Navy veterans focus of new title
Aformer
Horsham man, who served in the Royal Australian Navy, is soon to publish a book on navy veterans from the rural city.
The book, titled Action Stations: Horsham joins the Navy, in its final stages of editing, comprises 460 pages and details the Navy involvement of 12 women and 205 men from Horsham and district.
Author John Francis said he had been interested in the topic for a long time, having grown up in Horsham and enlisting in the Navy in 1966.
“Five years ago, when I moved to Canberra, I started working at the Navy Sea Power Centre in Fyshwick,” he said.
“My wife Gillian and I had previously written a book about First World War service in Horsham and district, called Strewth.
“My wife has continued that research to find out who from Horsham served in the Second World War.
“As a result of that, and with me working at the Navy centre, I thought what an excellent idea for a book.”
Mr Francis said much of his research had been done toiling through the National Archives of Australia, which are based in Canberra, and also in historical documents in the Navy centre.
He said his book included Horsham people in the Navy until the early 1970s, due to a lack of access to more recent documents.
“Records are not available after 1970 – when it went to computerised records,” he said.
“I’ve gone a bit later because of local knowledge and other people who I served with.”
Mr Francis said the extent of Navy service from Horsham people was all the more remarkable because it was a land-locked region, far away from the ocean.
“I think there’s always the adventure that you associate with peace-time activities, such as travel,” he said.
“For example, we know of four men from Horsham who were submariners. Two of those had to do their training in the United Kingdom and then take their submarines back to Australia.”
Mr Francis said there were numerous stories, including many of sacrifice, contained in the book.
“Two Horsham men served with probably Australia’s most noteworthy Navy fighting captain, Hector Waller, on the HMAS Perth in the Second World War,” he said.
“Both of these men were lost in the action in the Sunda Strait.
“One was a Horsham dentist who joined the Navy and the other was a carpenter who enlisted as a shipwright.
“I have been greatly privileged to have been given access to a never before published diary of one of HMAS Perth’s men.
“He risked his life and beatings daily to pass scrounged food to the Australian nurses in an adjoining prisoner-of-war camp.
“Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkle and Glenorchy local, nurse June Oram, were among those to benefit from this.” Expressions of interest or orders for Action
can be sent to email jrf5248@gmail.com