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Letters
From Nicholas Bracegirdle Mac, I have an amazing story about the log-books of HMAS SYDNEY found in a cave. Could such a story possibly be true or is it a fictional account. Who might know? Nicholas
Great to hear from you. Please share your story about the log-books with Terry and me. I have never heard anything like that, where were these caves? It may all be fiction, but who knows? I cannot even think where you might turn, perhaps Navy Intelligence in Canberra as a start. On your other E-Mail, I am pleased we brought Chris to light, and he filled in some blanks for you. The power of the internet continually suprises me, and the variour questions we elicit as a result of something I write about. Yes, we have been talking about you on Ahoy, Terry, my web master in Atlanta Georgia suggested I write about My Life on the Internet, and some of the people and sites out there that were instrumental in AHOY coming into being, and developing as it has done. Nicholas, you and your Father are an important part of it all, that is why you got a guernsey. Have a lovely Christmas. Anything about Braces in your records that you feel you are able to share with us would be very welcome. See You!! Mac.
I am absolutely delighted to receive an e mail from Chris the grandson of Nutty Ferris as a result of contact from your site. As soon as I visit the site I see that you have been TALKING about me! Great thing a search engine.......................... I will of course take this interesting matter further with him and he seems to have some photos to illustrate Gentlemen Cordite and some of the other historical bits that I have. I have the words and he may have some of Nutty's photos. By the way, I do have some rough copies of reports of proceedings from SHROPSHIRE and BATAAN but the originals are lodged with AWM also BATAANs night order books. I remember passing a whole load of stuff to Captain Parkin at Australia House who was very pleased with the take, which included original documents from PERTH, SHROPSHIRE and BATAAN including Operation Round-Up. I have a photo of PERTH taking a 500lb bomb hit just by funnel off Crete in 1941 also a shot of HMS JUNO blowing up also the caiques of Crete full of Germans that Perth sunk a few minutes later. I have in my private collection letters from Philip to Dad also from Lord Louis Mountbatten but I cant really pass any of that over. Dads 80th Birthday card from SHROPSHIRE is annotated with a letter from Buck House on the rear. Also I collected more than 150 letters from friends and comrades of his when he was 80. Polly his wife found him in tears at 0300 once I had given him the two books brimfull of letters from you Aussies on his birthday. The most famous photo is that of Warwick, Arthur Cooper, George Cheadle, ?? Feltham and Nutty Ferris on the 40mm bofors gun deck of HMAS SHROPSHIRE in 1945 and Chris has the same photo - Wow. I now know the date and where it was taken. I have also told HMS TRIUMPH in Devonport that Chris has possibly identified the submarine in dry-dock in 1941 in Malta as ............... HMS TRIUMPH - See "HMAS PERTH wins her spurs" the most exiting war story ever! Can this contact please be passed to HMAS SHROPSHIRE or HMAS PERTH Associations because I dont know their E mails and would appreciate contact in reply. Hope that Harry Wakeham and John Date are well. I still have my RAN service documents raised at age 1 month by those tough old gunners................................... (You sonoffa.........................!!!!!!!) I was christened within the ships bell of HMAS SHROPSHIRE. Bless you all and hope the cricket gets betta................................... NICOLAS BRACEGIRDLE
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