Today in History .May - 25 - 1945.

 

The Flag ship of the British Pacific Fleet ; HMS King George V exits operation Iceberg after ten weeks of constant fighting around Okinawa and surrounding islands ( Google Operation Iceberg for info)

I was pleased to be having time off from my precarious unenviable action station on the open to anything coming our way- the Air defence position where below our guns waited poised from the constant attacks by visiting Kamikazes.

On many occasions"the Brown trousers seemed imminent'. But I was convinced I was too young to die, there were far too many more exciting things for me to achieve before that happened.

Our ship had sailed North from Sydney Australia in February 1945 in company with other ships of the British pacific fleet.

On leaving Op Iceberg our ship and escorting destroyers called into Guam (Marianas) the US Navy Base where we were entertained on the beach with three cans of beer each and the US Battleship Missouri presented us with an Ice cream machine which burned out shortly after with over usage. leaving Guam we sailed for Sydney arriving Tues June 5 where  we replenished and reammunitioned the ship for our final three months of the war . which fortunately for us ended in August with the Atom bombs being the deciding factor.

Yep all I got from that ice cream machine was one watery dollop. 

If you are ever going to see a rainbow, you have to stand a little rain.

Vest, back soon.

Comments

WALLY. said…
What sort of Guns were on your ship big ones or small onesand did you fire them.?
Vest said…
Wally: suggest you google KGV Class battleships which will provide the answer.

OR 48 20mm oerlickons.
8x8 multiple pompoms 2pndr 64.
16 single bofors 40 mm
2 quad bofors, 8.
16; 5.25 inch High angle AA Guns in twin turretts.
10 14 inch guns, two quads one twin, fired 650kilo shells.
our magazines were emptied nearly twice during the last 12 months of WW2 meaning 1,340 14 inch shells fired and about 4000 5.25s.
Perhaps umpteen thousands of each other category.
Did i ever tell you I suffer from severe tinnitus.
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Lower deck lawyer said…
Vestie,who was the last World war two winner of the VC, Mike.
Vest said…
LDL: I have a notion that it could have been Lt Hammond Gray,RCNVR, Who on the 9TH day of Aug 1945 crashed his plane into a Jap Warship when mortally wounded
His parent ship was the Aircraft Carrier HMS Formidable. British Pacific Fleet. 'In any case the word winner was not apropriate in his case his AWARD was posthumous.
Try googling him. his local township in canuckland revere him as their hero.
Vest said…
LDL: have just googled H Gray , it is a very moving a/c of his actions which I was nearly right in explaining to you.
Lower deck lawyer. said…
Vest. Went to Google. It was Hampton Gray. Earned his VC. Mike.
Anonymous said…
VVincent said...
Via the media, but more direct experience too, because I live 80 yards from the mosque, I conclude that it's a massive handicap to be born into that religion, and a severe aberration to convert to it. (I still can't understand what happened to Cat Stevens.)

The religion itself seems to promote backwardness. For example, I've lived in Malaysia, where three races coexist in about equal proportions: Malay, Chinese and Tamil. (This refers to West Malaysia.) The Malays are top dogs politically and have laws to handicap the Tamils and Chinese because their successes in education & achievement of prosperity would otherwise put the Malays in third place. Malays are Muslim - pretty much by law.

In general that religion hates democracy, but when by historical accident it nominally exists, they ensure it's crippled by dirty tricks and corruption.

But we're brothers and sisters in one world. We must act from compassion and wisdom. Political correctness is merely a way to cross over to the other side of the road ignoring the problem instead of taking responsibility.

Hate of course can play no useful part in clearing up the mess.

Tue May 28, 01:40:00 pm 2013
Vest said…
Wincent: I too lived in Malaya in the fifties. lots of upheaval at the time. Chinese terrorist Wing Peng, Confrontation with Indonesia and the comings and goings of ships from the Korean war plus the gradual strive for independance, causing friction betwee Singapore and Malay states.
Living in Johore Bahru was pleasant nothing untoward visibly, very friendly locals of all races, no bomb throwing pissing up with Malay friends who drank and smoked. Used to play badminton with local players. Have a photo somewhere where my Wife and I were at Singapore badminton hall with mixed races - seemed we we were the only Anglo Saxons.
As soon as Religion disapears from all thinking people with a brain, only then will there be harmony between races.
ER Wincent did you post yout comment before sometime?

Popular posts from this blog

OPEN FORUM. This is a new concept in blogging.

Contiued from previous post.

Words on Wednesday