NX51660 - CAREY, John Peter (Jack), Pte. - D Company, 18
Platoon
NX10661 - CAREY, Luke Robert, Pte. - HQ Company, Mortar
Platoon
NX47685 - WELLS, Robert Frederick
(Hook), Pte. - D Company, 18 Platoon
"The trip by our rust bucket ship from
Singapore to Japan was a sharing experience as well, though
there was little to share. Crowded in the forward hold on
top of a cargo of citronella, we
shared the terrible discomfort of the fumes.
Luke was one of four of
us, who sat around my little old fishing basket, 18" X 12"
and played contract bridge, all day, every day, for the
duration of the
voyage - a
whole month.
"We shared the trauma of a torpedo attack,
which fortunately
our rust bucket escaped, not so one of the other ships in
the convoy.
Next day we shared the anxiety of being abandoned by the
convoy, when
our ship developed engine trouble, due to its speed being
such that,
although its depth charges were confined to explosive packed
in 44
gallon drums, tied on the stern of the ship with rope, which
was
cut to allow the drums to fall, they were so primitive, that
we were
still over them, when they went off, and they unseated the
main shaft.
But fortunately we were not attacked again.
We made Japan and shared
the relief of dry land.
The trauma of the torpedo attack on the
convoy was heightened by the fact that all Ps.O.W. were
forced down into the holds, the covers were put in place and
battened down, and we did not know what to
expect."
(Source: Eulogy for Luke Carey,
by Bob Wells, 2/30 Battalion Archives)
