My Father died three years ago aged 94. My Sister persuaded him to write his memoirs when he was in his 90s which resulted in some interesting accounts of life and war through my father’s young eyes.
The letter here is written from his ship, HMS Glory, an aircraft carrier in Sydney harbour. The significance of the letter is that it’s written against the backdrop of peace and celebration. HMS Glory’s flight deck was one of several venues that took the Japanese surrender less than ten days earlier on 6th September 1945 in St George’s Channel off New Britain.
It’s quite funny how my father addressed his parents, whom he adored, as Mummy and Daddy, even though he joined the Royal Navy at 17.5 years old and was prepared to fight for his country.
I especially liked the account of his meeting a pretty girl in Sydney, with whom he had arranged to date the next day but wondering how he was going to pay for lunch and survive for the next fortnight on £1 and 4 shillings as he had not been paid by the Navy!
