Letters from Malcolm Duncan McRae to his family, 1945

H 2694 

A/B M.D. McRAE

H.M.A.S. TAMWORTH

C/O. B.F. MAIL

August 16^th Thursday

My dearest folks,

The happenings of the last two days

definitely call for a letter. On Tuesday evening when

I wrote my last letter it seemed as though the official

news of the Japanese surrender would be at hand at any

minute. Actually it was at 8-15 next morning when we

picked up the announcement by Truman..

Naturally work ^stopped immediately, and we made a very happy

day of it. The navigating officer and I had just begun

on a pile of chart corrections and we were in two minds

as to whether we shouldn't chuck them all over the side -

reason intervened however - unfortunately perhaps, as it

would have saved a great deal of work.

We wer are lying alongside several other ships among

them is Joe Dixon's. Hoses were rigged and fierce water

fights were waged. A few of us picked up the officer of

the watch and threw him into the water. This started

the ball rolling and within the space of an hour everyone

on the ship had the same fate, except the skipper. So a 

deputation of leading hands waited on him and informed him

they had been detailed to put him over the side.

So they carried him down aft through a torrent of

water from the hoses and did the que as he went

overboard the quartermaster piped him over the side in the

traditional manner.

All the fun was taken in very good part by everyone.

Those that couldn't swim, and there are some, donned

Mae Wests. We flew long streamers of white paper from 
the masthead - a symbol of peace I hope, while the

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Australian ensign was run up the foremast.

The boys had an extra issue of beer. Last night we

fired rockets and verey lights.

The Australians seemed to be the only people celebrating in

anything like a hearty manner.

I was disgusted with an R.N. ship alongside. Quite a

few of their crew joined in the fun by using hoses

against us throwing onions at us and the like, and

would you believe it, the narrow minded arrogant pigs of

officers. 'ran them in', as we say, and punished them for

what they must have thought were crimes.

It is revolting and sickening to see the way in which

the majority of English bow down, shrink from and regard

with the greatest awe this wretched class of so called

gentlemen, a naval officers.

We were seriously thinking of boarding the ship and,

exacting very practical retribution, but realized that the

consequences might be somewhat too far reaching.

What these men would have thought if they had known

we had thrown our captain in, is rather difficult to

imagine.  -  Those undisciplined; ill-bred, holligans of

colonials, perhaps.

They must live in mortal fear of the consequences if they

relaxed one finger of their strong hand of discipline

I remember you saying in ^one of your last letters that though

economically Russia was far advanced, but in political and

social thought she was well behind. Isn't it a fact that in

both countries there are small sections of people with the

conceptions of ideals of the perfect system in the relationship

of men, and the greater majority just blindly follow.

I doubt whether the average Englishmen, following particularly

from what the boys have told me of their experiences, gives

much thought to the future, realizes the abuses and injustices

he is living under. And has any real concrete ideas of social

and political matters.  True the election proved that

there has been an awakening in recent years.

I don't think Britain owes her position in the world to

the ordinary working man. He has been too oppressed to have

a chance to do what would be possible if his environment

was changed and his education improved.

It is to the commercial class and the upper class of society

that we must hand the credit for the development of Britains.

I realize that British aristocracy is unique in that commoners

can be absorbed into it's fold. But this characteristic has

died out and it has become as cliquy and narrow as it's

counterparts on the continent

These upper classes owe a lot to the stolid, hardworking, nature of the lower classes. They could always depend upon their

patriotism in time of national emergency. The status of the royal

power was a god send to them -. They were efficient workers

for their mighty industries. Their unemotional and steady

characters made the threat of revolution and unrest very

slight compared with other countries. And so I could go on

with other analogies and I think I could prove that this much

talked of British democracy and justice has not emanated

from the masses, but from a small section of the well to

do. What democracy or justice is their in the great areas of

the slums. I look in vain for an open and free outlook in

the countenances of most Englishmen. Perhaps it is not a

fair thing to take those men in the Navy as an average

example of the English, but the Navy does not grind down

Australians with its rigid discipline, intolerance, and injustice.

Even R.N. Officers working with Australians have to curb

their fascist like ways. The American discipline is totally different

and is even more democratic than on Australian ships.

No I think I am writg's out right when I say that though

the principles of democracy and justice shine forth brilliantly

for everyone to see in Britain, only a few are able to use

them and understand them. The rest, are so concerned with

the struggle for existence and the few small pleasures within their

grasp,. that they just take things as they are, and leave the

rest as something beyond their comprehension.

As I said there is an awakening. The mere existence of

labour unions would ensure that but I believe the Russians

 

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will reach the goal before the British, for they are planning

on solid framework. Science is their idol - education their god.

Their possibilities must be brighter than the British when

for science the latter substitute the idolizing of pomp, position

and power. - The anomaly of the existence of royal power

doesn't last a minute's thought, yet the British people

well nigh worship it.  Their god is not education but

self seeking materialism, a necessity perhaps I know, but

the fact remains it is an inherent quality.

It looks to me as though Britain will have to follow

Russia's lead by the few showing the way to the majority

and letting no economic nor traditional obstruction bar

the path. Then I have no doubt the British people would be

reborn, for once given the opportunity for a free and unoppressed

way of living they would put their freedom to good use.

Then all the principals of British justice would be a

reality and Russia might well have to look to the

small group of islands for inspiration, and guidance. 

Will all that was caused by the foolish act of some,

narrow minded, unimaginative officer.

Yesterday something else happened that was revolting to me.

A Roman Catholic priest came aboard to take confession.  This

story came to me from one of the flock who was so disgusted 

that he walked out on "the deity".

On questioning the boys how long it was since they had been

to confession, one of them revealed that he had erred for three

years.! Loud was the outcry from the man in black and he

pronounced that the ^unfortunate would die if he did not atone for his sins

by forfeiting two months pay! The lad evidently being very

impressionable and living in fear of the church, was so effected

by the dire threat that he was scared stiff to come aloft

and finish his job of painting on the yards. -

Ill leave the implications of the happening unsaid. - .

 

5

We heard to-day of the schemes now being put into effect

for the demobilization of the first group, those who were

mobilized before January '41. They are very comprehensive 

and uniquely enlightened for the navy. Those men who

are in the age group who are in forward areas are to be sent

South immediately to their home depots, where they will live at

home, where practical, attending vocational training classes arranged

by the navy and by civilian institutions such as technical

training ^Schools. They claim they will not discharge a man till he is

sure of a job, or is trained for some trade or is started on his

training. If they can put their schemes into practice, it looks

quite rosy for a speedier demobilization than we hoped for. 
However a helping hand for from outside would increase my

chances a hundred fold.

I have been spending some very pleasant hours lately

playing some beautiful records we have. It is mainly ballet

music. - the entire ballet of 'The Swan Lake' that you like

so well Mother, Handel's 'Water Music', Offenbachs 'Gaite Parisienne',

while other recordings we have are of The Nutcracker Suite,

Warsaw Concerto, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Rigeletto, and

Brahms Waltzes with more besides.

It is such a relief to listen to this lulling, lilting, luxuriant

music, when the mess deck is for ever swelled by the discordant

and unharmonious noise of modern American 'jive'.

So much for tonight then my dearest ones,

Yours loving

Malc.

 

 

H2694

A/B. M.D. McRAE

H.M.A.S. GERALDTON

C/o G.P.O.

Sunday December 23^rd.

My dearest folks,
I have my doubts whether this

will reach you before you leave the moorings.

on Christmas Eve. At present we are steaming

up the bay for Melbourne. It is not definite whether

we will be staying there over Christmas or pushing

on to Adelaide. where we are due to be flagship at

the Glenelg Regatta. on the 28^th.

We had bad luck on the way down.

We set off from Brisbane with the two Air Sea

Rescue launches in tow. One of them developed trouble

with ^her engines just before she picked us up.

Everything went according to plan for the first day or so

until we ran into a strong southerly just north of 

Port Stephens. It freshened very quickly and we were

soon forced to slow down to four knots while the

lauches were making. very heavy weather of it.

At eleven in the night we were all turned out

to find that one of the bridles attached the tow to

one of the launches had parted and she was adrift.

As luck would have it she was the one without

an engine.  As we have no winch aft now, the

whole ship's company had to assist in pulling in the 

tow wire.  The problem now was to get the tow to her