- Author
- Thomson, Max
- Subjects
- History - WW2
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- HMAS Perth I
- Publication
- March 1988 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Every man received as good a meal as a warship could provide, a cherished bottle of Australian beer plus newspapers, magazines and first-hand news of events back home. The good meal proved too much for many of the POWs to accommodate. Over the ensuing days, Hawkesbury really played host to the 8th Div. AIF – a routine interrupted only by a convoy assignment to escort merchantmen back through the minefields to open sea on those occasions when the RAN frigate was ‘duty ship’.
Ashore, the ship’s crew mingled with the POWs, went to Changi, and had the satisfaction of seeing Japanese working parties cleaning up Singapore. After disappointments and delays, which must have frustrated the POWs so anxious to head for their homeland, the final time of departure was pinpointed. Duntroon, laden with POWs and civilian internees, lay in Singapore Roads awaiting the transport Arawa which was to join her. In those days ships of the RAN flew the same white ensign worn by the Royal Navy’s warships. Determined to show the Australian troops that an Aussie warship was to escort them home, HMAS Hawkesbury flew an outsized Australian blue ensign from its yardarm – and blasted forth Waltzing Matilda and Homeward Bound from its loud-hailer systems. All to the tumultuous cheers from the troops who had clambered to every point of vantage aboard Duntroon and Arawa.
The Dutch hospital ship Oranje was among the first to leave with hospitalised cases – escorted by the RN destroyer Verulam. Hawkesbury’s convoy was scheduled to sail at 0700 but delays put this time back to 1400 which barely got the convoy through the minefields before darkness.
That departure scene was memorable. Indeed, it was historic. With HMAS Hawkesbury in the van, the troopships Duntroon and Arawa took up station in line astern plus the merchantman City of Worcester seeking safe escort through the minefields. Bands played aboard the capital ships, bugles blasted salutes, flags flew and signal lamps hammered out messages of goodwill as the 8th Div AIF – and the HMAS Perth survivors – set sail for home after three and a half years of privation as prisoners of the Japanese.
As the Singapore skyline began to fade, along with all its memories for the POWs, Hawkesbury made a signal which read: ‘To all prisoners of War: And so we say farewell to this shining jewel of the Orient famed for its luxury, music, good living and beautiful women. Onward to Aussie … Land of the Blessed’. Back from the CO of troops came the reply: ‘We appreciate your message. The little Chinese girls in their immaculate slacks will remain always in their memories as will the kindness of the Chinese to the prisoners. Luxury is all here – but bankrupt’.
Twice a day the Hawkesbury circled the troopships, giving them a break from the routine and enabling the frigate’s crew to see the POWs gaining strength each day as they ate good meals and basked in the sunshine firm in the knowledge that they were at last headed for home. Crewmen from Hawkesbury – one representative of each state – broadcast a summary of what highlights had taken place back home while the POWs had been incarcerated in Japanese camps. Off Timor, Hawkesbury received radio instructions to detach from its convoy and return towards Singapore. Transferring mail to Duntroon, Hawkesbury made the troopships a salute as she came about and steamed back towards Singapore. In darkness she exchanged signals with the British destroyer escorting the transports Esperance Bay, and Largs Bay, carrying more 8th Div AIF men and civilian internees.
Back 600 miles, HMAS Hawkesbury took over escort of yet another transport – Highland Chieftan – from HMS Paladin. Once more Hawkesbury set course for Australia. On September 30 she signalled ‘Australia in sight on our port bow. Welcome Home.’ Imagine what that meant to the Australian troops. In Singapore, Hawkesbury had sought permission for the HMAS Perth prisoners of war to travel home on the frigate. Authorities indicated this could be granted ONLY if the RAN warship could guarantee the men would be transported to Sydney which, of course, could not be assured. And, as it turned out, Hawkesbury did not actually get to Sydney for another four months.
Off Darwin, Hawkesbury was detached – this time to go to Timor to participate in surrender ceremonies there, at Koepang; followed by comprehensive surveillance missions throughout the Celebes, Borneo and islands of what were then the Dutch East Indies. It was four months – and a myriad of other assignments – before HMAS Hawkesbury was finally to get to Sydney. Yet no warship of the Royal Australian Navy had a finer and more satisfying climax to war’s end than HMAS Hawkesbury’s mission to go to Singapore and help return to their homeland men of the 8th Div AIF and the men who had survived firstly the sinking of HMAS Perth then the horrors of prisoner-of- war life in Changi and other prison camps.