Letters

Please help: Researching for a book about all ships lost on operational service with the RAN

March 25, 2009

G’day Mack, 

Posted to web sites. Could you kindly post to yours?

I'm researching and writing another book at present. This one is about all RAN ships lost on operational service. I have the basic outline of the story of each of the ships done. I'm looking for contacts to anyone that was in one of our ships when it was sunk. I know it is getting late in the day for our World War II colleagues, but there are still a few around.

I'm also interested in letters or diaries from deceased sailors, either to read or to copy if people don't want to let them out of sight.

Any photographs of lost ships would also be most welcome.

I'm in Adelaide, but happy to travel to interview people if necessary.

I've had an interesting time with the research. I know my military history reasonably well after many years of reading and discussing with people, but I have found things I did not know about the loss of many of our ships.

I'm going to include Warrnambool and Woomera as they were lost as a result of wartime activity.

I haven't decided yet whether or not to include Voyager in the book. I am inclined to as I knew people in her—some of them are still there.  She falls slightly outside the ambit of the book, but is our most recent loss.

Any help, advice or suggestions most welcome.

Allen beartwo@bigpond.com


Mac

I’m appending below the message [above] that I am posting on various ex-navy forums at present. I am researching for a book about all ships lost on operational service with the RAN. You have a good knowledge of our naval history from your many years of research, so I hope you don't mind if I pick your brains from time to time if I strike a knotty problem.

I am looking to include oral history extracts in each chapter of the book where possible. I have read the oral history interview that is up on your web site. It is a good interview with an experienced interviewer, although it probably would have been easier for you if he or she had been a naval person. It is very good for all that. I have worked as an oral historian on a number of projects and know how difficult it is to be up to speed when you are tackling a subject that is not of your own experience.

You were Officer of the Watch in Canberra when the midget subs attacked in Sydney Harbour and sank Kuttabul. You were also Officer of the Watch when Canberra was attacked in Savo Sound - you certainly picked your watches to keep!

Can I have your permission to quote extracts about these subjects in my book? If that is not acceptable to you for any reason, can I please interview you about these experiences? In the chapter on Canberra I will write about the disgraceful cover-up of the true circumstances surrounding her loss.

I am aware of Vic Cassells' book "For those in Peril", which has a brief history of all ships lost. My book will have a different focus to his. I want to fill in some of the background of each of these ships, and also to detail the operational circumstances in which each ship was lost as well as use oral history. “For those in Peril” is a useful book, but the details of each ship are somewhat sketchy.

I look forward to your reply.

Regards,
Allen

Posted to web sites. Could you kindly post to yours?

I'm researching and writing another book at present. This one is about all RAN ships lost on operational service. I have the basic outline of the story of each of the ships done. I'm looking for contacts to anyone that was in one of our ships when it was sunk. I know it is getting late in the day for our World War II colleagues, but there are still a few around.

I'm also interested in letters or diaries from deceased sailors, either to read or to copy if people don't want to let them out of sight.

Any photographs of lost ships would also be most welcome.

I'm in Adelaide, but happy to travel to interview people if necessary.

I've had an interesting time with the research. I know my military history reasonably well after many years of reading and discussing with people, but I have found things I did not know about the loss of many of our ships.

I'm going to include Warrnambool and Woomera as they were lost as a result of wartime activity.

I haven't decided yet whether or not to include Voyager in the book. I am inclined to as I knew people in her—some of them are still there.  She falls slightly outside the ambit of the book, but is our most recent loss.

Any help, advice or suggestions most welcome.


Allen,

I am pleased to be involved in your book project in any way you may deem to be useful.

Be free to use any extracts you wish for both the Jap midget attacks on Sydney Harbour and Canberra's sinking.

I do feel that Voyager is really quite outside your RAN ships "Lost on operational service." definition, and I would find her inclusion hard to justify.

Commander Hugh Jarratt RAN R'td lives at Frankston, he was First Lieutenant of Warrnambool when she struck her mine up in the reef. I suggest you tell him that I gave you his details.

Good  luck and get back as and when you feel I may be able to help.

Best wishes, 
Mac.


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