Japanese waters he was arranging that the supplies were being delivered to the fleet in Japan. This was not accepted by the crew and he got the same treatment when he left the ship.

A few weeks later the K.G.V. was to leave Sydney and go to Melbourne on a goodwill visit by this time Admiral Fraser had taken his flag to a shore base, thus leaving th K.G.V the senior ship.

As we sailed out of Sydney harbour with the Royal Marine band playing on the quarter deck we had to pass the stern of the Duke of York, as we did so the tanoy on the Duke of York piped "Attention on the upper deck face aft" With that the band master cut the music the band was playing, and struck up with "Colnel Bogey" i.e. 'B*** and the same to you' with that the ships company who lined up for leaving harbour shouted there delight. This made thier day and we went onto Melbourn and had a wonderful time.

We later returned to Sydney I left the ship to jion H.M.S.Bermuda.and the K.G.V. returned to the U.K. bringing home the Duke of Glouster who had been the Govener of Australia. I went back th Japan on the Beremuda visiting both the atom bomb cities and eventually returnd to Hong Kong for a small refit, but a caught pleursey and came home the hopital ships Empire Clyde and Somersetshre, I got invalided out of the navy, but evenually jioned Essex Police and served them for 26 years.

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