From the April 4th Inverell Times of Australia.
John Harrison was 4 and a half when his father died on the HMAS Sydney in November 1941 and has been closely following all the hearings on the ship these past months.
The Sydney spotted what turned out to be the Kormoran on the afternoon of Nov. 19th at a distance of 40 centrementers and closed in to check credentials. At 8000 to 9000 metres, the Kormoran identified itself as the Dutch merchant ship Straat Malakka.
At 1200 metres, the Sydney asked for the secret identification code which the Kormoran did not know which was when the German Captain Detmer decamouflaged and opened fire, catching the Sydney unprepared. It was hit by 48 shells on the starboard and 45 port.
John Harrison's father, Petty Officer Steward Leslie Alexander Harrison, service number 14010, was a ward room steward who had joined the Navy in 1923. He was also qualified as a medical orderly and was probably at that station once the battle started. His mother was left with two children and got a job to take care of the family.
A Fascinating Story. --Coot
No comments:
Post a Comment