大象传媒

I emigrated to Australia early 1939 when I was 17. I went to a government training farm - it was called Scheyville near Windsor. I trained in farming for a few weeks. After training, the department of employment posted me to Rutherglen Farm. I milked the cows and did general farm labouring. The farm was owned by W.W. Dawson, brother of Peter Dawson.
After a few weeks I walked off the job because I wasn't happy. The department of employment got me another farm job - Ballina Farm near Barmedman. By this time, the Second World War caused me some concern as I was not making a contribution.

I went to Sydney and applied to join the Royal Australian Navy at the Recruitment Depot in Rushcutters Bay. I was told I was too old, which surprised me as I was only 18. I thought it might be possible to get a job on a ship with the object of getting back to England. In the meantime I took temporary employment as a house man at a Guest House called 'Cooimoo' while awaiting a call from the shipping office.

The call eventually came and (having agreed to do anything to get back) I accepted the post of Cabin Boy on a Norwegian Tanker, named Elsa.

I made several trips from Australia to Sumatra and Singapore, taking away stocks of aviation fuel from Singapore to the Dutch East Indies ahead of the advancing Japanese.

On the last of these voyages the Japanese got to Singapore first. We loaded at Sumatra and headed for Batavia, Java (what is now called Jakarta). We were in a convoy of six tankers. Three were sunk and two others were hit by Japanese bombers. We were the slowest ship, but we got through to Batavia unscathed. After unloading the fuel, we set sail for the Persian Gulf via Sundra Strait, arriving at Abadan without incident. After loading fuel we proceeded to Colombo, Madras and then headed for Calcutta. We did not make it. A Japanese task force attacked and we were forced to abandon ship. We took to the life boats but one crew member was killed. We made landfall on the coast of Orissa. The beaches were lined with seafarers (many seriously injured) from other ships that had been sunk on the same day. It is estimated that this Japanese task force accounted for approximately 60 vessels in the Bay of Bengal.

The port of Calcutta was closed by this action and I eventually got to Bombay overland - a 2 day journey.

After a few weeks holed up I managed to get passage on the Dominion Monarch to Sydney, arriving there when the harbour was attacked by Japanese submarines. Amidst all the excitement we managed to berth without damage. I reported back to the Norwegian Consulate who appointed me to a Wil Wilhelmson vessel, which I duly joined in Melbourne. (M.V. Troja)

After several voyages taking supplies to Australian forces in the Middle East I asked the ship owners if I could work a passage back to England. They were quite happy about this and I was transferred to M.V. Tiradentes.

The journey from Sydney to Liverpool took seven months.

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