STEAM AT WAR 13




We put into Freemantle for thirtysix hours and had twelve hours shore leave. Most of the troops went into Perth to spend the time. A few of us teamed up, had dinner in Perth and took an afternoon train a little further inland to Midlands Junction where the Western Australian Railway workshops were located. We were welcomed and given a tour of the works and shown new locomotives for their railways and boilers under construction for mine sweepers. We were treated to a few social beers in the local pub and returned on the worker's train to Perth and Freemantle.

Next morning the convoy set off down the coast round the corner and across the Australian Bight and in a few days put into Hobart. We passed in through the submarine barrier that consisted of heavy steel netting at the sea end of the deep entrance bay and drawn aside by mine sweepers to make passage. A destroyer followed the ships through dropping depth charges prior to the closing of the barrier. We sailed up that scenic tree and farmlands bordered waterway to the town backed by snow-capped Mount Wellington. We were there for six frustrating hours with no shore leave and again set off across the Tasman for good old New Zealand. We passed south of Stewart Island and up the South Island east coast with the Dunedin contingent recognising the Otago Peninsular. It was a murky day so did not see any more land until arriving in Wellington Harbour on the morning of 12th of July 1943 to the overwhelming pungent odours of lush bush and ferns.

The Wellington and Hutt Valley troops were disembarked within a few hours of berthing followed later in the day by the Auckland and South Island people. The Manawatu, Wanganui, Taranaki and Hawkes Bay troops were off-loaded the next day. Adjacent to our quarters was a ships orderly room containing an extensive range of office equipment including thirty Remington typewriters. On the morning after our arrival only twenty-nine remained. What a witch hunt took place! But they were looking at the wrong people. No doubt someone's rehabilitation in the secretarial world got off to a good start. Those like myself bound for Palmerston North were disembarked in the early afternoon and within three hours reunited with our families.

The New Zealand Railways due to wartime pressures were very short of staff which was the main reason why the government wanted the railway battalions back home rather than being sent to another theatre of war. Thus, the companies were disbanded and the men returned to their jobs. I was retained in the army for three months while undergoing hospital treatment for my now very severe digestive disorder. The retention of food was an ongoing problem. Finally I was discharged on a war pension and unofficially warned that if I valued my pension not to take up any employment. At age 24 this was not news to my liking. I went back to work where I had left off as a locomotive fireman that did nothing for my health. The irregular hours of work, sleep and meals took its toll so after seven months I resigned from the railway and re-entered my first choice of trade as a turner and fitter in a small engineering works serving the district's agricultural industry and lost my pension. With the support of the returned servicemen's rehabilitation scheme I completed my engineering apprenticeship and gained trade certification.

I recovered my health, married my wartime correspondent and used my rehabilitation loan to build our home. We raised two daughters, moved on in my trade to leading hand, works foreman, works manager, secondary school teacher in technical subjects, middle management in a textile factory then retirement but not idleness.