AWM52 1/11/18/4 - Headquarters London Victory March Contingent, 1946, part 3, Naval log - Part 10

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of die & paint expertly applied

with a paint brush. A rotten

egg on the top of the head &

a bitter sea egg forced into the

mouth completed, and the victim

was ready for the bears.

A swing of the board & he

went backwards into the pool,

and was soundly ducked by the

bears & mermaids in turn.

After the all the people with

warrants out against them had

been done, and a number

of special ones had been chosen ∧rounded up,

all the commodities of the "barbers"

shop were emptied into the

pool, and wholesale ducking

began. Bands wandered around

the ship [[?]] everyone for looking

for malingers. No one from

Gen EATHER downwards escaped.

The Women members of the Contingent

presented a very bedraggled

appearance after being [[duck???ed]],

clothes & all.

The thanks of the Contingent 

are due to Lt Comd PURVIS who

organized the show, and all the

people who went to the trouble

of of dressing up for the

occasion. Few of us will ever

forget it.

[*[[JB]]?*]

1200. Course 325° Speed 13 Knots Wind

SE Force 4 Visibility 6c 8 Sea & Swell 22

Barometer 1015.8 Distance run since

1871200 - 312 miles. Latitude 3° 05' S

Longitude 6° 15' W.

183

Sunday 19 May AT SEA.

Fine very hot day with hardly

a breath of wind.

0920 Church Parade & Divisions. The

Contingent took up it's usual position

for divisions. After the "close" had been

sounded they marched to the torpedo

space in lieu of the quarterdeck,

where the church parade was held.

This was d necessary because of the

extreme heat and the fact that there

is no protection on the quarter deck.

Rev WERE took the service, Chap

JAMES read the lesson gave the

address, & the Captain read the lesson.

After church parade all ranks

were stood down for a rest day.

1200 Course 322° Sp Speed 13 Knots

Wind SE Force 2 Visibility bc 7 Sea

& Swell 21 Barometer 1012.3 Distance run

since 181200- 312 miles Latitude 01° 26' N

Longitude, 09° 30' W.

1400. Female ^Womens Contingent played a

combined services team deck cricket.

The game provided a lot of fun

for the spectators as well as the

players, and they provided a most

chivalrous audience. Some of the girls

showed definite signs of previous

experience with a bat. Bowling of

course was underhand. The Combined

Services ended by winning with a small
margin to spare.

After the conclusion of the game,

the ^semi finals of the deck hockey competition

were played. This resulted in

 185

a win for the Naval Contingent

against the Stokers 5-2.  They

are now approved to the Dustmen

in the final.

1700. The only cContingent team left,

the AMF defeated ASHCANS (Gun Room

Officers) ^12-5 in the third round of

the quiz competition.  Their performance

was so good that we are looking

forward with confidence to the

next round.

1630 Clocks retarded 1hr.

1930 & 2045.  "Sailors on Leave" and a

newsreel on the forecastle

and the quarterdeck.

187

Monday 20 May AT SEA

Another hot tropical day with

intermittent rain storms.

0845 Officer's conference in orderly room.

The following information received from

LONDON was promulated:

(1) The Resident Minister, the Honourable

John BEASLEY, and official party will

visit the Ship on day of arrival, to

welcome the Contingent.

(2) Male members of the Contingent

will be quartered in a camp

situated in Kensington Gardens

with British & other Dominion Contingents.

Women's Services will be quartered

at Bushy Park, near HAMPTON Court

(3) Australian Victory Forces Canteen

is to be established at Australia

House.

(4) Special HCF Hostel for women

members will be at Sloane House

Gardens to provide accommodation

for leave periods.

(5) Arrangements are in hand to

organise trips to various parts

of ENGLAND & SCOTLAND with a

possibility of a representative party

to GERMANY.

0900. Paraded and congregated in

Torpedo Space, where Maj WILLIAMS

addressed them the AMF Component.

He gave them details on leave

collected promulgated at the conference

on 17 May He also promulgated

the above information received

from LONDON. There were many

questions, mainly unanswerable

189

until we gain an idea of

our official commitments.

Lists are being prepared

with reference to each mans

preference for leave & excursions.

As far as possible these will be

balanced by ^with any official excursions ^commitments.

0930. Broken off for the day on

account of the expected frequent

rainstorms & the intense heat.

An invitation alleged to have

been received by cable was

distributed. It invited 30 members

of the AMF Component to visit

a country house in Scotland &

enjoy all the activities detailed.

Personnel desirous of going were

asked to hand their names

to Maj WILLIAMS. After raising

quite a number of men's hopes,

it was found to be bogus.  The

joke was not appreciated.

The swimming pool on the

quarterdeck was removed,

and preparations for the big

concert TROPIC NIGHTS were

commenced. The stage is being

erected in at the extreme rear

of the quarterdeck. It will be

held on Tuesday & Wednesday

nights weather permitting. On Tuesday

Officers, Petty Officers, NCO'S of AMF &

RAAF, Red Watch of Seamen, Blue

Watch of Stokers may attend; on

Wednesday the remainder of the Ship's

Company & Contingent. All the cast

191

have rehearsing indefatigably for

some time, everybody is looking

forward to it with keen

anticipation.

1200 Course 320° Speed 14 Knots Wind

WSW - Force 2 Visibility 0/6 Sea & Swell 22

Barometer 1017.3 Distance run since

191200 - 325m Latitude 5° 45' N Longitude 13° 02' W.

1430. The final of the Deck Hockey

between Dustmen (Stoker's No1) and

Naval Contingent was a magnificent

game.  Dustmen playing very good

hockey defeated Naval Contingent 5 - 0.

However The scores belie the good

performance of the losers.

1745. Dirithy Dox came on the

air again.

1930 "Scatterbrain" was screened

on the F'csle.

It has been announced that

Cpl TARRANT Contingent, will conduct

classes in Spanish on the return

journey.  They will be under the

auspice of the Ship's Schoolmaster,

and will be open to both Ship's

Company & the Contingent. Students

should be able to read a Spanish

newspaper at the end of the

voyage.

Since arriving in the tropics

the men have had an ample opportunity

to get a good sun tan.  By the 

time they arrive in London

they should be able to maintain

their reputation of sun

bronzed Australians.

[*Seen R Kingsford Smith*]

193

Tuesday 221 May. AT SEA- FREETOWN.

Overcasts day with intermittent

rain storms.

0757. Dropped anchor at FREETOWN.

FREETOWN, capital of the British colony

of SIERRE LOENE [*arrow indicating transpose OE to EO*], WEST AFRICA is situated

on the south side of the SIERRA

LOENE [*arrow indicating transpose OE to EO*] estuary about 5 miles from the

cape of that name; population of

55, 000 approximately of which about

500 are E uropeans.  FREETOWN is

picturesquely situated on a plain, closed

in by wooded hills, the SEIERRA LEONE,

rising 1700 ft. Nearly every house

is surrounded by a courtyard or

garden which makes the town

unusually large for the number

of its inhabitants. FREETOWN owes ^derives

its name and even its origin

to the fact that it was here

philanthropists who sought to alleviate

the lot of these negroes who were

victims of the traffic in human

beings decided to set up a settlement

and provide shelter & refuge for

these unfortunates.

It possesses few buildings of

architectural merit, the principal being

the Governor's residence and government

office, the barracks, cathedral, missionary

institution, fruit market, Wilberforce

Hall, courts of Justice, railway

stations, and the grammar school.

FREETOWN is known as the

"White Mans Grave", the death rate

being 29.6 per 100 in 1901 - 1907. This

has been reduced considerably in

195

later years, by strenuous efforts to

provide better sanitation drains

and fill in mosquito breeding

grounds.

The town is governed by a

municipality (created in 1893) with

a Mayor and councillors, the large

majority being elective. FREETOWN

was the first place in British West

Africa to be granted welfare

government.

It has at all times been a

strategic point in West Africa and

during the war, was a fuelling

base and an assembly point for

convoys to England.

The contingent did not line

the ship, but kept out of the waay

on B deck whilst the ship steamed

to its anchorage.

0845. Port Director came aboard.

Shortly after arriving a tanker

came alongside & the ship commenced

oiling.

Before the ship berthed

native canoes were swarming

out towards it. They had for

barter many & various types 

of merchandise. Chief amongst which

were pineapples, bananas, mangoes,

coconuts, wicker baskets, trinkets,

knives, silk & even monkeys. Most

members of the contingent spent the

day leaning over the side bartering

cigarettes & ^spare clothing for these articles.

Most of the natives spoke reasonable

197

English so this was practicable

without too much trouble.  All

canoes the a carried a basket

fastened to a length of light rope.

The prospective buyer drew the

basket up, placed his cigarettes

or whatever he was bartering

in it, lowered it to the canoe

where his item of barter was

replaced by his purchase.

The natives also dived for

coins, - an accomplishment at

which they were extremely proficient.

If, as was occasionally the case,

a copper coin was thrown wrapped

in silver paper, the native on

discovering the hoax heaped

a most embarrassing torrent of

abuse & foul language on the

culprit. Most of them [[?]] did tricks

of some sort such as imaginary

rifle exercises with their paddles.

In short the Contingent on the

whole found them most

entertaining.

1120. Gen SHOWERS EATHER & Capt

SHOWERS went ashore to pay

an ^official call on, and lunch with,

the Governor, Sir ______ .

1200. Wind W Force 2 Visibility C/6

Barometer 1010.5 Sea & Swell 21 Distance

run since 201200 - 260 miles.

1400. Gen EATHER & the Captain

returned

1515. Sailed on last leg of journey

which to LONDON, which will be

199

reached on 30 May.

Owing to rain during the

afternoon the concert upsetting

preparations, the concert was postponed

until Wednesday & Thursday nights.

The weather, however, was quite

clear in the evening at the time

it was due to be held.