- Author
- Bollard, Peter
- Subjects
- Ship histories and stories, Humour
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- HMAS Shropshire
- Publication
- September 1989 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
With the surrender signed and whilst waiting for the first run ashore, a half dozen or so sailors from the Australian cruiser Shropshire (including myself) were granted permission to take out the ship’s whaler for a sail on the bay.
With the great number of anchored ships it was not long before we got out of sight, pulled down the sail, out oars, and headed for Yokohama.
As we were passing close to an American ship, rowing as hard as we could, a sailor called out “say — ain’t that guy Nelson dead yet?”
Shortly afterward another Yank in an L.C.I, took pity on us and towed us into a Yokohama beach for an interesting and unofficial landing.