Always on Active Service

At 1800 on 3 February 1946 Shropshire sailed from Sydney in company with Bataan and after an uneventful passage entered Westernport Bay and anchored off Stony Point jetty at 1000. We remained for two days. During this time groups of both officers and ratings went ashore to visit friends and generally socialise at our initial training base, HMAS Cerberus, (Flinders Naval Depot). We thought little had changed as we walked around our old blocks and even though it was for most only two to three years ago, it seemed a lifetime.

Shropshire was challenged to a tennis match by the Flinders Naval Depot tennis team and 'tennis players' were called to volunteer. So four of us, Peter Muhlhan and myself and two others, using borrowed racquets went ashore and proceeded, strange as it may seem, to beat their volunteer team. After the match we were treated to a few beers, cheese and biscuits, so another pleasant day was concluded.

After discussions relating to drafting, and the future complement of the heavy cruiser was finalised by the drafting office, both Shropshire and Bataan weighed anchor and departed Westernport Bay at 0900 on 5 February. We entered Port Philip Bay at 1230 and Shropshire secured at the Inner East Station pier and Bataan at the Outer West Princes pier. Commodore Collins' broad pendant was broken in Shropshire on the 6th and later transferred to Hobart at 1200 on 14 February 1946. The usual bevy of girls haunted the wharf as we went ashore but I think most sailors were more than wary or just plain scared to become involved and walked past.

On February the commodore escorted the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Alderman C.V. Connelly, on a tour of the ship before entertaining him at lunch. During lunch they discussed the procedure for a march through Melbourne. Our old flagship Australia arrived from England on the 7th and secured astern of us. The old cruiser had been repaired and looked a little odd at first, then we saw the reason, 'X' turret had been removed.

The 8th February dawned and with uniforms pressed, platoons from Shropshire, Australia, Bataan and the 20th minesweeping flotilla left by train for the 'big' march through the City of Melbourne. Captain Nichols led the Victory March and was proud to report that it was the largest group of naval ratings ever to march through the streets of Melbourne. The Lieutenant-Governor, Lieutenant-General Sir Edmund Herring took the salute as the 1650 officers and ratings moved past and the crowd of many thousands who lined the streets gave the Navy a rousing reception.

The next day, 9 February 1946, Captain Nichols after 'clear lower deck' was piped, received from the United States Navy an award, the US 'Bronze Medal'. It was pinned on his chest by Captain I.R. Chambers USN. It was a justly received award for this soon to retire and much admired RN captain. After the speeches were concluded, three cheers were given spontaneously by the ship's company. Many social outings were arranged ashore for the crew as well as visits by many parties of school children who were invited on board to see one of the RAN's most successful World War II warships. A cocktail party was held on the quarterdeck on the 12th to welcome aboard our first naval member, Admiral Sir Louis Hamilton KCB, DSO.

It was during this festivity that Leading Signalman Dave Birrell found himself alone to carry out the job of unravelling the ensign. All the other sig's had somehow convinced their department that they were natives of Melbourne and had slipped ashore in what Dave thought was a rather surreptitious manner. However, being made of sterner stuff he took the usual two-man job and reported aft to his station at the ensign staff on the quarterdeck in preparation to unfurl. Struggling in the breeze to prevent the unravelling of the Ensign before the appropriate moment, he did a valiant job and held firm until he was ordered to let it spread in the wind. The end result was indeed a pleasing one - Commodore Collins had apparently viewed the struggles of our leading signalman and when the brief ceremony was concluded the Commodore said 'Well done Birrell' as he left the quarterdeck.

On the 14th, after Commodore Collins had transferred his broad pendant to Hobart, we sailed from Port Melbourne passing through the 'rip' and across the straits to sail down the western side of Tasmania. We secured alongside Ocean Pier, Hobart at 0800 on 16 February 1946. It was an uneventful and short voyage except for the sixty-two Midshipmen who seemed to be everywhere and doing everything. It was said we were the first heavy cruiser to visit the City of Hobart during the six years of war and we were not surprised at the marvellous welcome we received on arrival by the thousands of Hobartians assembled at vantage points, even at the early hour of 0800.

The off duty watches were given a make and mend and our Taswegian crew members were in great demand for information regarding where were the best 'dives', hotels, etc, to visit. During the week's stay in Hobart, Captain Nichols called on the Governor of Tasmania, Admiral Sir Hugh Binney, KCB, DSO, the Chief Justice, the Premier and the Lord Mayor of Hobart. In turn they visited Shropshire. Many Hobart Clubs granted honorary membership to the captain and his officers and they certainly made use of these generous offers. Cocktail parties, dances, sight-seeing trips were some of the outings arranged, as well as visits to the Cascade Brewery. The hosts of these clubs were invited, in return, to enjoy a dance and frolic on the quarterdeck following an afternoon tea party on 21 February 1946.

The Hobart people arranged a marvellous dance for the whole ship's company, it was one of tile most enjoyable and most tiring evenings. There were so many girls waiting to dance and talk to the men, I can only report that whoever said that Tasmania was overpopulated by women was telling the truth. It was said there were three women to two men in Hobart when we arrived. There were large numbers of leg-weary and husky voiced crew members looking the worse for wear on the next day.

Some of the crew made their own arrangements. Our group of six, myself, G. Sherwin, D. Harris,
J. Pitman, G. Urquhart and J. Scully who visited Sandy Bay and attended church parade at the Church of England, which resulted in an invitation to a private home for an early evening tea and the telling of the usual round of tall stories relating to our successful bombardments, our only surface action and the many kamikaze attacks. We were all relieved that we were not offered any 'grog' to drink. Since arriving from Melbourne most of us had had more than our share and a rest, even for one day, was good for the soul.

This type of outing was offered to many of the ship's company but the best was our bus trip to Kingston. We forgot the time and missed the last bus for Hobart and were forced to seek help. There was no accommodation available and to avoid sleeping in the open on or near the beach we decided to call on the local Protestant preacher. However we were out of luck so we called on the Roman Catholic presbytery and spoke to Father Ryan. He was a former Tobruk Rat and Army chaplain and was very helpful. He persuaded a few of his flock, holidaying at Kingston, to not only put us up for the night but to feed us.

What a marvellous night it was with old smoothy and ladies' man, George Sherwin, one of our writers, dressed in round rig and looking the part, or should I say every inch an officer. I do not remember him offering any explanation that he was not an 'officer' and a 'gentleman'. However he was the most successful in his night's pursuit of pleasure and flirting with the young ladies present. Of course we were all in there trying to emulate his style but lacked his successful delivery.

Father Ryan decided to entertain us every day and arrived every afternoon at 1600 in his Buick straight-eight limousine and took us all over Hobart, to the top of Mount Wellington, to Wrest Point for dinner, to Souda Park and to many hotels where some of us met our much deserved fates for drinking until 10pm closing time. Even Father Ryan let his hair down a little as he reminisced about his Army life and overseas activities and we were all sure he enjoyed the company of we six Protestants because all the outings were full steam ahead and no holds barred, with the subject of religion taboo.

After this hectic week in Hobart we sailed at 0800 on 23 February 1946 and enjoyed a most tranquil, uneventful voyage to Sydney entering on 25 February to secure to No 2 buoy at 1100. HMAS Pirie entered harbour. During the next few weeks the ship's complement changed constantly. Old hands were part of the contingent to be in London for the victory march if they signed on for a further two years service. I declined and left for South Australia and an honourable discharge.

On 6 March 1946 a captured Japanese destroyer Yoizuki sailed from Sydney for Tokyo with Japanese POWs. Shropshire sailed for Jervis Bay for a period of further training and working up with the new elements of the crew. She anchored off Captain's Point at 1645 on 11 March. Seamanship and gunnery drills were carried out in slow time. Later proceeding to sea for exercise with Bataan to carry out radar calibrations and tracking using an RAAF Catalina flying boat as a target. Bataan fired one torpedo at Shropshire during a night encounter and tracking exercise, but no record was written as to the result of this dummy attack.

Our torpedo officer and ship's announcer during action stations Lieutenant (T) H.C.W. Brewster RAN, left Shropshire on 16 March 1946 to receive from the onlookers a cheerful farewell and best of luck, etc. On the return passage to Sydney further dummy air attacks were made by aircraft from Scholfields Naval Air Station to give practice in determining height finding techniques whilst the planes simulated dummy dive-bombing and torpedo bombing attacks.

We anchored in Athol Bight, Port Jackson, at 1100 on 18 March and broke the broad pendant of Commodore J.A. Collins CB, RAN at 1120. His staff and sixty-eight passengers for Japan embarked with seventy-eight additional ratings as well as quantities of stores. At 1615 on the same day Shropshire in company with Bataan weighed anchor and sailed for Brisbane carrying out additional surface and air tracking exercises during the passage. We secured at Brett's Wharf, Hamilton Beach in Brisbane at 1100, 20 March and the Commodore called on the Lord Mayor, Alderman J.B. Chandler, the naval officer in charge, Captain E.P. Thomas OBE, the Base Commandant Major-General B.P. Stenke, the Queensland Premier, Hon. E.M. Hanlon and the Chief Justice, Hon. Mr Justice Macrossan.

The Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Alderman Chandler, entertained thirty ship's officers at a civic reception in the Council Rooms and a dance for the ship's company was held in the City Hall. An afternoon tea party was given by the Commodore aboard the flagship Shropshire on Friday 22 March although incessant rain tended to mar the occasion. Shropshire was delayed from leaving Brisbane for a day due to an intense cyclone but sailed on the 26th to join HMAS Quiberon in Moreton Bay and Hobart in Hervey Bay to carry out squadron exercises. On the 27th the Australian Squadron anchored in Platypus Bay where the broad pendant of Commodore Collins was transferred to Hobart.

During our return to Sydney on 1 April 1946 a full calibre throw off shoot was carried out by Hobart firing at Shropshire with her 6'' guns at 0914 and later at 1010 Shropshire fired at Hobart with her 8'' guns. We arrived in Port Jackson on 2 April and secured to No 2 buoy. On arrival we were advised that Shropshire was no longer part of the Australian Squadron and that she was leaving for London to participate in the victory parade. We stayed in Sydney for about a week whilst alterations were made to accommodate the victory contingent waiting for us in Melbourne. Both 'A' and 'B' magazines were cleared to increase food storage.

During this hectic period Shropshire's new Commanding Officer Captain H.A.Showers and Mrs Showers were invited with other officers and their wives to meet HRH the Duke of Gloucester at 1730 on Sunday, 7 April. It was a memorable occasion as the commodore introduced them to His Royal Highness. We sailed for Melbourne on 11 April, 1330, and had an uneventful voyage en route arriving on the 13th.