HMAS MILDURA - Life on Board a Corvette

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HMAS MILDURA Association.

Games

• A Ship's Concert 1945
• A Song from the IPSWICH
• Mother's Day
• Ship's Club Ball

SHIP'S CONCERT
SOUTH WEST PACIFIC 1945

Life in the tropics - a ship's concert
from left Laurie Cordell, Bruce Lowe and Alby Marley

Life in the tropics in 1945 did not include any time ashore in civilized places and so a ship's concert accompanied by their beer ration was an excellent antidote to a sailor's boredom. Stoker Wally Jarman made an immense contribution to the social life of the MILDURA. His talent with the guitar was outstanding and his capacity to organize ship's concerts was legendary. A handwritten copy of one of these Ship's Concert programmes survived the war and is reproduced below.

THE MILDURA BALLET
From left: Wally Jarman, Alby Marley, Freer, Steele,Tubby Walsh

This Concert Program is from the middle of 1945. Original from Lach Pitts.

GRAND COMMUNITY CONCERT TONIGHT...TONIGHT...TONIGHT . BEER ISSUE 7pm COMMENCING 8pm SHARP JARMAN'S "TROPPO" CRACK A JOKE PRODUCTION PART 1 Community Singing led by Wal Jarman. Tipperary Roll Out The Barrel Waltzing Matilda For Me and My Girl Snowy Moore spins a dit. "Biak Girls at Play." (Morrison, Lowe, Jarman, Marley, Carey) "Over the Mill" (Chief Stoker) "Jack Takes the Belt" (Thiele, Steele, Morrison, Coulter) "Harmony Duet" (Jarman & Thiele) Community Singing Dancing With Tears In My Eyes Rose of San Anton You Made Me Love You; I Didn't Want To Do It. Trade Wind Parody (Sailors Alphabet by Wal Jarman) PRIZE GIVING FOR DAYS SPORTS BY JACK COULTER PART 2 Wizards on the Wind Werlitzers (Carey & Cordell) You Are My Sunshine Stephen Foster Melody Maori Farewell Mildura Ballet. (Jarman, Marley, Freer, Walsh, Steele) Coulter's Love Song John Robson accompanied by Wal Jarman. "Who Will Play the Rent." (White Watch.) Community Singing Lili Marlene Somebody Else Is Taking My Place White Christmas "Man From Snowy River" (Bill Edwards.) "Sailors Never Forget." (Jarman, Morrison, Cordell, Carey.) FINALE.   Players and Audience Community Singing When They Sound The Last All-Clear Smile Awhile White Cliffs Of Dover Show Us The Way To Go Home Goodnight To You All. KING

A SONG FROM THE IPSWICH

Wally Jarman had previously served on HMAS IPSWICH where skipper Jim McBride had a reputation for being an inept ship handler, requiring many engine telegraph movements when coming along side. In his own creative way Wally composed a song to the tune of "Jingle Bells" to mimic the ship's manoeuvres.

JINGLE BELLS

The bells on Ipswich ring
They're ringing with delight
We're going into harbour
To stay there for the night
Full ahead then slow
Then full astern we go
But when the panic really starts
The skipper lets her go

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all the day
The Captain's having lots of fun
Round and round the bay
Ships steer clear, sailors cheer
"Battlers" stand aside
It takes a day's manoeuvring
For Captain Jim McBride

"Jimmy" throws lines forward
While "Guns" looks after aft
The "Subby" leaves his mah-jong
To see what he can do
But when the lines are thrown too short
The skipper comes in view.

Chorus

The third and fourth time up
Much better is to see
Their nerves have settled down
They're sailors to a tee.
Ship comes into place
Bent sides and paintwork scraped
Before we go to sea again
They'll argue our mistakes

Chorus

Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the day
Skipper's had his bit of fun
Round and round the bay.
Jimmy's taking lessons
Gun's been learning too
In 1945 perhaps they'll then know what to do.

Wally Jarman and his wife

Concert preparations on board MILDURA

MOTHER'S DAY
A poem by Wally Jarman, Stoker

This poem was written for a ship concert somewhere in the South Pacific after 1944. Thanks to Lach Pitts for finding it.

A cheerio for Mother's Day
Is the best that I can do
When I'm so far away, dear,
On this special day for you

I'd like to be home with you
So we could have a spree
But if I were dear Mother
Then who would guard the sea?

So keep on smiling, Mother,
While we're so far apart,
It is not only Mother's Day
As you're always in my heart

HOW DO YOU DO?
from Ted Simcock

During the post war minesweeping days, the sailors also organized their own entertainment. The following ditty was written for one of these occasions, the tune forgotten.

How Do You Do?

How do you do Captain Savage
How do you do
This is part of your crew calling you
If you think our show's alright
Give us a bottle tomorrow night
How do you do Captain Savage
How do you do

How do you do Jimmy the One
How do you do
There's a tricky little rhyme made up just for you
If you think our show's quite hot
A guard and steerage is the shot
How do you do Jimmy the One
How do you do

Now our last how do you do
Is to the crew
We can say what we like to most of you
But if you don't like our show
Wilson will show you where to go
How do you do everybody
How do you do

---

SHIP'S BALLS

Ship's Balls were always enjoyed by sea going matelots. Jim Radburn remembers being detailed the day after the Perth Club Ball, October 26, 1944, to clean up the mess with "Jock" Lees. Finding the task arduous, they bribed some local ladies to complete the job while they both adjourned to the nearby Wentworth Hotel for the afternoon.

Third Birthday Party, June 1944 The ship's name cannot be used for security reasons.

Ship's Club Ball, October, 1944

Anniversary Commissioning Ball, June 1944, Paddington, 1944

Allan Waugh remembers this Ball as the source of his first hangover. He's sitting on the middle table, left side, fifth person. The organization of this event required great skill in wartime Brisbane where beer was in very short supply and the police not very enthusiastic to grant a liquor licence to a group of sea going sailors. It went off pretty well and we were complimented by the police for our immaculate behaviour. Jim Radburn always said they only took a quick look in the front door. If they had bothered to go out the back, they would have seen fisticuffs with a few old scores being settled.

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