(Transcribed according to the Laws of Homer and my imagination)
CORONATION CONTINGENT
2nd March. Monday
Left Waitara 2nd March at 0835 by bus to Lepperton. Mum and Bub’s kid went to school. Mona and Margret and Roger saw me off too, at Lepperton. Last sight was Margret waving, red coat, smiling on platform. Mona off and Roger felt miserable too.
Met Katene at Hawera. Good lad.
Arrived Wellington at 1810. Went uptown to tea of braised steaks for 2/9 and then it happened. “Our watch broke when I was winding it up So that’s going to cost me about £5 for a watch.
Rang Jack up 24 866 but no dice, no answer, and so got bus out to Trentham where we were welcomed by the RSM swartz? And a Lieutenant from Wellington West Coast Territorials (WWCT). Signed a form and off to the QM to draw blankets. Then to bed – a large dormitory with rooms but no doors. Lights out 2200 hours.
3rd March
Reveille at 0630. Breakfast at 0715, good one too. Weetbix with hot malted milk.
____ 5 6 242. Extension 23. Jack number. Breakfast
Breakfast. Weetbix with hot milk. Cold ham and mash. Tea, butter, bread
Dinner. Hot sausage roll. Macaroni pudding. Tea
Tea. Roast pork stuffed. Stewed peach and custard
3 March 1953
Met Sgt Hinton, VC. Quite a character but he exaggerated stories about London, etc.
Met Ralph Clayton now at ‘FreeLance’, he was up with other ‘FreeLance’ chap to get any story.
4th March (Wednesday)
Breakfast. Weetbix, hot milk. Liver and gravy, mashed spuds. Tea, bread, etc.
Went to Ministry of Defence to draw kit. Met Tim Cole, ex-Waitara bloke in store. He was a staff sergeant.
Had Physical Training (PT) in the gym. Had to mate up with a Fijian boy. Above 13 to 14 stone. Beat him in one on one tests. Good time in gym, basketball.
Route March
45 minutes out 45 in. Feet felt a bit sore means sock too thick and no rubber insole used. Right foot ok.’
Went to camp pictures ‘Union Station’, fair picture, shorts, news, no half time and so in most audiences were Dutch immigration.
Saw two beams 10 metres in Trentham township. (Radio ham’s aerials. Ed)
(5th (Thursday)
Got up approx 0545 on account of having no watch. A bugger of a situation. Showered, washed, etc before anyone else.
Weather ok. Letters to Mona and Bruce Calman
Breakfast. Weetbix etc. Bacon and egg. Bread, butter.
Dinner. Cottage pie. Tapioca. Tea. Good meal
Made will to Mona, and allotment of 22/- day which will give her 22/- x 7 – 154; £7 ____ less 7 x 1/6; 10/6 = £7.3.0.
Got told off by Colonel Campbell ‘cause of dirty spare boots. Changed boots. One pair ok and one crook, a fold in the seam at heel. Have to do something about it.
Drill, route march, 40 minutes, one thru’ Trentham. Bought pair tennis shoes yesterday, 5/9 from QM stores.
6th March. Friday
Fine day. 3rd in bathroom this morning.
Yesterday got new (2 pair) boots, one pair ok, and one _ with a fold in heel. A bit crook, so this morning my heel is sore on left side, left heel.
Breakfast. Weetbix, hot milk. Fish, gravy, spuds.
Got letter from Mona and pair socks. Good thing too. She misses me. I wonder if Tom Barden will pay up. Ran up 115M (Waitara telephone exchange number. Ed), Colleen answered. 4/6 it cost me. Told her I would ring up ____ at 1900 hours.
Got a ring from Jack. ___ was in pictures house when it came.
Rang him 24866 this morning.
Route march. 7 miles. Right heel blistered, so on with plasters.
PT, games. Swim. Small boy who saw me in khaki pants said to me, “What do you wear those for?” I said, “What do you wear your pants for?”
7th March. Saturday
Had breakfast. Sat opposite Jack Hinton, VC.
Route march, 3 miles.
Rifle drill on the square.
Good weather. Dough running out, £2 left.
Went to town in the afternoon to Randwich Road, Lower Hutt, thence to Eastbourne. Found Bryan Fairbrother, he looks older but still ok. Has divorced Hilda Wilson and has a New Zealand wife, blue-eyed and a nice kid.
Rang Mona up from Eastbourne. Cost me 8/-. Talked to Mona, Roy, Margret and Roger. Mona said the wood arrived. She paid Bill Pizzey. She has £2 left till payday.
To speedway to see JOHN DAVID (This is brother Jack. Ed.). Got a thrill. The buggers burl up to the bend, flop bike over and around. Good.
Met Bill Hitchin, Wembley Captain, who is a ham and interested in ham radio. He reckons Marconi CR100 is good rig.
Will call at his address when possible.
8th March. Sunday
Breakfast. Weetbix. Fried sausages, etc.
Rifle drill, a bull ring, church parade in battle dress. Moody read sermon. Long-winded affair. Rifle drill again and marching, saluting and lunch.
1300 Route march to 1500.
Swim. Good baths. Water bracing, etc. Another parade and then tea.
Met Ben Ropata at orderly room. His bearing strictly in military hands ___.
Went to Post Office to post letter to Mona.
Got to write a letter to the RI, sack, so will do so now. Went to Post Office to post two letters, one to Pension and other to RI.
Went to hop (dance. Ed). A band was practicing, so awaiting of the opportunity.
Arm crook.
9th March. Monday
Breakfast. Weetbix and bacon and eggs.
Good day. Clouds. 2/10d. Today the screaming skull turns up. Saw Major McCullum, the ‘skull’. Seen Poms who would eat him. He is ok with accent on speed of movement. Went to flicks, the ‘Showdown’.
Route march of 1¾ hour under Captain Carruthers.
Rifle drill under ‘Doc Swann. Drill under ‘Mac’.
10th March. Tuesday
Fine day.
Good Breakfast. Weetbix and mince with mashed spuds.
Ironed a hat yesterday and a bugger of a job it was. Yesterday got a new coat, battle dress, change, and new drill pants and best of all, gaiters.
Wrote Mona letter, worrying about her not having dough. With two kids, etc, is tough.
No pictures but wrote letter, got telegram from Mum about parcel.
11th March. Wednesday
Breakfast. Ok. Same.
Fine day, bit cloudy.
Put on ’52 pattern battle dress, collar, tie, gaiters formed up and was inspected by the Chief of General Staff. Gentry. Adjutant General Brigadier Page.
We marched up and down the parade ground under Major McCallum and then changed to red staff pugaree.
Letter from Mona. Good. Written Sunday, posted airmail and got it Wednesday. Payday Friday.
12th March. Thursday
Breakfast. Weetbix. Bacon and egg.
Raining and gusty.
Heard over loudspeaker, going full blast. Heard we had leave from 1200 Saturday to 2300 Sunday. If weather okay, may hitch hike to Waitara. Heel okay. Yesterday did drill, rifle, changing arms on the march.
Got Mum’s and Pop’s parcel – a watch. Boy, was I pleased. Now I can tell the time anytime.
A ‘Titus’ shockproof, waterproof, etc and a real thrill is not having to ask anyone else.
Rained all day.
Drill, rifle, fix bayonets, un__, change arm, march at ___ and afternoon got paid at 1300. I got £5 ____ and £3 single. Get £6 a week. Rifle, drill in the rain. One wounded. A Fijian boy got his bayonet caught in the crook ___ whilst we had a contest. My bayonet is a beaut, fixed and polished for ceremonial.
13th March. Friday
Breakfast. Ok. Weetbix and fish fried, schnapper. Posted letters for Ivan Gainsford of Rotorua, he in as a machine gunner and knows Peter Winterburn of Waitara. Mum’s watch run down at 0545 and it was because me not winding it supposedly. Got some banners yesterday and will post them up today. Dry today so more drill.
14th March. Saturday
Drill till midday. Got pass. Parts inside and then off home by hitch hike.
Left Wellington at 1 pm, got home at 9 pm with Don McKenzie much to Mona’s surprise. She looks quite nice. The Nicholas kids were there, Hoogie and Nan.
Got to sleep at midnight and awoke at 0700 with Margret in bed and Roger, who looked at me with one eye open, before he made up his mind.
Mona had only 5/- and I was sure glad to give her £2. Christ, what a struggle.
Had Breakfast of corned beef, Weetbix and tea, bread and butter. Roger sat on my knee as in the past. He has a crook foot having stood on a nail.
The place looks real nice outside, as Mona has been doing some fine work.
Left home with the sun shining down warmly and brightly, the kids sitting on the verandah and Mona, tears in her eyes, there too.
15th March. Sunday
Left home at 0805.
New Plymouth at 0830
Inglewood 0900
Wanganui 1200
Wellington 1500
Got lift with pheasant-eating, graving-making Citroen car driver who shot around everything in sight. Morris car at Shannon, turn off to Petone, bus to camp.
Wrote letters to Mum and Mona, airmail.
Rang up Johnny from Trentham about 2130 hours. Speedway that night.
16th March. Monday
Fine day. Breakfast. Weetbix, bacon and egg.
Chaps keen to hear about return to and from Waitara, hitchhiking.
Rifle drill morning then visit by Steve Weir, told us about being good soldiers in UK. Rifle drill around square. Everyone sluggish.
PT in the gym with officers, and dinner.
1300 hours Route March
1400 hrs Brown Owl
1640 hours Trentham
Weather hot. 2 girls pulled out. One for temporary paralysis. Jean, a sergeant.
17th March. Tuesday
Weather fine. Breakfast. Weetbix and mince. Last night we had a free night in the mess. The MOD boys turned it on. I had 4 beers, which did not satisfy.
Left Wellington at 1500 hours, my sea kit ____ zips, fasteners.
Train trip came as all train trips.
18th March. Wednesday
Arrived Auckland at 0800, boarded a GMC and thence to vehicle ferry across and to breakfast in Narrow Neck where chaps who had been sergeants in 1950 were sergeants in 1953. A lot of bludgers.
Documentation, money taking out of NZ, etc. Went to FRED’S (brother Fred. Ed) for the afternoon. He looks well and Zoe has lost a lot of fat and is quite slim. The kids are ok. Danny, big and Ronnie’s with a medal. Judy, big, as same as Tuppence. The kids all have a boat each.
Fred gave me quid to split with IKE (brother Ike. Ed). Fred has a security job.
19th March. Thursday
Flew from Whenuapai at 0600 hours, sun rise at 0645 and made a memorable sight, clouds. Cup of tea, orange, apples. Seats facing backwards., vibrating motors. Lunch at 0900, halfway, bulletin from the Captain ____ about speed, 214 (? ED), height 8000, temperature 40oC.
Landed in Aussie, after flying over Tasman at 1230 hours and put our clocks back to 1030, __atchelor photographed, etc, on the bus / driven to jetty, thru’ Palmer Street, the notorious area. And out to HMAS Sydney, weight 18,000. A carrier, a new ship, laid down in 1948. 146’ from keel to mast height.
We were disappointed to get hammocks and a good mess. Meals, ok, plenty, including cockroaches. However, we settled down and new bedding when I heard IKE call out, ‘Want a hand, Dig”. He looked OK. Big, capable, and pleased to hear about home.
I didn’t go ashore, stayed yarning and getting jacked up.
20th March. Friday
Breakfast. Weetbix, plus cockroaches, haricot beans, tea.
Off to town at 10pm to Tooranga Park Zoo by ferry using tokens and cost, Zoo 3/- and Aquarium, 1/-. Saw shark, rays, turtles, tortoises, monkeys, lions, tigers, birds galore. Weather hot. Had dinner with Cyril Rivers of Auckland. 4/6 schnapper and tea, little pat of butter. Changed my quid and 5/- in silver to Aussies money. Went to Darlinghurst Road to look up cobber’s cousin. He took some finding. Feed of grapes at 1/5 lbs, bananas, 6 for 1/-msaw grapes at 1/-, good. Tons of people in the streets. Met some Aussies who knew NZ.
21st March. Saturday
Upon deck to watch flying. Fairy Fireflies. We pulled out of Sydney at 0930. Weather hot and out through heads and then we saw the ‘Black Prince’.
22nd March. Sunday
Church Parade on flight deck. Own padre and the ship’s, halved the sermon.
Life is easier now as we get used to the life.
Messing is on the cafeteria system. We go in to the set tables, and a steward or waiter (a Naval rating) brings along the ‘main and follows with ‘duff’. These terms do not differ with meals whether we have pork, steak or rice pudding.
Meal times on 0715.
Dinner on 1200
Tea on 1630
Supper on 1800.
Typical meals. (____ Breakfast. Fried sausages)
Dinner – Roast beef, carrots, cabbage, roast spud and mashed spud
23rd March. Monday
Saw the ‘rip’ off Melbourne at the mouth of the bay. A heaving section of sea abounding in rocks and we saw a wreck, the ‘Time’, laying black and rusty with the sea running around.
We came up a buoyed channel to the pier, Princess Pier and dressed ship with the navy, a smart thing, but standing at ease for 1 hour is not easy. We saw Melbourne approaching, a huge, low flat area with a population of 1½ million, acres of chimneys smoking furiously. We berthed with the help of the rug ‘Tooranga’ to a jetty separated from the wharf by a platform
Here we loaded beer from 115 hrs to 1420 hrs, forming a chain gang. Needless to say, the beer didn’t all go down the hatches. IKE was Duty Officer in charge of leave and I went up town with our armoured chap ‘Jock Turnbull’ and some other boys to a pub famous for its paint of ‘Chloe’, a life size model of a naked dame.
Turner and Jackson was the pub.
Then to King’s Pub with our Aussies to meet some ABC chaps.
Met a chap who knows hams, a SCR522. Another chap knew the ham in the Police Station at Russell Street. Didn’t have time to to as had to meet IKE at the Australia in an atmosphere of beer, smoke and humanity. To tea in the Silver Grill with a German waiter. Had steak, chips.
24th March. Tuesday
Left Melbourne at 1100 hours. Dressed ship. Weather ok. Saw ‘Dominion Monarch’ in port.
Saw land on starboard side, bare brown hills with evidence of afforestation. Feel ok, but swell increasing slightly.
25th March. Wednesday
Ship rolling and pitching. Don’t feel too good, not the same as on the ‘Rangitata’ in 1940, Seas not nearly so huge. Had breakfast, not much to drink and a ball of something in belly.
Dinner __ ____many now seasick, sailors, army, air force, regardless of country, same boys, stayed in hammocks much to Navy’s disgust.
We all of us sling hammocks in our mess at night but I like outside but tonight the sea is breaking off our bows and the spume is being blown over the place where I hang my hammock.
A long way from the family. Hope they are ok. Miss very much the routine of home life. This life here is lazy.
Rise at 0600
Breakfast 0645
Morning fall in 0?00
Morning tea 1000
Dinner 1200
1300 Parade1300
Afternoon tea 1500
Tea (high 1600
Supper 1800
Meals ok except for the cockroaches in the Weetbix.
Boys going crook about conditions.
Had parade yesterday for death of Queen Mary, service now on bridge saying ‘bend on such a such flag’
26th March. Thursday
Weather better, not much ‘over the rail’. Feel better myself, but no more for me. This trip is damn hard to stomach. Picked our rifles up in the armoury.
Remember the ‘Oh no, now my flowers’. Boys have bitch session. Jack Hinton VC got the Colonel to cable back to NZ. Had a chat with a RAAF chap who was in a ____ ____ bomber which flew over NZ. He said the AR8 in the RAAF had the 1155 licked, but its best was its BC 348. Had a look at the wireless cabin, some ____ ____, a good set from ___ to ___. The aim is to get a go at IKE, set the tone to ham bands.
Went to pictures in hangar. Huge sound amplifier. Saw Clark Gable in ‘Hey Girl’. 16mm film.
AM watch, 1 boss, have roll to check chaps. Jack Hinton is in my outfit. IKE looks, big, fit and big shoulders, a ___, looks super in KD and boots, anklets, etc.
27th March. Friday
(No records. Ed)
28th March. Saturday
Wrote letters to Mona and Fred. See lights, flashes, land, water, moonlight.
29th March.
Entered Fremantle at 0900, a long rack pier with lighthouse on end on own right. Dressed ship. Our band played and two shore bands also (a Scottish). The day was fine, hot and Fremantle appeared a small concentrated outfit with a giant silo (wheat) a long bridge, leading out to ships. Paraded in battle dress. Felt hats, corps pugaree. Church service in hangar, then leave at 1100. My bad luck to be on duty to 1800,
____ _____ around, one with brown shorts, half inch too short. Sonny Dunlop is on duty as well as __ men of my watch. Visitors allowed aboard. I conducted a party around the guns, flight deck and down ____.
Visitors off at 1700. I away to clean up and Sonny on guard at the ‘midship brow’. Lousy Navy officers there.
Off to ____ with services cobber in back seat and tour to Victoria Park to a ham shack, VK6AZ.
Impression of Perth, long drive around Swan River ____ to town, Bullens Circus, brick houses, trees, ____ trees in every garden. ‘Ham’ VK8AZ knows her VK6LG.
Grapes at ¼, bacon at 1/- lb. Had a __ each the ‘Causeway’ that ___ each side taxi to tow, crowds at pictures, Italians in café. Milkshakes at 11d each. Not looking for beer. Went to Rose Street, saw Puke there, must be Don and Charlie’s brother. Supper, 4 tomato sandwiches, cup of tea 1/9.
Back to bus stop to Fremantle and ship, the HMAS Altmark.
30th March. Monday
Train to Perth. Red pugarees. Line up at station and march to ANZAC House, salute Governor – and a Brigadier. Good feed, gorged myself on grapes, more grapes, pears, apples, loaded into my blouse. Tea, sandwiches, pies and a good buffet lunch with Aussie women serving. Lots of loud clapping on streets, orders hard to understand. Weather hot. And back to ship by train.
Sailed at 1410 hours. Dressed ship.
Saw Jap ship’Gino Maru’, ‘Rhodesia Star’ and several others. Scenes on wharf local sailor kissing his wife goodbye in public.’
Sleep at night in hammock, sometimes spray blows in and annoys me often causing me to shift.
No mail from Mona as yet, guess all the mail is going OK. Some talk of marching in Washington 4th July. Miss the family most at night when I crawl into bed.
31st March. Tuesday
Weather ok. Today passed the spot where the ‘Sydney’ got the ‘Common’ and vice versa.
Incidents from 1st April – enroute to Colombo
Passed Cocos Keeling group, heavy surf. ____ trees. Group of islands. Birds. Look at but thru’ telescope. Aircraft took off to drop mail, returned with a few cocoanuts. Average height very low. Highest ground 16’ over sea level.
Saw palm-fringed island where the ‘_Ein__den’ got it during 1914-18 war. Getting hotter now, still no flying fish. Had a few good yarns with Ike. Food ok but not enough. Still go up to bridge for practice.
Aircraft having difficulty landing due to no wind. One pilot two planes.
Rocket firing at towed target. Accurate, spectacular fire at 0000 done from 4000.
Black Prince party transferred by bosun chair whilst going at 15 knots, refuel ___ by same method. She came in about 60 feet away on parallel course light line shot across by rifle, then bigger ones by pulling across the rubber pipe. Colonel Campbell and an RC father and the ship stopped to enable Black Prince ratings to attend the ‘races’. Big swell.
Officer of Watch, manoeuvre the ships in different formations.
Looking forward to Colombo. Drew £3 (Aussie), £2.8.5NZ. Some 4 quid credit.
Church parades a bind. Knees have not burn ad sore as hell when being treated with meths and aquaflavine. Hi!
Tune the B40 ____. No aerial left.
Radio mechanism sig ___ 1728 better (____ of) bet_ note.
Usual routine at night. Wonder how the kids and Mona are doing.
8th April. IKE’S BIRTHDAY.
Go down to a friends cabin to drink two bottles of grog – blooming sweating like a pig didn’t get drunk ‘cause of sweating.
Days pass by slowly, boys getting pissed off with conditions.
I’m ok. Used to worse. In fact hammocks are rather comfortable.
Colombo
Guide with references. Man with long pants and skirt.
We went to Buddhist shrine. No photos with back to Buddha.
Got 2 umbrellas for kids. Wish I had some dough to buy a lot of good things here. Lose silks, dresses, slippers, scarves. Saw a lot of radio gear around the _____ sewing machine in open shop. Sew while you wait.
Went to zoological gardens to see zoo. Had photo taken with a group of Indian people grouped around. Indian family who were wandering thru’.
Real Indian elephants. Great big green excreta. D__ on street cadging dough. Betel nut and leave spitting. Remarkably clean untouchables.
Pay around end of the week.
Hundreds of garages, ryes, cars, motorbikes, VSA, Velos, cars better than NZ. Native drivers with bare feet.
Back to ship in Colombo Harbour by ‘fire boat’ to tea in boat before leave expires.
Colombo 2nd day
(This is the end of Dad’s diary of some six weeks. As usual, blanks where I cannot imagine what was written. Margret)
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