Part 29 - Goodbye Australia!

Harry Hatton told me a story about Balmoral at Sydney Heads where I had done my training, I asked him what was the reason for the amphitheatre which was built into the hillside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He told me that in the 1930's an Archbishop (self styled) Leadbeater had come into prominence in Sydney and had forecast that Jesus Christ would walk through Sydney Heads on a specific date (on the water of course), incredibly thousands of people believed him and funds were raised to build the amphitheatre and seats booked for the big day. Of course the "Archbishop" disappeared jut before the date forecast and was later caught and tried for fraud.
Whilst at Golden Hind I was roped in for a funeral firing party and by a strange co-incidence I had to fire a salute over the funeral of a man who had lived just around the corner from me at Middlesbrough. Bandy Wilson had been brought up with me on the Whinney Banks estate in Middlesbrough. He joined the navy about the same time as me and he was killed by a train on the Sydney-Liverpool line, he was buried at Rookwood cemetery near Sydney and I fired a salute over his grave.
Time was running out for me in Australia and it must have been the end of January 1946 that I was told to report to MAAS office at the Golden Hind. I was told to report to HMS Belfast in Sydney Harbour the next day and I was given my last night leave in Hammondville. It was a sad time really saying goodbye to Uncle Harry and Aunt Flo and the children, but cousin Flo said she would try and get down to the ship in Sydney before we sailed.
The Belfast was a battle cruiser and by far the biggest ship I had been on (barring the Queen Mary of course). I spent my first night aboard her looking around and making myself familiar with my surroundings. The next day Flo and her friend Betty Ash came to the ship and we said our goodbyes tearfully, we went for a walk in Hyde Park on the morning and I had my last look at Australia . About four o'clock in the afternoon we sailed off, the jetty was packed with people cheering and crying. I spotted Flo and Betty in the crowd.
Goodbye Australia, Ill always remember you!