Diary of Percival Holman Pascoe, 1940-1941 - Part 1

Stoker

Percival Holman PASCOE

b. Boulder W.A. 28/11/1919

d. "HMAS SYDNEY" 19/11/1941

This diary donated on behalf of his

surviving siblings 23/5/2008 

Gweneth Jones (nee Pascoe) b. 1914

Ronald Pascoe b. 1916

Baden Pascoe b. 1931

Dearly loved and ever remembered

H.M.A.S. "SYDNEY"

Diary of this ship's movements during

journey from Australia, in the

Mediterranean and the journey 

home again.

1940 - 41

April 22nd 1940

At 3 pm. we slip and proceed out of

Fremantle harbour in company with

H.M.S. "Ramillies" and six troopships

comprising the 2nd A.I.F contingent

to leave Australia.

Once clear of Rottnest the course is

set North West (approx) for Cocos Islands.

The buzz around the ship is that we

are going to Colombo and Aden with

the convoy, and will be away about

six weeks.

23.4.40

At sea with convoy, Australian coast

has long since disappeared. A bomber

of the R.A.A.F. is circling the ships on

the lookout for submarines, not that

we expect any out this far.

It has been piped that we are only

proceeding as far as Cocos Islands

with convoy, and expect to arrive back

in Fremantle in about eleven days time.

24.4.40

We reach the tropics, everybody is taking

advantage of it and are sunbaking on

the upper deck.

25.4.40       Anzac Day     

Early in the morning we increase

speed to 25 knots and circle convoy

and congratulated on the remembrance

of today.  Convoy leader "Strathaird"

made suitable reply re "Emden".

26-27.4.40

Still with convoy, nothing exceptional to

report, except very hot.

28.4.40

Keeling Island, 80 miles North West,

Action Stations sound off about midday

Strange warship on horizon. False

alarm, it is the French cruiser "Suffren"

come to relieve us, earlier than we expected.

Circled convoy & turned our nose for

Australia again.

29-30.4.40

Nothing to report.

1.5.40.

Two days off Fremantle, we receive orders

to proceed to Colombo with all possible

speed. Haven't enough oil to get to Colombo

so we head for Singapore doing 20 knots.

2-3.5.40

Nothing exciting, getting hotter

every day.

4.5.40

Sight Mount Khrakatoa, an active

volcano, pass through Sunda Straits

between Java & Sumatra, first glimpse 

of foreign land. H.M.S. Rainbow is

met in the Straits, first submarine I've

seen. We receive orders from her.

5.5.40

Singapore is sighted on the horizon.

Pilot comes on board & takes us through

the minefields. Everything is strange

as we proceed up the harbour, strange

sights & strange smells & does it smell.

Tie up at oil wharf. Leave given for

five hours. Have to go down on watch,

is half past five by the time I get ashore.

Too late to do much, get into taxi &

drive around, native quarter & so on. Finish

up at Union Jack Club. Back to ship by

nine o'clock. Sail at midnight.

6.5.40

Proceed up Straits of Malacca at 26 knots.

8.5.40

Ceylon comes into view on starboard

side as we proceed up the coast to Colombo.

Arrive about 6pm. in a heavy shower of

rain. It's the monsoon season, very hot

and muggy. Go ashore about eight o'clock.

Town dead of a night time, a few rickshaws

& taxis about, nothing else. Go out to Fleet

Club & stay there for the night.

9.5.40

Boiler party on So so I went ashore at 9

o'clock again & had a look around Pettah,

the native quarter. Went for a drive

sightseeing, Cinamon Gardens,

Mohammedan Mosque, Buddhist Temple &

out to Mount Lavinia, the sea bathing 

resort.

9-16.5.40

In and out of Colombo, nothing very

interesting. Very hot and muggy.

19.5.40 Proceeded to sea to meet the

3rd Australian convoy & escort Queen

Mary to Trincomallee. Colombo harbour

not big enough for her.

18.5.40

Five hours off rendezvous with convoy

receive orders to return to Colombo, arrive

19.5.40 Arrive back at Colombo, did 25

knots all the way.

20.5.40 Leave Colombo for Aden, pass

"Leander" going in. 26 knots all the way.

23.5.40

Arrive at Aden, very hot and dry by

the look of it, high brown rocky hills,

bare of any vegetation, avenue of trees

along foreshore, only greenery in sight.

H.M.S. "Eagle" & "Gloucester" in harbour

preparing for sea. Oil and proceed to

sea again at 10 p.m.

24.5.40 Caught up with Eagle & Gloucester

25.5.40. H.M.A.S. Hobart joins us for a few
hours & them leaves us with Gloucester
for Port Sudan.
26.5.40. Arrive at Suez after dark. Eagle
stays & we proceed through the canal.
Can't see much of it.
27.5.40. Reach the end of canal at 6 a.m.
drop pilot & proceed into the Meditteranean
I was on watch so missed seeing Port Said.
Arrived at Alexandria at 2 p.m. Went
ashore at 5. Main part of Med. Fleet in
harbour.
3.6.40 Proceed to sea with Fleet on
manoeuvres. Have joined 7th Cruiser
Squadron.
The Fleet consists of H.M.S. Warspite, (flagship.)

Malaya, Ramillies, Royal Sovereign,
Eagle, (battleships) Orion, Neptune
Leander, Sydney, Gloucester, Caledon

Capetown, (cruisers) & about 25 destroyers
including the five Australian destroyers, Vampire
Vendetta Voyager Stuart & Waterhen.
10.6.40
Italy declares war. Whole fleet stands
by to put to sea at a moments notice.
11.6.40
proceed to sea at 1 a.m. with whole fleet and
carry out a sweep. Never sighted anything.
18.6.40.
Proceed to sea with French battleship
Lorraine & cruisers Orion & Neptune &
destroyer. Received news that we were
to carry out a bombardment on Bardia.
Everybody is excited & a little bit scared
our first taste of war. Will we come through
all right.
19.6.40
Carryout a bombardment at dawn.

Very successful, no opposition at all. Our plane
was up spotting the fall of shot, was attacked
by three Italian fighters. It dived down
& Ities were driven off by A.A. fire from
ships.
21.6.40. Arrived back at Alex. Heard
that our plane had made a forced landing
at Mersa Matrah, broke up on landing,
nobody hurt.
22.6.40. - 26.6.40. In harbour, a few
air raids; bombs only dropped once, no
damage done.
26.6.40 Proceed to sea on submarine patrol
in company with Gloucester, Orion, Neptune
Liverpool (new addition to fleet) & destroyers.
28.6.40. Three Italian destroyers reported
about 30 miles away by Sunderland
flying boat. Action Stations & Full
Speed Ahead & we're after them. Come