Extract Corvette Magazine April 2002

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The article on HMAS Lithgow in the September 2001 issue and particularly about the surrender in Rabaul has reminded Al (Darby)Munro ex HMAS Shepparton of an incident that occurred just two days later.

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Al remembers clearly, as Shepparton entered the harbour at Rabaul on 8th September 1945, there was a mine washed up on the shore just below the mountain. That horrible black thing with its spikes sticking out and rocking back and forth on the edge of the shore. Along the water’s edge you could see bubbles and there was a horrible smell of sulphur. That mine may have been one swept up by Lithgow.

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Our skipper, Commander Sharpey-Schaffer RN, had to make contact with the Japanese Harbour Master and through an interpreter instruct him to bring out to the ship all the charts showing where all the mine fields were located. We were then to dan-buoy the dangerous areas so that the occupying forces could enter safely. 

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Next day when the Harbour Master arrived alongside in his barge. Sub Lt Drummond and Al met him and escorted him to the Captains cabin. They remained outside just in case. It wasn't long before the captain ushered the Jap out and told Sub Lt Drummond to see him off his ship forthwith, he was furious. He called Al in and said" What do you think, the hide of the bugger, he asked me for a bag of rice", so I told him to get off my ship immediately.

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Simpson Harbour Rabaul was a big naval base, the hills were tunnelled out for their hospitals and workshops safe from air raids. The survey took us ten days, charts were made showing every wreck and mines were dan-buoyed. There were sunken ships everywhere, those still afloat after being bombed beached themselves Shepparton then proceeded to survey the approaches to "Torokina" which took almost three weeks.

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On one occasion, when told that our supplies were running low, the Captain sent for our LTO Pincher Martin and said "I believe you have a faulty depth charge Martin." Yes sir" replied Pincher, our Leading Signalman Fred Williams was then told to keep a sharp lookout for a school of fish. It wasn't long before one was sighted, the "faulty" depth charge was dropped and then it was away all boats and fresh fish all round for several days.
We returned to Brisbane in November and then off to survey around Moreton Bay.