Ronald Rattray McFarlane on board H.M.A.S. Perth including letters home.

Date: 24 Oct 1941 to 1 Mar 1942
Location: Sunda Strait,
Surnames/tags: hmas_perth Battle_of_Sunda_Strait. McFarlane

Ron in uniform.

Ronald Rattray McFarlane on board H.M.A.S. Perth. Ronald Rattray McFarlane (1922-1942)

24 October. 1941.

• Capt Hector Waller D.S.O. and Bar .R.A.N. took over command.
• 40 original crew , plus 100 recruits from Flinders Naval [Cerborus] depot.
• Seaman Ronald Rattray McFarlane .P.M.3378 [P.M.=Port Melbourne. Lonsdale] joined ship. (R,R.McFarlane joined navy mid February 1941 November). Perth sister ship H.M.A.S. Sydney sunk by German ship

LETTER FROM . Sea man Ron..R. Mcfarlane P.M3378. Mess26. H.M.A.S. Perth . 1.11.1941 Dear Mum. I was glad to get your very welcome letter the other day to hear that you are all well; it was bad to lose the tenants. I suppose you have got somebody else by now . you mentioned something about sending me a Sun every day. I have received one up to date it was about a fortnight old. Thank you for sending on the Kerang New Times. It was very interesting to read about Dad and the show. I am glad it was a such a success. I wrote to him last night. I am going out to see auntie Pearl tomorrow for tea . uncle Peter is going to be there too. They are both well ,I was talking to them on the phone on Thursday night. Vic is in Prince Henry hospital with the mumps, there have been a lot of mumps on board latterly, he will be out in a couple of days now. I told him about his mother and he could not understand it as he has been writing home regularly. Capt Waller came on board about a week ago ,he seems alright and is very popular with the crew .Still have now idea at all about whether we will get another long weekend leave yet but I will let you know as soon as I hear anything. I received a letter from Myles a couple of days a go also one from Mary which was very nice of her. Marys ship went out about a fortnight ago. Well Mum I’ll close now as there is no more news to write about . lots of love to you both. From RON. P.S. Thank you for the snap it is a very good one of you both.

Letter . 29.11.1941. Dear Mum. I am writing this letter at sea and I have no idea when you will receive it but I suppose you are rather anxious to hear from me but I have not been able to get a line to you before you receive this note in any case. We went to sea from Sydney last Friday and we finished our cruise at Pt.Phillip bay on Wednesday. our programme was to do some exercises and shoots in the bay then go to Port Melb. for weekend leave but last night we got an urgent call and we went out to sea again early this morning, we have no idea where we are sailing for now ,it was bad luck getting so near to home yet so far. The old ship at present is pitching ,tossing ,rolling in fact its doing everything but stand on its head and it nearly does that sometimes it was not so bad coming through the rip this morning . It was very rough when we left Sydney for the first time and the best news of all is that I have not been or felt the slightest bit sea sick yet ,but I think if I survive this I will survive any thing. Any way Mum how are you that is the most important thing ,have you recovered from your fall yet I hope so also how is Jetta still coughing I suppose. How is Mrs Hiddelstone it is very bad luck about her isn’t it. . Tell Jetta to give her my kind regards and wish her a speedy recovery also to remember me to Margaret and tell her to write to me . Naturally I have not had any letters for about 9 days so I suppose I will get a pile when the postman arrives .I got a letter from Dad just before we left it is no good answering it yet so when you get this note you can pass the news on to him . I also got a note from the Golf club saying they were sending a parcel but I had not received it before we left Sydney. Well Mum I will close now as there is not much news that I can write about I will have to post this ashore somewhere as it will be censored otherwise .I think will try and catch up some sleep as I have hardly had any at all since we put to sea because we are closed up at our gun turrets all the time. Well Mum ,l will close now . Lots of love from Ron xxx. Ps. Remember me to everybody will you please. Please excuse the writing as the table is jumping all around the mess deck . I saw Aunty Pearl and Effie before I left.

24 November. Sailed for sea trials.

5. December. R.R.McFarlane Letter home. ‘’ Some Where on the briny’’ Dear Dave and Dulcie 5.12.1941 I was very Pleased to receive your Welcome letter the last time we were in Port, glad to hear you are both well also that Allan is O.K. I would like to see how he is progressing so if you take any snaps of him would you mind sending them on . We have had extra good weather the last few days at sea although it has been rather windy except last night when we had a terrific storm, I never thought the old ocean could get so churned up, but we survived it ok except getting a bit wet. I have considered my self a good sailor as I have not had the slightest thought of being or even feeling seasick but a lot of my mates have been pretty crook. As a matter of fact Dave I like it very much although you get no sleep at all to speak of , you just have to snatch a bit when you can as you are at action stations through the night and work around the ship during the day.I think we should be back in port in a few days time so you should get this note pretty soon we are on the way home to Aussie. Now. Just in case I do not get a chance I want to take the opportunity of wishing the three of you a very merry Xmas and an extra happy and prosperous new year. I do not think I have any chance of being home much to my sorrow. Things are getting worse and worse now aren’t they. Especially with the Japs in it, although it should wake the people of Australia up I think. Glad to hear about the crop of course it was definitely the scooping that did it , eh? Please excuse the scrawl as the old tub is jumping around a bit and you just have to jot a few words down now and then when the table comes your way. Well Dave I’ll close now. So lots of love and luck to you all. From Ron .XXX P.S. remember me to the Stevo. family also give them my best wishes of the season will you please. Tell Pop. I received his letter O.K .and that I will write a note to him at Hawthorn latter on .I hope he is well.

7 December. 1941 Pearl Harbour. Bombed U.S.A and Japan at war

December At sea Firing exercises out of Sydney

11.December. Sydney . re fuel ammunition. Patrol Tasman sea. To Brisbane , New Caledonia.

19. December. Convoy to Brisbane

20. December. R,R.McFarlane. letter home Letter from. R.R.MCFARLANE. Saturday 19th December 1941. Dear Dave and Dulcie .. Just a line to thank you very much for the extra nice cake you sent me , I hope I was not supposed to keep it till Xmas as I am afraid it has all gone now. Well how are you both in the best of health I hope also the baby[A.J.MCF.] no doubt he is growing rather quickly now .I would like to see him again . Things are very much the same with me ,the weather has been pretty hot the last week at sea, but as it does not worry me I don’t mind and I got a pretty good colour up. How are thing on the farm , every thing is all right I hope. Well Dave as they won,t let me write about any thing that we have been doing lately I am afraid that’s all the news so I will close now ,hoping to hear from you soon…..lots of love to you both and Allan …from Ron.

Letter from R.R.MCFarlane H.M.A S .Perth. Sunday 20th December 1941 Dear Mum…I received all my mail this morning and I got 5 letters from you 2 from Dad and 1 from Dave, Auntie Jessie, in fact every body except Jetta wrote to me this time 23 letters all together goodness knows when they will be all answered but I am writing home first I was very pleased to hear about the engagement, congratulations to them both anyway. I am in the dark about Bob you said he was a pilot officer could you explain it a bit clearer is he a pilot or still a dispenser holding that rank. Good luck to him anyway. …I got one parcel from you with a cake and a bit of pudding etc. thankyou very much, I got another letter from the yarra Y.G.C.saying they had sent another parcel I have not received either , I got Aunt Bartlett parcel O.K .this morning .By gosh you should have seen the tin with the cake which you sent it was battered about that much that you could not have recognised it but the cake was still intact which was the main thing …I all so got the register letter with the 1 pound. Thank you very much.. It is bad luck about Bobs mother isn,t it .I hope to goodness she gets over it aright in the end . I got a nice letter from Margaret Hidd. To day which I will have to answer as soon as I can…This trip we went to sea on Boxing day and came back yesterday afternoon ,we took a convoy of solders and airmen to Port Moresby, I hope you picked up the hint about the W,Officer as I really did not see him at all but I thought it might convey to you where we were ,from there we went to Noumear {New Caledonea]for the second time]then picked up a convoy off Auckland and took it to Suva [Fiji] where we spent two days ,we got leave in Noumea and also in Suva they are both very interesting places believe me especially Suva which is just a natural Pacific island .It was love at first sight for me, just what you imagine it would be ,here we were like a lot of little kids with a new toy ,dashing along the beach piking up shells and corral then climbing coconut trees and picking bananas bartering with the fuzzy headed natives for their beads etc . but the trouble was it could not last and back to the ship we went much to my regret that we could not stay there for a month or so ,anyway I will tell you about it when I see you as I could write a book about it. Also in Noumea as it is all free French and it seemed to me uncivilised.. Natives running everywhere. I am sending you a few souvenirs. In Suva you do not buy bananas by the bag but by the bunch which is about 4tf high and consists of about 6 dozen .I just heard a rumour that we might be going to sea again to morrow if that is so I will not be able to post this letter . I hope not .I will try and see auntie Pearl tomorrow…I hope P .O. Laener and the chap who had appendicitis are both O.K. between them you must be having a pretty hectic time. We had an appendicitis operation while at sea a few days a go and every thing went O.K…..Don’t worry about the tropical heat affecting me as I simply revel in it. we only wear shorts all day long every day while at sea . ..I will have to apologise for the last letter I wrote as I only had about 5 minutes to write it as the Purssers plane took the mail off outside the Sydney heads. ..Well Mum as that’s about all for the time being I will close now lots of love to all at home.. From Ron. P.S.I also got a nice letter from Audrey Hearn. Marg Tye and Betty Cornioley. P.s.s. Please circulate this letter amongst the family, as I might not get a chance to write any more…P.S.S. I hope Dad is aright he must be having a pretty tough time up on the farm will you send the note on to him please also tell Jetta to drop me a line now and again a tell me some of the news and what she has been doing latterly..

24. December. Sydney refuel ammunition and provisions

25. December Xmas . Sydney .ship in dry dock for repairs .R.R.McFarlane 2 nights shore leave[letter home1.1.42]

28. December . Sailed from Sydney with convoy carrying 4000 troups and equipment landed at Port Morsby

1 January 1942 Patrol Escort duty . Coral sea south west Pacific , New Caledonia , Suva , fiji. R.R.McFarlane letter home.

2 January.1942. H.M.A.S. Perth. Dear folks …Just a you know that I am quiet O.K. still, I hope everything is getting along at home and that you had a good Xmas and New year. I received a letter saying that you were sending a parcel but have not received it yet, we were lucky enough to have two nights ashore at Xmas time but we have been at sea since and it looks like we will be gone for awhile this trip. It has been terribly hot the last week, you seem to be in one continuos sweat from dawn to dark…I suppose Dad has gone back to charm by now, did Aunt[Bartlett] and Margaret come down for Xmas. I got a letter from Margaret some time ago and they were undecided then…How is Jetta getting on ,still got her perpetual cough I suppose . Will you ring up the old Scotch Collegians and let them know what ship I am on as they still have the depot address I think, the Gas Company. have my address and I received 10/-for Xmas from them though the pay master a couple of weeks ago which came in handy,I have forgotten whether I asked you in the last letter I wrote But will you please enclose a few bob in a registered letter as I am pretty short of cash and I must buy some under clothes ….I will be rated A.B. in the middle of February I hope as that is when my 12 months in the service is up , when I am A.B. I will be getting arise in pay and then I will make the Allotment double so it will be 1pound a pay which will make it worth while walking to the post office for then.. Tell Jetta that Pat. Major, I think she knows him came on as an O.D.in the last draft from depot. By gosh they must be pushing them through in a hurry, as he had not entered depot when I had left… By the way do you remember the warrant officer that stayed at our place for a while well I saw him the other day, he is back on his old job again now. Well Mum I am afraid that is about all the news at present so I will close now, hoping you are all well at home..lots of love to all From Ron……

28.January . Arrived Sydney after month at sea.

31 January .Sailed to Tasman sea

February 1942 February Williamstown .Port Phillip Bay.

10. February. Arrived Fremantle. Convoy to Broome. Fremantle

13. Febuary. Sailed from Fremantle after mid night.off western Australia convoy duty

15. February. Fall of Singapore.

16 Frebruary. Fremantle refuel

17. February. Sailed North with convoy to Oosthaven.

19 February. Japanese in Bali.

20 . February. Japanese bomb Darwin.'

21. February. Convoy turned back south of Xmas Island to Fremantle.

22 February. Perth ordered to Batavia.

23. February. Sunda Strait. Java head Light 6.30.pm

24 . february . Tanjong Priok 6.30 am. Base of Western Strike Force. .Perth. Fuel oil taken . on . Air raid

25 February. Air raid at Tangjong Priok , spotter plane damaged , unserviceable.

February. Combined strike force at Surabaya February. Allied fleet.

• 3 British Destroyers. Jupiter, Encounter, Elecra.

• 4.Dutch Cruiser De Ruyter.[Flag Ship] Exeter. Houston .Perth. Java.
• 4 Destroyers , Edwards .Alden .Ford. Paul Jones. WitteDe with Kortenaer.
• U.S.S Pope .left Behind
• Patrol out of Sarabaya

27. February. Battle of the Jarva Sea.

• Allied fleet meet Japanese Fleet. Between Sourabaya island and Bawean island…. * 2 Heavy Cruisers, 2 light Cruisers,14 destroyers.
• Japanese had superior Torpedoes.

• 4.15 pm. Japanese opened fire at 26,000 yds.

• 4.20.pm Exeter, opened fire with 8 inch guns.

Perth out of range for her 6 inch guns. Dutch ships lost sunk …Kortenaer. De Ruyter. And Java. British ships lost sunk…Jupiter. Electra.

28 .February.

• 2.30am Perth and U.S.S Houston returned to Tanjong Priok. And refueled 300 ton only half full . could not find 6inch ammunition. Harbour bombed and deserted.
• 7.30pm. Sailed out of Tanjong priok. withHouston to escape through Sunda Stait to Australia.

*Battle of Sunder Strait….

• 11.06pm.. Sighted Japanese ships of St.Nicolas Point. Enemy report was last signal sent by Perth . Both opened fire . Houston was hit first. And caught fire around the bridge.
• 12.00. H.M.A.S.Perth began to receive hits .Ammunition. Nearly out

1. March 1942.

• 12.05.am Perth Fatal torpedo hit on starboard side.
• 12.10am. 2nd torpedo hit on starboard side. Stand by to abandon ship.

Capt.Hector Waller gave order to ‘abandon ship.’ 3rd torpedo hit on starboad side.

• 12.20am. 4th torpedo hit on port side. Ship listed from starboard to port and

and went down bow first 4miles N.N.E of St Nicolas point at entrance to Sunda Strait. with Captain Waller on the bridge.

H.M.A.S, Perth.

• Lost in action.. 353
• Lost as P.O.W. 100.
• Returned home,.229
• Total crew … 682

• 12.25am U.S.S .Houston Capt. Rooks ordered Abandon ship.
• 12.30. am U.S.S. Houston sunk after all Ammunition gone .

• Lost in action….697.
• Lost as P.O.W. 77
• Returned home 291
• Total crew… 1065.

• U.S.A ships sunk …Houston. Pope.
• British .ships sunk….Enconter. Exeter.
• Dutch .ships sunk….Evertsen. Witte de Witt.
• Australian ship sunk….Perth.