- Author
- Germaine, Max, OAM, Lieutenant, RANVR
- Subjects
- Biographies and personal histories, WWII operations
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 2002 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Some of the married ones got home after three years in ships coming out to the Pacific area but most stayed until after the defeat of Germany and some were away from home for six years.
A cornerstone of the Scheme was the Naval Liaison Officer at Australia House, London. Commander A.J. “Blanco” White and his two assistants Lieutenant Richard “Dickie” Mims RANR and Lieutenant W.D. “Bill” Graham RAN (much later Rear Admiral and CBE). These men made their office in Australia House a home away from home assisted by the Australian women in the Boomerang Club, a canteen in the basement of Australia House ably led by Mrs. Stanley Bruce, the wife of the Australian High Commissioner in London.
After the war, the yachtsmen returned to their homes around Australia, having lost 34 of their comrades (four in the sinking of HMS Hood) and were dispersed into their civilian occupations and began catching up with the lost years. Several attempts have been made to get all their information together but the job has proved to be too difficult without strong support from the Naval Board and the Australian War Memorial.
Dickie Mims, on his return to civilian life in Melbourne, inaugurated a luncheon reunion which has taken place early in September each year at the Naval & Military Club, Melbourne. When he died about 1976, the job was taken over by submariner Clive Tayler and they held their 53rd luncheon last year.
References
Bevan N, Ed, Images of War, Marshall Cavendish Services, Hove, 1998.
Churchill, W S, The Second World War, Cassell & Co., London, 1949 Vol. 2.
Hough R, The Longest Battle, The War at Sea – 9939-45, Geo. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1976.
Schenk P, The Planning of Operation Sealion, Conway Maritime Press, London, 1990.
Southall I, Softly Tread the Brave, Angus & Robertson, 1960.
White A J Cmdr RAN, Naval Liaison Officer, Australia House London 1941.
Australian Navy List, July 1945.
Lieutenant T C Martin, survivor HMS Kashmir, Sydney 2000.