What an ideal site for a coastal gun.  Elevated site for the gun with no restrictions to fire from SOUTH WEST to Point Perpendicular and from the OP a clear view of both the bay and ocean in every direction.  The purpose of the battery was to protect what had already proven to be a deep water anchorage for major capital ships up to and including ships of the Shropshire 8 inch heavy cruiser class as well as HMTS Queen Mary.

The Bay offered safe waters not unduly affected by a rolling southerly swell.  It also offered a working storage and workshop area behind a breakwater that enabled barges to be loaded with stores and supplies to be taken to the ships.  This has to be protected, so wisdom suggested the mounting of a gun at the entrance to the bay except there was an island at the extreme perimeter of the bay with only a small viable landing area on the western side of the island.  This was exposed to the prevailing westerlies that created a very rough and steep surface chop that made landing supplies and personnel fairly exciting a factor that later on aided the decision to decommission the battery. The initial task was to transfer the gun pedestal, the gun, ammunition, stores and equipment to the island.  Some sort of landing stage was necessary so a jetty had been constructed from the centre of a small shallow beach with a shore line of about 800 metres.  The jetty consisted of a long, narrow raised platform at the end of which was a pontoon in the letter ‘T’ configuration. 

Among the early troops on the island was Capt Woodrow (Woody) Weight, an eminent real estate agent in Dee Why, about 5’6” tall, Errol Flynn moustache and like Errol had a flair for attracting attention as he always carried his service pistol strapped to his waist and fixed to his right thigh.  He had a bit of a swagger about him, a bright demeanour and ready to fight the world single handed.

His 2IC was LT Len Bland, newly commissioned and a bit unsure of his power which he exhibited when he gave what appeared to be conflicting orders.  Short of stature, slender build always spotlessly turned out and keen to exhibit authority but hesitant about using it.

SGT Bill (Silk Stockings) Reid:- Don Juan, Lothario or Valentino, you name it, he was all of them.  Bill came from Larakia Barracks where he was a drill instructor.  Fair headed, fit and muscular, it was easy to see him in the role of ardently admired by the female of the species.  Relaxed and humorous, he had a way of giving orders that, no matter how difficult or dirty the work, never drew a grumbling response.  He also had a portable record player and a number of recordings that featured Artie Shaw, Lena Horne, Benny Goodman, Kate Smith, The Dorsey Brothers, etc.  This was popular with the ‘inner circle’; Bill Reid, Jock Anderson, Jim Stuart and Bluey Mercer.  On the occasion of the beer ration, the ‘inner circle’ met in Bill’s marquee and listened to the music – songs we knew by heart, but that did not matter.

The Battery Orderly was BDR Len Libow,-  it seemed he was given the job to keep him indoors so he would not blow away in a strong breeze.  He was skinny but had an aptitude for administration.

John Anderson, also slight of build, with a head of wavy hair, was a qualified silversmith and had his own mark to put on the pieces that he made following his apprenticeship at Angus & Coote prior to joining the army in 1942.

James (Jim) Stuart,- a gentleman, dapper, the business man, always fastidious in his grooming he was a member of Stuart Bros Builders family but ran his own building maintenance and repair business.  Meticulous in kit, everything had its own place and order.  Jim was easy to call friend.

Bobby Cook, fair complexion with a shock of wiry hair.  Had a gripe about being called up but this did not affect his work. A hard knock around type but quite amiable.

Don (Bing) Bowman,-  he treated the world with complete indifference.  Nothing worried him.  He was 18 and a gambler, nothing else had any importance in life.  Tall, thin, dark hair with very fine facial features, Don loved to sing and had a better than average voice, hence the nickname “Bing”.

Stan Marchant, - very wiry with ruddy complexion and a bit of a rogue by nature.  Truly great friends with Bing Bowman and if there was something going on they usually jointly had a hand in it.  Stan did what had to be done but completely without enthusiasm.  He was clearly there only to make up the gun crew.

BDR Bluey Mercer transferred from West Head with experience in difficult conditions.  He filled two roles Battery tiffy and  gun crew training to achieve speed and efficiency.

WO2 “Boof Martin, AAOC,- His job was to oversight the installation of the gun to ensure conformity to standards.  He was a ‘hail fellow well met’ personality.  He had been in Ordnance for years as a regular soldier with lots of experience in fortress situations.  But there is always a first time and for Boof, Bowen Island was it.

Dr Norman Hansard, LMO and local GP, - paid daily visits to the island, weather permitting.  He always came well prepared with all his important equipment.  Fishing basket, two rods, lots of hand lines, lures and bait.  Doc was probably the most enthusiastic person about the development of the island as it meant he could fish every day, in fact twice a day as he would troll on the way to the island and back again.  He caught some beautiful kingfish which he took home to his smoke room.  He was an attentive doctor bringing words of experience and knowledge to the situation as witnessed the day when the coxswain instinctively tried to fend off the pontoon.

Jack Kelly was the coxswain of the workboat, Korree, and had been involved in the erection and proving of the West Head Battery, Broken Bay.

With the arrival of artillery personnel it was necessary to quickly establish routines that ensured the smooth running of the battery.   Landing stores, administrative material and rations were of course a daily fact of life and depended on the weather.  It was not uncommon to wade out to the barge at low tide to speed up unloading but this practice suddenly changed with the appearance of a shark only a few metres from those in the water.  That was soon forgotten and wading came back into fashion but with the added precaution of someone with a rifle on watch.

There were a couple of occasions when the workboat or launch would not attempt the crossing.  On these occasions the local fishing family, the Goldsmith brothers, came to the rescue in their very seaworthy boat.  Built in the shape of a Viking vessel with rounded bow and stern it did not matter how wild the bay was this boat just rode the waves.  Being on board during such a crossing was altogether another experience.  It was not for the faint-hearted.  The vessel was powered by a Petter, two stroke, kerosene engine, which just kept a steady reassuring rhythm.  Rations and stores would be transferred by the launch and taken to the seaward side of the island where, in the lee of the westerly winds, it could be manoeuvred in deep water up to flat rocks, unloaded of its supplies which were then carried by hand across the island back to the administration area.

The pedestal, cradle barrel and breech were transferred from the beach landing by dozer sling to the gun position.  The gun was erected, WO2 ‘Boof’ Martin spending much time in ensuring that each component was installed correctly and level.

The drill routine of marching was fairly difficult because of the loose sandy nature of the ground.  It was roughly held together with tufts of a hardy short leaved grass obviously quite at home in this difficult eco system, constantly battered by winds and salt spray.  It was very easy to be tripped by these tufts while trying to achieve some semblance of marching order.

The duty gun crew were given their duties at or near the gun.  Mostly this was gun drill where positions in the detachment were frequently changed to ensure a more efficient gun crew.

But there was one thing that created lots of discussion about the gun.  It was OLD.  It was suggested by some that it could have been the main armament on the ‘Mary Rose’.  It was ancient and well past its ‘use by date’. 

During this time all other duties and routines went on including the settling in phase.  All ranks below sergeant were based in tents.  Three men of quite disparate backgrounds including those who had been conscripted with attendant displeasure and of others who had lived a fairly free and challenging life were now suddenly in a close almost domestic situation where trouble could easily become evident.  The realisation that they were all in the same situation, formed some strong bonding friendships.  This meant life on the island was a lot easier and eased the feeling of imprisonment on the island.

Our days could bring some unexpected variations to our routine.  Imagine waking up one morning to find a huge grey ship at anchor in the Bay.  HMT Queen Mary had slipped in during the night while waiting access to Sydney harbour to pick up troops.  Didn’t the gun sentries have some explaining to do!

Another aspect of war that was going on around us involved the RAAF.  Bristol Beaufort bombers used the bay to practice torpedo bombing.  The aircraft would leave the RAAF Air Base, fly south east to a point distant from the bay, turn and fly very low hugging the coast line around the island and set themselves up for a run to the target on the western side of the bay.  Once they had established their required height and flying attitude they would launch the torpedo, bank sharp right and return to the airport.  The target vessel, HMAS Burra Bra steamed steadily north and south as the aircraft took aim.  It must be realised that the torpedoes being used were not meant to run a great distance.  They were practice torpedoes and used so that the flight crews could perfect the launch techniques.  The torpedoes had to hit the water in a flat plane.  Head down and it would plunge.  Head up and the impact would alter the setting of the gyro affecting its course.  American forces arrived flying B25 Mitchell Bombers but they did not seem to have the same taste for low level flying.

Breaking away sharp right had its risks.  There were many that damaged wing tips in that manoeuvre as it was almost impossible at that speed and height to know how close the water really is.  On 14 April, 1943 the gunners witnessed the unintended outcome of a briefing for war correspondents executed by three Beaufort Bombers and recorded by Fox Movietone News.  Two of the Beaufort bombers clipped each other in the final manoeuvre, resulting in the loss of eight lives. 

Left:  Underground magazine completed after Bluey left the island.

Postscript to Bluey’s recollections – Vic Rae Editor Gunfire

It is obvious from the photographs that quite a deal of development occurred between the proving shoot and the decommissioning of the battery – upgraded jetty, engine rooms for the generators, protected magazine, duty huts for the gun detachment and Listening Posts.

According to list of buildings on the island in 1945 the army constructed timber and galvanised iron buildings for officer accommodation, battery Q and orderly room, engine rooms for the searchlights.

Today there are two major brick buildings on the island in the areas where the battery HQ was established.  It is possible that these were brick veneered after the war when the island was leased to a local tourist operator before it was incorporated into Booderee National Park and is now managed by the Wreck Bay Aboriginal Community. 

On 20 July 1942 the George S Livanos was sunk off Jervis Bay and in the early hours of the 21st the Coast Farmer was sunk off Ulladulla.  At the exhibition opening we met Joseph Miller, now in his nineties and living at Callala who was a crew member on Coast Farmer.  The deterrent concept of a coastal fort at the bay was certainly not short-sighted.  A copy of the publication produced by the museum to commemorate the period has been lodged with the RAA Historical Company Library.

Right: Section of the group attending the opening of the twin exhibitions at the Lady Denman Heritage Complex