Recollections of Service in the Bureau and RAAF
Foreword
Recollections—Mascot and Rose Bay—the Early Years
Sojourn in the Far East 1942
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We were all posted, initially, to No 2 Embarkation Depot, RAAF, at Lindfield NSW effective 10 December 1941. I left Port Moresby, Papua, on 8 December 1941 where I had been serving since October 1940, travelling in a Catalina aircraft of one of the flying boat squadrons located at Port Moresby. During our early morning passage to Townsville, enroute to Rose Bay NSW, we received some news of the attack on Pearl Harbour by a Japanese air fleet. It is interesting to recall that this attack was one of a seven-point assault whereby, in less than fourteen hours, Malaya, Hawaii, Thailand, the Philippines, Guam, Hong Kong and Wake Island had been attacked, and in that order. Between 12.30am and lam on 8 December 1941 enemy warships were shelling the beach defences at Khota Baru. The invasion force had been sighted by a patrolling Hudson of RAAF 1 Squadron on 6 December. It was this squadron, which had been based at Khota Baru since August, that received orders to strike the first blows at the Japanese from the air; and it knocked out two transports and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. The first Japanese landing assault was against the 3/17 Dogra Regiment of the Indian Division on the beach at Khota Baru where more than 5,000 casualties were suffered by the invaders.
We assembled then, at the embarkation depot. We were kitted and vaccinated and a couple of days later embarked at Balmain in MS Ruys of the Dutch, Royal Packet Navigation Company (KPM) en route for Batavia in the Netherlands East Indies. On board were a number of army reinforcements (Pioneers) for the 8th Australian Division, as well as our small party. As officers, we were very comfortably accommodated in cabins. Forder, Murfett and I had duties to perform, Forder and I as orderly officers. Extra lookouts were posted continuously on the wings of the bridge and in the upperworks of the ship. These duties were performed by soldiers on board. Part of my job, when orderly officer, was to visit these stations at least once per watch especially in the dark hours, and also to visit and inspect the troops' quarters forward. All these matters were arranged between George Mackey and the major in charge of the troops, both of whom, of course, were too senior for watch-keeping duties. On the one Sunday during the voyage Doug Forder and I were ordered, in the absence of a padre, to take church parade. The troops were drawn up on the deck and we gave them a hymn and a bible reading, and Doug was able to organise a prayer or a brief address, I forget which.
People in Bright Sparcs - Forder, Douglas Highmoor (Doug); Hannay, Alexander Keith (Keith); Mackey, George William; Murfett, A. M. (Andy)
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