 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
Des McKee from Canberra found this in his archives and sent it over. Some may remeber the day and have some stories on it. possibly a photo or two! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This story came from Bruce Abbott and points to the fact that good people should not be forgotten: Bravo Zulu Bruce, the story
reads well, and I can't find any inaccuracies
This story is contributed by Kev Gleeson. It's a story from early Hobart history JAPAN OCCUPATION MEMORIES.
YOKOHAMA .
Yokohama was always one of my favourite Japanese Ports during the early days of the occupation, while serving in both HMAS Hobart and HMAS Quiberon. There was a long seawall around the outer harbour, with a narrow entrance, and fairy-like lighthouses on each side of the entrance. Hobart generally went to a buoy just inside the outer wall, which was reputed to be typhoon safe. On rare occasions the ship went inside the inner seawall, which protected the inner harbour and wharves, where the American Transports berthed. It was a long ride from the typhoon buoy in the ship's pinnace to the jetty where liberty men were dropped off. But it could be an interesting journey into this jetty, as we passed a mixture of vessels, formally the pride of the Japanese Imperial Navy, including a Japanese aircraft carrier, sitting on the bottom, torpedoed by an American submarine, which had penetrated the narrow harbour entrance. At the point where the sea wall joined the shore, there was a wharf used by the liberty boats, to land the eager liberty men, all keyed up for a good run ashore. There was also a NAAFI Canteen. Which sold fairly basic food and plenty of beer? Eating ashore was not allowed in the early days of the occupation, except in the Service Canteens or American PX. The food in the NAAFI canteen as I previously stated was very basic, the available austere menu included spam, scrambled eggs made from egg powder, and dehydrated spuds etc. If we could lay our hands on a few American Military Occupation Dollars, it was preferable to carry on into Yokohama to get a hamburger with real meat in it at the American PX. Then have a few beers in the American beer halls, where often the Yanks would ply you with beer for the pleasure of giving you a real good earbashing. The return journey back to the ship on the late liberty boat was generally pretty lively. There would be liberty men from different ships of the Commonwealth Navies, well steamed up, fresh from the Canteen bar, singing their heads off, and carrying on like sailors do, while waiting for their boats back to their ships. If you were berthed in the inner harbour there were always interesting activities to see. I will never forget witnessing the arrival home of many of Japan 's conquered and battered soldiers, who were being repatriated on some beat up Japanese ships from various parts of the Pacific. I wondered what were they going home too, as they walked down the gangway in ragged remnants of uniforms to an unknown future. Then there were the big American Transports, pouring more troops and equipment into Japan , and eventually wives and children of American Troops based in Japan . Leaving Yokohama one time during Hobart 's 1946 deployment, we sailed down Tokyo Bay and witnessed the sight of one of these huge American Transports firmly embedded aground on one of the little rocky islands, which bob up out of the sea in the approaches into Tokyo Bay . This mishap occurred that morning in the thick fog. Yokohama Harbour was a great place for a sail, in the ship's whalers. I was originally in Maintop part of ship, before qualifying as a Seaman Torpedoman. Our Captain of the Top was a sailing enthusiast, and was always looking for a crew on weekends or “make and mend days.” It was more fun sailing all over this vast harbour in the whaler under sail, than being a member of sea boat's crew in the same whaler, and pulling on an oar, recovering a lifebuoy at evening quarters, or recovering a torpedo in the early hours of a freezing cold morning, in a choppy sea. On one occasion the torpedo that was bobbing up and down came up through the bottom of the whaler, our own torpedo torpedoed us. The end of October 1946, One leading hand and four of us young able seamen were sent ashore on loan to take up our post as the guard at the British Consulate Yokohama., while Hobart sailed south to Kure and beyond. The British Consul was a Royal Navy Commander. (Sea going reserve). The consulate was a fine old building, set back in huge grounds .It was in what had been a ritzy part of Yokohama , and had escaped serious damage from the intense bombing that Yokohama had suffered. There was a huge communication centre for the British Government and Forces in the building, mainly manned by Royal Navy Communication ratings. We were billeted in our own room, and slept on iron framed dwarf stretchers, common to navy ships. We had an older ex Japanese sergeant to look after us. He had been repatriated, and still wore remnants of his uniform, as he was going through tough times, and had a wife and several children to support. We called him “Pop”, and he did look after us well. Extra stores were sent ashore for us off Hobart , to supplement what the Royal Navy was going to feed us on. We used to give “Pop” tins of sweetened condensed milk to take home to the kids, which was appreciated. The Consul's driver, who was also the Japanese Consular civilian staff manager, was a real good looking lady-killer, and had been to university, was well educated and spoke several languages. He had been a serving pilot in the Japanese Airforce, and in the latter part of the War had been conscripted into the ranks of the Kamikaze. He had been given his pre flight pleasure week in Tokyo , with all the ladies and privileges that went with it, before being sent off on his suicidal mission. He was unable to get to his target, so had to return, and fortunately for him the war ended. (Which he did not regret). He was also head of the black market in and around the complex. This was not one of his official duties, but he operated this enterprise with great proficiency and personal profit. We would open the Consulate gates at 0800. The leading hand would march one of us Able Seamen out through the gates to take up our post, for four hours, armed to the teeth, with rifle and bayonet. We had had been instructed, to whiten our webbing gear, wear our “Number Ones” for daylight sentry duties, when we left Hobart, and above all remember we were representing Australia. There was a big American Forces Headquarters just up the road. So we were forever “presenting arms” to all the Military brass that was going by. At sunset, the sentry would march him self in, and close the gates., lock up rifle, get out of good gear, put on side arms, and periodically patrol inside the grounds. Another great bonus that we took advantage of, while we were performing our duties at the Consulate, was the Japanese Beer Hall, next to the consulate grounds, in fact there was a handy little gate in the perimeter wall. Also magically the beer hall opened at 1600. So there was a lot to look forward to, when you finished the afternoon watch at 1600, no time was wasted locking up rifle and bayonet, and tearing the webbing off, and hurrying through the side gate to join all the welcoming hostesses, the singers, and dancers and enjoy most of all the fine Japanese beer.
A good fast train service passed through Yokohama.It was free travel for the Occupation Forces Personnel in a special carriage, generally at the rear of the train. It was a fast trip north to Tokyo , or south to Kamakura to see the temples and the Great Budda, which was cast in1292 and was over 11 metres in height. Further on was the American Base at Yokosuka which was worth visiting. I also liked to get off the trains travelling on the main lines, and join one of the minor coach trains going out into the country, travelling with the locals, to any little town or village of interest, where I would alight, to explore and see points of interest, and take a few photos. It was a good way to see the real Japan . My final deployment in Japan was 1956, in HMAS Tobruk While on this station HMAS Tobruk visited Yokosuka and berthed at Tokyo for Anzac Day. Wanting to see Yokohama again, I travelled by train to this city, to relive memories. I was amazed with the changes. It had transformed from being a place that had been badly battered by bombing towards the end of the war to a large vibrant city. Yes the American PX and beer hall was still there, as was the building that had been the consulate, but was now serving another purpose. Today Yokohama , the capital of the district of Kanagawa, has excellent harbour facilities and is one of the leading ports of Japan . It is an industrial centre with shipyards, oil refineries, and factories that produce chemicals, electrical equipment, processed food, machinery, and motor vehicles. Now has a population approaching Three and a half million people. A big change from when Commodore Matthew Perry of the United States Navy visited Yokohama a small fishing village with a population of only 350 people. After this visit the port began to flourish as a commercial centre, when it was opened to foreign trade in 1859. KEV GLEESON Friday, August 13, 2004 1580 This photo of Mount Fujiama was taken from the Cruiser HMAS Hobart.
|
©www.hmashobartasswa.com