AWM52 1/11/18/4 - Headquarters London Victory March Contingent, 1946, part 3, Naval log - Part 1

AWM52
Australian Military Forces, Army headquarters,
formation and unit diaries, 1939-1945
1/11/18
MISCELLANEOUS
Headquarters London Victory
March Contingent
1946, part 3, Naval log
1/11/18-0043

Daily Posn & Distance Travelled.
MELBOURNE - PORTSMOUTH

6
Naval contingent [[?]] West Australian
joined [[?]] from their home depots
P.M. 17^th Brief [[?]] PM 17 and AM 18^th
Weather
Thursday 18 Apr 46 MELBOURNE - AT SEA
Fine day in morning but became
threatening about 1200 hrs. Except for a
few sprinkles the rain held off & the
weather for the March was on the
whole good.
Breaking
[[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]]
0830. BT'ns paraded [[?]] to receive
embarkation numbers, and VF 47. Then
formed up and practised wheeling in
sixes, which had not hithertoo been
done. 1000 Broken off to complete
final [[admin?]] arrangements in clearing
up camp and getting ready to move.
1130 Left WATSONIA by M T convoy. Then
coop of the CO & Staff [[?]] WATSONIA
during stay there was all that could
be desired. It helped immeasurably to
get the contingent organised & equipped
in the short time available.
1210 Arrived assembly area in ALBERT
ST between GIBSRNE ST & NICHOLOSON ST.
RAN & RAAF contingents already there.
Protest
Staged Men staged a protest objecting to
Sjt CURTAINS dismissed from the 
contingent at the last moment, & returned
to march unless he was reinstated. Maj
WILLIAMS [[?]] talked with them and they
decided to march & defer action
until [[?]] the march was over. Meanwhile
Lt Gen HCH Robertson who had arrived
unofficially talked with Brig MOTEN
and it was decided that CURTAIN
could be reinstated if he could
be got on the ship in time. The [[?]]
were informed of this pact before
embarking leaving assembly area.
At XXXX 1240 the contingent was fallen in.

8 9
Order of
March.
in sixes in the following order
Mounted Police
Band
RAN
AMF
RAAF
Mounted Police
The  Female personnel of each service
marched in order of their respective
services at normal distances.
Order
Moves Off.
1258 Maj Gen KW EATHER arrived
and took over the parade. 1300 Contingent
moved off on the following route with
15 paces between services.
Route.
ALBERT ST - NICHOLSON ST - BOURKE
ST - SWANSTON ST - PRINCES
BRIDGE - ALEXANDRA AVE (Embarking
points). 
Salute. Saluting have situated
at the town hall, where His Excellency
the Governor of VICTORIA Maj Gen Sir
WINSTON DUGAN KCMG CB DSO took
the salute.
Arrival
Embarking Point.
1320 Arrived embarking
point ALEXANDRA ave.
Information
of March
Reasonably
sized crowds line the whole
route, and their vocal enthusiasm
though different ^sporadic was good. March
complete & many streamers were
thrown. The crowd was well controlled
except from PRINCES BRIDGE
onwards, where the gap left was
inadequate to enable the gap  to
be filled  the march to continue without
touching. Noticed particularly
were the number of ex servicemen
who lined the route with their
regimental Mages, their units being

10 11
represented in the contingent.
Reception
at Town Hall.
After passing the saluting base
The Gen EATHER fell out, and
accompanied by BRIG Brig MOTEN
proceeded to the town hall where ^to
attend a reception given by
Councillor Sir Thomas Nettlefold
acting Lord Mayor of MELBOURNE, in
the Town hall. Among guests present
were HE the Governor of VICTORIA, 
Rt Hon WJ DRAKFORD Minister
for Air, the CGS Lt Gen VHH
STURDEE -, com GOC Southern
Comd Lt Gen ROBERTSON, Sir ^command
------ Louis HAMILTON 1^st Naval
member, and members of the City
Council. The Acting Lord Mayor in
his address complimented the 
contingent on their marching and
wished them God Speed. He
also put fwd a suggestion that
GB be invited to send a
contingent for the AUST Victory
March in June. He announced
his intention of putting the
suggestion to parliament. Gen
EATHER in reply thanked the
Acting Lord Mayor for the & the
City of MELBOURNE for
their enthusiastic reception.
Arrived
Port Melbourne.
1345 The contingent [[?]]
[[around?]] to PRINCES PIER
MELBOURNE. 
Embarkation
delayed
Embarkation in
HMS HMAS SHROPSHIRE was
held up for 20 mins, as the
troops refused to embark before

12 13
the arrival of Sgt CURTAIN. When
Embarkation
he arrived the embarkation took
place quickly & smoothly. A great
Routine prior 
to sailing  
many large crowd saw the
departure of the ship, and streamers
flowed from ships side to
wharf. Lt Gen ROBERTSON &
Maj Gen CLOWES came aboard
to pay their respects to Capt HA
SHOWERS ^ CBE, RAN Capt of the ship.
Ship Sails
1600. The ship sailed, with the
ships company & members of the 
contingent [[?]] the side.
Accom
Meeting
Offrs are accommodated on
the [[?]] Flat & in the
Bridge Structure. OR's are
accommodated on the two mens
decks - bedding in the form of
stretchers etc being provided by
the ship. WO's and RAAF [[FU/Sjts?]] are
messing in specialist [[?]] aboard
ship. [[?]] and below messing in cafeteria
OR Female members of all ranks mess
with WC's. Offrs are divided between
Captains mess, [[uniform?]], [[?]].
XX Remainder of day was spent in
settling in & learning ships routine.
Command of
Ship
Senior officers of HMAS SHROPSHIRE
are as follows:-
Capt Capt HA SHOWERS CBE RAN
Commander [[Commander?]] JC MORROW DSO DSC RAN
Commander (E) " HRD OLIVER RAN
" (N) " JS HESLEY DSC RAN
" (S) " RF HATHERFIELD DSC RAN
[[?]] Comd [[?]] DOWNWARD DSC RAN
" " (D) DO SOUTHBY RAN
1^ST Lieut LT Comd JC BATH RAN

XX 15A
when she left port [[?]]
12 Aug 43
24 Sep 43 Arrived FREMANTLE
29 Oct 43 Joined [[TASK FORCE 74?]]
Dec 43 Supported landings at [[ARAWE?]]
& Cape GLOUCESTER
21 Mar 44 Bombarded ADMIRALTY ISLANDS
22 Apr 44 " HOLLANDIA
6 May 44 Capt HA SHOWERS RAN [[?]]
command
25 May 44 Bombarded BIAK
25 Sep 44 Capt CAG NICHOLS [[?]]
command
20 Oct 44 [[Arrested?]] in landing at
LEYTE GULF
3 Jan 45 Bombarded LINGAYEN GULF
16 Feb 45 Bombarded CORREGIDOR ISLAND
30 Nov 45 Arrived SYDNEY for
2nd time in which she had
steamed 50,124 [[miles?]] 17 months
& finish 4500 [[?]] & 3,981
of 4 in [[?]]
Details of Ship
London Class
Armament 8 x 8" guns, 8 x 4" AA guns,
2 xx - single ^eight barrelled [[?]] Pom Poms
11 xx 3 ^40mm [[?]] saluting guns; with a [[?]]
Amount of 1x2" quadruple [[?]]
Engines Develop 80,000 HP [[?]]
speed of 32.646 K
Dimensions Length 632' 9½"
Breadth 66' 0½"
Mean draught 21'
Displacement 13,220 tons.
Once Carried one aircraft and a catapault
amid ships.
15
A brief history of HMAS SHROPSHIRE
is as follows:
Laid down 24 Feb 27 launched 5 Jul 28 at
Rockyard of Messers William BEARDMORE &
Coy [[?]] DALMLUIR SCOTLAND. Named
after county SHROPSHIRE, where people
have always taken a lively interest
in her.
Service with RN
31 Aug 31 Carried their Royal Highnesses,
the Prince of Wales & Prince George
from CANNES to MALTA
31 Aug 31 - 25 May 39 Served three
tours in MEDITERRANEAN. In 1936
took park in evacuation of refugees
from BARCELONA during Spanish
Civil War. Carried [[?]] of Rear
Admiral JDH CUNNINGHAM CB MVO
between 19 Sep 35 - 25 May 39
3 Sep 39. Patrol work in ATLANTIC Ocean
1940 Patrol & escort work in
INDIAN Ocean
Mar 42 Returned ATLANTIC Ocean
It was then decided to hand
SHROPSHIRE over to R^AN, to replace
HMAS AUSTRALIA  CANBERRA
At this stage she had steamed
364,000 miles of which nearly 220,000
had been travelled since the outbreak
of war.
Service with RAN.
25 Jun 43 Officially handed over
to RAN, Capt JA COLLINS CB RAN
assumed command
12 Aug 43 H M the KING inspected the
ship, and signalled God speed.