- Author
- Zammitt, Alan
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories
- Tags
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- December 1981 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Shanghai is on the banks of the Whangpoo River. At the time we were there, the Chinese Communist Army was attacking and defeating the Chinese Nationalist Army a long way from Shanghai. Even so there was plenty of evidence that the Nationalist Government was in trouble. Ashore, law and order were pretty shaky. Pickpockets were everywhere and unless the sailors were in groups they were in danger of being bashed and robbed. Rickshaw operators would take their passengers down lanes, tip the rickshaw back and when the passenger fell out thieves in the lane would jump on the victim and rob him. The Chief Cook argued with a rickshaw boy about the fare, so the rickshaw boy pulled out a razor and cut the Chief Cook’s nose. Another Aussie hand had his tongue cut and others who got into arguments were beaten up with bamboo sticks.
Inflation was out of control; the official exchange rate was 143,000 Chinese dollars to the Australian pound. However, ashore the money dealers would offer 360,000 Chinese dollars to the pound. A run ashore would cost $1,000,000. Because of sailing for Hong Kong at short notice, many of the ship’s company were left with Chinese dollars which were almost worthless in Hong Kong, so sailors were giving millions of dollars away to any of the RN sailors at the China Fleet Club who were likely to visit China.
Australia, Bataan and an RN destroyer were at Shanghai to celebrate the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Phillip and a fireworks display was to be put on by Australia. Soon after the display commenced, a lighted rocket caught in the rocket launcher and set off all the fireworks at once causing a fire and explosion. AB Reg Lascelles saw one rocket go straight through a passing junk’s sail. The Gunnery Officer, Lieutenant Commander Shaw was badly burnt rescuing Mr. Andrews, the Commissioned Gunner; PO Feltow had his leg burnt and a couple of others had minor burns.
Rear Admiral Farncomb, who had rejoined the Aussie in Shanghai, ordered the Australia to sail for Hong Kong the next day as there were better hospital facilities there. During the trip to Hong Kong Australia collided with an unlit junk or sampan during the night. A search for survivors was unsuccessful.
The modified County Class Cruiser HMS London was at Hong Kong on our return. In April 1949 London was to suffer casualties and damage in the Yangste in an attempt to reach and assist HMS Amethyst.
After a final three days in Hong Kong, we sailed for home. Between Hong Kong and Manus, we stopped and the Sea Boat’s crew boarded a Japanese fishing vessel outside its permitted fishing area. The Master of the vessel was later prosecuted. After brief stops at Manus and Dredger Harbour, we arrived at Sydney at 2.30 p.m. on December 10th 1947 to find several boatloads of Customs Officers waiting for us. Australia was the first major RAN ship to arrive from Japan since a sailor from the HMAS Kanimbla had given a story to a newspaper about sailors smuggling goods into Sydney they had brought from Japan.
The first two days in Sydney Australia was at No. 2 buoy. On the first day, about 400 sailors were landed by a special ferry which berthed at No. 7 ferry jetty, Circular Quay, (this jetty was demolished many years ago), at 4.40 p.m. The Customs had closed the wirenetted gates to the street except for a small opening through which the men could squeeze in single file. Very soon the men were jammed together in a solid mass on the wharf. Sailors were climbing over a 9 foot wire-netting fence; others were shouting angrily ‘shake it up, the pubs shut at 6’. They then pushed with so much force the Customs Officers found it impossible to stop them, so the sailors got away with their ‘rabbits’ which were in 99 cases out of 100 Christmas gifts for their families. The next day the Customs Officers were reinforced with every available man, tables, more barricades, and police to keep the sailors in order. The ferry crew told the Aussie hands what was in store for them at Circular Quay, and as a good turn the Ferry Master landed the liberty men at the wrong wharf.