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 16th Thursday
My dearest folks,
The happenings of the last two days
definetely 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 Britain.
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 solid, 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.
[?] I think I am writg's out right when I say that though
the principles of democracy and justice shine forth brillantly
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 sin
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 Parisenne',
while other recording 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, luxurient
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/0 G.P.O.
Sunday December 23rd.
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 28th.
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

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