大象传媒

APRIL 1945 鈥� APRIL 1946
The following are the excerpts from the wartime diary of P/JX 380709 A/LS A.B. John Dolphin
All dates are first arrival.

April 1st 1945 鈥淥KINAWA CAMPAING RYUKYU ISLANDS鈥� South of Japan
Cloudy and Sunny
April Fools day 1945: Code Name 鈥淚CEBERG ONE鈥�
The 鈥楤IG SHOW鈥� of the Pacific and it was all American for this last landing on the doorstep of 鈥淛APAN鈥�. INVASION of 鈥淥KINAWA鈥� it took three months to capture it, they had 50,000 Jap troops on the Island.

We the B.P.F. at the same time, were off 鈥淪AKISHIMA ISLANDS鈥� and 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� to draw the fire away from the 鈥楤IG LANDING鈥� in the North.

We were to Air Strike, Bombard, and draw anything out at us, sure enough after a few hours they came, that was the B.P.Fs. roll.,We were known as 鈥楾ask Force 57鈥�.

OFF 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� South China Seas. Cloudy and Sunny.
The 鈥楬EAVIES were right in there Bombarding Jap Airfields on 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� while 8 Destroyers (we were one of the 8) escorted 4 Fleet Carriers over the horizon out of sight of land. All the carriers had their aircraft (Avengers and Corsairs) off on Air Strikes and Bombing missions on 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� and 鈥淪AKISHIMA ISLANDS鈥�.

We got the signal from the C-in-C Carrier 鈥� 鈥楤OGIES鈥� at 180 deg鈥�. (BOGIES on RADAR 鈥� unidentified aircraft. The 鈥楤OGIES鈥� turned out to be Jap Suicide planes coming in for us on our stern. The 4 Carriers were sitting ducks in the escorts centre (鈥淰ICTORIOUS, ILLUSTRIOUS, INDOMITABLE and INDIFATIGABLE鈥�).

The Guns on every ship opened up at them as they came through the clouds at the Carriers. First, one ball of fire on a steel deck then one going right into the sea, others exploding in their dive down from the short range weapons. The Carriers have been struck by them. 鈥淚LLUSTRIOUS鈥� and 鈥淚NDOMITABLE鈥� their decks are dented only on the point of impact. That鈥檚 all (this time).

Jap planes mostly 鈥榋EKES (Bettys and Sallys) what was left of them on the flight deck are dragged and pushed over the side and the pilots swept and scraped up off the deck.

The Destroyer 鈥淯LSTER鈥� was the only Destroyer to be hit with a 鈥楰AMI鈥�. She got hit on her iron deck above her boiler room, but did not sink.

These 鈥楰AMAKAZES can only be stopped from hitting any ship by exploding its petrol tanks on its dive down. It is thrown off course by the blast form the fire in its tanks.

The decks of the Carriers are now cleared for the return of their strike planes and all ships guns have cleared away empty shell cases and stored up their 鈥楢MMO鈥� in lockers and around the gun racks for the next attack.

For the past 31 days it has been strike rest, strike rest routine.

April 12th 1945
US 鈥淧RESIDENT ROOSEVELT鈥� DIED, ALL THE fleet have their flags at half mast while at sea. He died with victory in sight.

April 28th 1945 鈥淟EYTE鈥� SAMR ISLANDS, PHILIPPINES Perfect.
鈥楩LEET TRAIN鈥�. All the B.P. F. have performed off 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� abd have gone to rendezvous with the other 鈥楤RITISH TASK FORCE鈥� that was out of sight of the Fleet at all times. ALWAYS there when we wanted it. It was a Fleet Oil Tankers and provision ships with their Destroyers and on Carrier Escort.

All ships topped up we set sail for 鈥淟EYTE鈥� harbour for a rest period of 6 days granted by the Admiralty. For the very first time in the 鈥楻OYAL NAVY鈥� history 1 bottle of beer per man must be drank on the upper deck 1800 Hrs each evening.

I had bought a leather belt, sheath and 8鈥� blade in 鈥淪YDNEY鈥� bearing in mind sinking 鈥� for sharks. While anchored in this harbour the US Navy had a gash barge that came alongside each ship. I threw a cardboard box over our side this evening when I heard 鈥淒olphin get over the side and sink that box鈥� I did and lost my knife in this 鈥楴O SWIMMING ALLOWED鈥� HARBOUR (SHARKS).

It was in this harbour we heard for the first time songs 鈥淒on鈥檛 Fence Me In鈥� and 鈥淐lang Clang Clang went the trolley鈥� on 鈥淰OKE OF LEYTE鈥�.
American supply ships are in here with us, we are exchanging British for American, I handed over my 鈥淩OYAL NAVY鈥� knife with lanyard to a Yankee crew member
For new US Navy PX blue shirt and four pocket jeans. He may still have it with my name stamped on it in steel.

鈥淨UEENBOROUGH鈥� lucky again we are alongside a big supply ship and every evening we鈥檙e over there watching their movies and more than one bottle a day for us.

May 4th 鈥淏ATAN and SAKISHIMA ISLANDS Cloudy.
鈥業CEBERG TWO鈥� Fleet now at sea again in the same formation (see below), outside screen of 26 Destroyers, 7 Cruisers inside leading Battleships, right in the centre 4 Fleet Carriers, but this time we have a replacement. The 鈥淔ORMIDABLE鈥� has replaced the 鈥淚LLUSTRIOUS鈥� returned to the 鈥淯K鈥� via 鈥淪YDNEY鈥� and 鈥淐APE TOWN鈥�

While on our way to 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� and 鈥淪AKISHAMA鈥� again, we are in between the above mentioned Islands when again the 鈥楤OGIES鈥� alert.

They are 鈥楰AMIKAZES鈥� again coming in from the Fleets Stern Quarters. They are using the clouds for cover to get over the Fleet, the clouds are just enough apart from each other for the Jap pilots to pick out his ship he will try and commit suicide on. All eyes looking up at them as they (about 6 or 8) hop over from cloud to cloud. The Ships at the rear end of the Fleet opened up with their Guns first, Now most of the Fleet.

The Kates, Sallys, and Betttys (these are the English nicknames for the Jap planes) but mostly 鈥榋EROs鈥� , 鈥榋EKES鈥� and 鈥楴AKAJIMA鈥� (NAKAS) they have started their death dive towards the Ship they have picked out to die on.

The sky is peppered with the Ships鈥� flak and the sea with white splashes, the four Carriers have been hit. The Battleship ahead of the Carriers 鈥淗MS KING GEORGE V鈥� had one coming for its bridge when all at once it exploded in mid air crashing over its bows. KGV Guns had only one plane to shoot at only.

鈥淗MS FORMIDABLE鈥� came off the worse, the one that got her did not bounce off her deck in a ball of fire like the other three. This Jap came down at her and changed his mind at the last minute, pulled out of his dive, turned ahead of the ship then with a wide berth of the Ship he turned and dived for the bridge.

All this time the Guns were blazing away at him still, on the Gunners second chance they still could not blow him up. He came in at the bridge at such an angle that it was impossible for him to bounce over the side. Like his Jap comrades he not only hit and set fire to the bridge but released a bomb just before crashing. This bomb (500lb) penetrated the deck under the 鈥淏RIDGE ISLAND鈥� (see below) on its way down .

It buckled a hanger fire curtain sliced a large steam pipe, filling the centre boiler room with high pressure steam. This then made the ship drop her speed down from 30 knots to 18 knots, also making her funnel give out volumes of black smoke and a thin white streamer of escaping steam.

All this time the deck around the Island was one big hot fire, the Japs hade seen to that on hitting up against the Islands plates, also taking the Carriers own planes that were near the bridge Island, their tanks too were set alight.

After a few hours the 鈥淔ORMIDABLE鈥� was patched up with rapid hardening cement and ready to take on her own returning strike Aircraft at speed.

The 鈥楢MERICAN COs鈥� of their carrier fleets could not understand why our carriers after being hit could be back in action so quickly.

SIGNAL 鈥� You don鈥檛 know how to build Fords, but you sure know how to build Carriers.
REPLY - Thank you Admiral, Yes we knew how to build Carriers when you thought up the Ford assembly line, and that sure goes way back.

May 20th 1945 CREW DUE FOR LEAVE OFF FORMOSA Perfect.

Our Time Is Up 鈥� (UK to OKINAWA 2 YEARS)
We (鈥淭he QUEENBOROUGH鈥�) have been ordered to leave the Fleet off 鈥淔ORMOSA鈥� to take back to 鈥淪YDNEY鈥�, the repair carrier 鈥淯NICORN鈥�.
She was with the supply Fleet we are taking the hit Carriers dead back on her. We have refuelled alongside 鈥淯NICORN鈥� and now it is non-stop until we reach 鈥淪YDNEY HEADS鈥� we pass the 鈥淧HILIPPINES鈥�, 鈥淢ARIANAS鈥�, 鈥淐AROLINES鈥�, 鈥淣EW GUINEA鈥�, 鈥淪OLOMONS鈥� and into the 鈥淐ORAL SEA鈥�, to pass through the 鈥淕REAT BARRIER REEF鈥� at a charted channel then follow the Coast down to 鈥淪YDNEY鈥� from 鈥淐OOKTOWN COCKATOO鈥� Jetty.

Thanks again to God we were out of a danger zone unmarked.

June 16th 1945 11 鈥極鈥� Clock FOR ME THIS IS THE DAY THE WAR ENDED.
鈥淗MS QUEENBOROUGH鈥� IS PAID OFF in harbour (GOODBYE QUEENY) and is now to join the Australian Navy. The crew is to await UK Draft. I spend my 21st birthday on a racecourse 鈥淗MS GOLDEN HIND鈥� (Transit Camp Warrwick Farm).

We are all having our last fling in the land of plenty knowing that we sail for home at any time, via the 鈥淧ACIFIC鈥� and 鈥淎TLANTIC鈥� (buzz) thus completing 鈥淎round The World鈥� West to East.

1945 PACIFIC UK 1946
SYDNEY TO PORTSMOUTH

June 30th By electric car from 鈥淪YDNEY鈥�
July 1st Troopship waiting in 鈥淢ELBOURNE鈥�
(SS 鈥淒OMINION MONARCH鈥� 27,155 tons)
July 19th Eight hours leave in 鈥淧ANAMA CITY鈥�
July 22nd More to pick up in 鈥淭RINIDAD鈥�
August 2nd Arrived Prince鈥檚 Pier 鈥淟IVERPOOOL鈥�
August 3rd Arrived RNB 鈥淧ORTSMOUTH鈥�
July 16th First 鈥楢鈥� Bomb test
From there 36 days leave long foreign service leave, while on this leave at home the two 鈥楢鈥� Bombs were dropped and VJ Day came from them LADS WE LEFT OUT THERE.
April 19th 1946 DEMOBBED

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