Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

With his old pal Charlie “Shiner” Wright, Jack signed up for the Royal Australian Navy just before his 17th birthday in May 1938 in Hobart.  His father talked him into this to steer him away from the miners occupation held by his father and grandfather. He was trained in seamanship and communications at the Flinders Naval depot in Victoria Jack was drafted to the HMAS Hobart, a 6” cruiser in July 1939.  Two months later, on the 3 September World War 2 was declared. 

Only days before war was declared, HMAS Hobart was in Sydney Harbour and Jack recounted that while working one nightshift, he spotted some light signalling being made from a building on the Northern shore to a German merchant ship anchored in Sydney Harbour and reporting this, and roughly the location of the source, to the Officer on watch. Some days later the press reported that spies had been nabbed in that area with radios and espionage gear.

Jack was soon posted to the HMAS Australia, an 8” heavy cruiser. His friend Shiner Wright was transferred to the HMAS Sydney where he lost his life when it was sunk off the West Australian coast by a German frigate masking as a merchant ship.  (Jack never got over this and sadly he passed away before HMAS Sydney was located.  Jack submitted an account/theory of the sinking of the HMAS Sydney to the Advertiser before he passed.)

Jack spent 2 ½ years on HMAS Australia. Much of this time was spent in the Atlantic in convoys escorting merchant ships with troops and equipment, and included the Queen Mary, the Queen Elizabeth and the Aquatania from Perth and South Africa to the UK. 

They were based at Scapa Flow in the North Sea north off Scotland for other operations with the Royal Navy.  Jack often remembered  in the rare quiet times, he and his ship mates diving into the frozen  waters and getting out before they froze to death. These seas have a reputation as being the roughest and Jack recalled the ship going through its maximum roll at one stage when they were picking up survivors from a sunken flying boat.

His other main operations were in the Arctic Ocean and off the coast of West Africa. He often recounted the time when the ship crew were watching a move on the deck one evening when docked off the coast, on a warm evening, when the Officer responsible for the projector turned it around onto the shore to highlight a troop of monkeys hanging in the trees, appearing to be watching the movie also.

Along with the aircraft carrier the Ark Royal and other heavies from the royal Navy, HMAS Australia was involved in action off Dakar. The Australia took some hits. None were hurt on board but their walrus spotter plane was lost with 2 RAAF crew and his mess mate Bungey Bennett the telegraphist air gunner.

The Australia was in dry dock in Liverpool UK for repairs for a month and it was during this time that Liverpool was heavily bombed.   A one thousander bomb landed between the dock and the Australia but didn’t explode!

In Decemeber 1941, while on duty, he heard the voice of America announce Japanase bombing of Pearl Harbour and reported this to Captain. After this, the HMAS Australia returned to Australian waters.

He did a short stint at Port Adelaide and then Coonaarra near Darwin as ship-to-shore radio.  Soon after in 1942, Jack was transferred to the frigate HMAS Barcoo based in the Pacific and mainly around the Philippines, New Guinea and in conflict against the Japanese in the Coral Sea. Jack recounted the story often of one night communicating with a US ship nearby in morse code but to the tune of Glen Miller's "In the mood" for which he became a "local legend". During this time Jack contracted dengue fever.

Jack experienced first hand the crucial role that the American forces played in the Pacific and Coral Sea in terms of Australia’s border protection.

He was of the strong opinion to the end that Australians never well appreciated or understand the alliance that Australia holds with the US and believed that the Alliance we have in current day conflicts stems from the Pacific battles in which he was involved.

While on leave from the Barcoo back in Hobart, he was on the Lenah Valley tram one evening, a good looking red head dressed in a ballroom evening dress joined the tramcar.  Jack called it a coincidence, however Jack and his mate happened to have a look in the Royal Belvedere Ballroom and saw the same red head and although he couldn’t dance has the audacity as he described it to ask her for a dance to which she agreed.  Jack and Sheila were partners from that point on and for life and Jack considered that was a really worthwhile tram ride.

After the war, Jack was posted to Madang, then Nauru and then his favourite spot in the world, Ocean Island in the pacific only a few yards from the equator. Here he was responsible for repairing lost radio communications with a New Zealand post there. The reference he got for his work at this post most likely set him up for life.

He was discharged from the RAN in 1946 after breaking his leg after a motor-bike accident.

Jack and Sheila had 6 children (5 sons, 1 daughter), and at the time of his passing 8 grand children.

Thank you for your service Jack.