- Author
- Bradford, John
- Subjects
- Ship histories and stories, History - WW2
- Tags
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- RAN Ships
- HMAS Hobart I, HMAS Yarra II
- Publication
- March 1998 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Towards the end of WW II, two books were published which graphically described the service and gallantry of YARRA’s final actions. A. F. Parry, the author of the first book ((‘HMAS YARRA – The Story of a gallant Ship’, A. F. Parry, Angus & Robertson, 1944.)), had served in YARRA throughout the 1941 campaigns and, like Harrington, had participated in the action of 5th February prior to his receiving a new posting. The second book ((‘The Silent Service’, T. M. Jones & I. L. Idrics, Angus & Robertson, Sydney 1944.)) contained eyewitness accounts of YARRA’s final action from two of her crew: Ldg. Signalman Geoff Bromilow and Ldg Supply Rating ‘Shorty’ Latham.
An account written in May 1942 by O/S Jack R. Archibald, one of YARRA’s 13 survivors, stated that Rankin had been killed early in the engagement ((`Of Nautilus and Eagles’, Peter Firkins, Hutchinson Press, Melbourne; 1983.)). However, Bromilow, the only survivor from the bridge, differed. He mentioned that Rankin, and not Smith, YARRA’s 1st Lieutenant, had given the `abandon ship’ command. Given the conflicting nature of these two accounts, any response by CNS/1st Naval Member, ADM. Sir Guy C. C. Royle, RN, to Howden’s 1943 requests may well have been governed by what he felt he could, or could not do, in terms of providing any support for YARRA’s recognition claims.
(In WWII, where it was known that ships were lost in action fighting against impossible odds, it was generally the accepted practice for the ship’s captain – should he have been killed in that action – to receive one of the two available forms of posthumous recognition: either a VC or a Mention in Despatches (MID). So in YARRA’s case, whether it was Rankin or Smith who gave the `abandon ship’ command I would have thought was immaterial; Rankin, as captain, would be expected to receive any posthumous award).
YARRA’s final moments were witnessed from other ships. Survivors from the destroyer, HMS STRONGHOLD, on her own when sunk by the same Japanese force that sank YARRA the next day, were held captive in the Japanese cruiser, MAIA. An account by one survivor, AB John F. Murphy, of the RNZN, who died in 1994, appeared in 1948 in Margaret McGuire’s RAN-sanctioned book ((‘The Royal Australian Navy’, p225, F. Margaret McGuire, Oxford University Press, 1948.)) and was used again in Hermon Gill’s first volume of the RAN’s official history ((‘Royal Australian Navy – 1939-42′, G. Hermon Gill, Australian War Memorial, 1957.)). Generally less well-known was that Murphy’s first published words on the subject had been in the 21st September 1946 edition of Smith’s Weekly’. Murphy had written: `…silently we stood and watched the little sloop, White Ensign flying and guns blazing against the hopeless odds … Hers was a gallant death and one of which Australians should be proud’.
Immediately following their release from Japanese POW camps, two survivors, PO (Cook) Morgan and AB Mills, from ships in the YARRA convoy, HMS ANKING and RFA FRANCOL, provided further testimony of YARRA’s final moments. Mills claimed, `…she was still firing her forward gun with the whole ship on fire and sinking, the gun was still in action when the stern was already under water’ . ((‘Survivors of FRANKOL and ANKIN’ (sic). Series No. MP118518, Item No. 1932f2/207.))
There is a strongly-held conviction by many ex-WWII RAN veterans that since no officer survived YARRA’s final action no decorations could be issued to her crew. The failure to act on the ratings’ eyewitness accounts suggest their misgivings are not entirely without foundation.
Yet the Naval Board could, had they wished, have overcome this obstacle simply by contacting Leut. Ian D. S. Forbes, RN, ex-HMS PRINCE OF WALES, who, as a survivor from the River gunboat, HMS GRASSHOPPER, ((‘The loss of HMS GRASSHOPPER, LEUT. Ian D. S. Forties, RN Series No. MP1185/8, Item No. 1932/2/214.)) and the sole officer survivor from STRONGHOLD was also held captive in the Japanese cruiser MAIA at the time YARRA was lost. ((‘The loss of HMS STRONGHOLD’, LEUT. Ian D. S. Forties, RN. Series No. MP1185/8, Item No. 1932/2/214.)) My understanding is that, sadly, Leut. Forbes died some years ago. In a letter Leut. Forbes later wrote to the widow of one of the men killed in STRONGHOLD, he stated: `…the little STRONGHOLD fought a most gallant action against impossible odds’. Yet, as with Rankin, her late CO, LCDR. G. R. Preytor-Pinney, RN, did not receive a posthumous award in the postwar period either.