- Contributed by听
- WJ STONEBRIDGE
- People in story:听
- W.J.Stonebridge
- Location of story:听
- Pacific
- Article ID:听
- A3509390
- Contributed on:听
- 11 January 2005
Feeling that having recorded most of our movement previously also the time spent in Australia that I should move on with the Second World War. The war in Europe was over and won. The war in the Pacific had seen the Americans regaining the upper hand pushing the Japanese back closer and closer to Japan. Also, the British were regaining Burma. The nearest island to Japan was under attack by the Americans. The British Pacific Fleet was helping in the Battle for Okinawa. Seems rather strange 57 years later to look at the map of the Ocean so very far away. The then familiar names and islands visited recall memories. Guam, Leyte, Marianas, Eniwetok, Ulithi, Truk, and a few more. The five months from March until August are rather confused memory wise. From Australia at the end of February to the Admiralty Islands. From March until May was involved in the Okinawa engagement. Left the islands to proceed to Sydney then on to Melbourne for refit. Left Melbourne 16th July on to Sydney. Left Sydney for Jervis Bay for trials. Back to Sydney, which we left on The 31st July, and it was rumoured that it was for "a secret job". We proceeded to the island of Manus in company with the battleship 鈥淗.M.S. Duke of York鈥 and the destroyer 鈥樷橦.M.S. Wager鈥. At Manus we were to pick up Sir Bruce Fraser, Chief of the British Pacific Fleet. Then on to Guam to meet Admiral Nimitz C in C American Pacific Fleet. I will write from notes jotted down at the time that they happened in the very remembered August and September 1945.
August 5th 1945
Arrived Manus.
August 7th
Left Manus proceeding to Guam.
August 8th
Received news of the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. Will it bring peace?
August 9th
Russia declares war on Japan. Arrive at Guam Japan consents to peace. August 10th
Went ashore at Guam. Saw Gene Autry and troup also Irvin Berlin鈥檚 鈥淭his Is The Army鈥, show performed in open-air theatres built by the Americans. Also visited one of their canteens. Made very welcome and watched a brother stoker from H.M.S. Whelp, a Scot named McKenna, win a doughnut-eating contest. The U.S. does not neglect or forget their armed forces, in any theatre of war.
August 11th
Was putting to sea but it has been cancelled to await developments. Awaiting official peace announcement. Tension is getting us down. Will they accept terms?
August 13th
Left Guam announced that we were making for Tokyo. Sir Bruce Fraser is to sign peace agreement for our Prime Minister if peace is declared.
August15th
Announced that Japan had accepted terms, peace is declared. No celebrations, we are at sea. We had no chance to celebrate V.E.Day and now we have no chance to celebrate V.J.Day and the end of World War Two. Six long years of being at war. All you鈥檙e teenage years taken from you. Also the sad thoughts of all the thousands upon thousands of lives lost young and not so young, all around the world. Such a terrible miserable world.
August 16/17th
Cruising around the coast of Japan. Had no mail for some time, it will have to chase us now. Met units of the U.S. 3rd Fleet this morning. The sight of U.S. and British fighting ships is worth seeing. Expect to go into Tokyo Bay tomorrow.
August 20th
Still hanging around coast of Japan, waiting I believe for General MacArthur to arrive. He will sign peace treaty for U.S.A. Oiled and stored at sea yesterday, hope to get mail tomorrow.
August 21st
Received, still cruising around doing nothing.
August 23rd
Left main fleet, now with H.M.S. Duke of York and U.S. battleship "Missouri" H.M.S. "Wager鈥樷 and three destroyers. Hope to catch Fleet train tomorrow and receive some mail.
August 27th
At last went into Bay of Yokohama (Sagami Wan). We were the first ship of the Allied Fleets leading the way followed by U.S.S. "Iowa鈥 and 鈥淢issouri鈥 and H.M.S. "Duke of York鈥. Rest of fleets followed later. Heard that we were on the front page of the newspapers back home.
August 29th
Left Sagami Wan nosed our way into Tokyo Bay with the Duke of York and Wager. Next day 30th moved further into Tokyo Bay with Sir Bruce Fraser aboard. He visited U.S.S. Hospital ship 鈥樷 Benevolence鈥欌 to talk to Prisoners of War being brought from shore by landing craft. He returned rather mad at the Japanese upon hearing of their treatment of the P.O.W鈥檚. We then moved right up into bay and landing craft brought prisoners from shore and landed them on to the our ship. We warmly welcomed them and they stopped with us for about 2hours. We listened to their tales and marvelled at the good humour of them. Gave them food and drink. The tales they told were rather grim and they told us that the camp they were in was a good camp compared to others. Plenty of humour in the tales came from cockney Joe Beeding a prisoner for three and a half years, what spirit. (Writing this August 2002, 57years later, you wonder what happened to Joe and all the other that suffered those many years ago.) When Joe left our ship before being transferred to the hospital ship, he made certain that he obtained the autograph of our second in command Prince Philip of Greece. He must have been amazed when later he saw that prince marry our Queen Elizabeth 2nd.
September 1st 1945
Being driver of the ships motorboat made a few trips into Yokohama Naval Base high-ranking Service Officers and war correspondent and picking them up later.
September 2nd
Official signing of surrender aboard U.S.S. "Missouri鈥欌 and got paid! The war is over and the world has to get back to some kind of sanity.
September 9th
Leaving Tokyo Bay on the proceeded to Okinawa, arriving on the 11th, leaving on the 12th, and arrived in Hong Kong with Sir Bruce Fraser aboard.
September 16th
The surrender of the Japanese was officially signed in Hong Kong.
September 19th
Went ashore yesterday, not very impressed.
September 28th
Still in the same place, I do not think they know what to do with us.
October 8th
We finally went to sea. On patrol looking for pirates along China coast.
October 10th
Came off patrol and headed up Chinese river to look for pirates who had carried out raid.
October 12th
Sending landing parties ashore to look for pirates, reckoned to be bottled up. Cannot remember these many years later just what the pirates were stealing.
October 16th
Returned to Hong Kong. Stopped in 3 days then went out again on pirate patrol. No bread no potatoes hardly any stores aboard. In Hong Kong played seamen at football. Lost 3 鈥 2, good game. Took part in Flotilla Regatta.
November 2nd
Went on patrol.
November 4th
The destroyers H.M.S. 鈥樷橩ampenfelt鈥欌, 鈥樷橶ager鈥欌 and 鈥樷橶hirlwiind" fetched mail to us. Then they proceeded on to Sydney.
November 5th
Recalled from patrol.
November 8th
Ships arrive to relieve us. We expect to leave for Darwin, Australia tomorrow.
November 12th
Left Hong Kong proceeding to Darwin and it was the start of our long journey home, we were flying a paying off pennant (long strip of white bunting flown at the masthead of a warship), to signify he end of a ships present commission). Passed Bataan and Luzon, Borneo expect to arrive in Darwin on the 16th.
November 17th
Left Darwin heading for Sydney.
November 24th
Arrived Sydney. Mail told me that brother Harry was home from Burma.
December 7th
Visited Mrs. Price, to say goodbye and thank her for the kindness she had shown me and to thank her for the food parcels she had sent to my parents over the past months. Next port of call was Freemantle.
December 13th
Arrived at Freemantle.
December 14th
Left Freemantle making for Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Destination changed will arrive in Trincomalee.
December 24th
Left, going to Aden. Spent another Christmas Day at sea. Arrived Aden 31st December.
January 1st 1946
Left Aden, getting nearer to home. On to Suez through the Suez Canal to Port Said.
January 5th
Arrived Port Said and left on the 7th January. Next stop was Gibralter arriving on 12th and leaving on the 14th for Portsmouth.
January 17th
Arrived at Portsmouth. We were home. It was cold, damp and miserable but it was England.
It was very different from our previous visit, when the invasion of Europe was in its early month鈥檚. The time based there when serving aboard HMS Stevenstone, the historic dockyard and city were an important part of my life of which I am proud. I was to spend another year on board HMS Whelp, with a skeleton crew, her sea-time with the Royal Navy at an end. I was released from the R.N. in 1947 and my life as a sailor.
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