CONSTANT COMFORT AIR CONDITIONING : CONSTANT COMFORT

3800. One of many HMAS PIRIE photos donated to the Australian War Memorial by John Lyall and widely published.

The RAN Seapower Centre’s history webpage for HMAS PIRIE records that after working up in home waters in 1942, the corvette was engaged in convoy escort duties between NSW, Queensland and New Guinea. She was at Milne Bay on March 24, 1943, when 27 Japanese aircraft swept over her attacking shore targets. She was then one of the many small RAN ships engaged in the famous ‘Operation Lilliput,’ the landing, supply and support of U.S. and Australian troops invading the Buna-Gona areas on the Northeast coast of New Guinea – a hazardous operation under constant attack from the Japanese air bases around Rabaul.

On PIRIE, meantime, the attitude of the crew to the ship’s CO, LCDR Charles ferry Mills, had developed into one of complete detestation. The authoritarian CO insisted that his crew wear full dress uniform whenever going ashore. Back in Australia for battle repairs a short time later, he was to insist that his men come to attention and salute his visiting wife like a naval officer. Meantime Mills had seem determined to deny his crew any small comfort. Tropical beer allowances were not given. Pay and mail was held up.

Contributor John Lyall, working from documents, logs and reports of proceedings, gives a small but telling example of Mills’s regime:

‘PIRIE was anchored at Milne Bay with two other corvettes when all three received a signal from an American ship asking if any member of the ship’s company would like to attend the movies that night.

‘Some crew from the other corvettes did attend but none from PIRIE, Mills’s reason was that he had personally been told by the N.O.I.C. that the Japanese had increased their submarine activity in the Milne Bay area and Mills wanted to be ready in case there was an attack.’

The concept of maintaining the morale of his crew was clearly foreign to the CO, who was now the subject of unpleasant nick-names. If his own attitude was petty, it was to eventually invite petty and ugly schoolboy responses. A Law Journal of NSW review of the Mills case some years ago referred to some crew members rapping on Mill’s cabin door at night and shouting abuse, and then disappearing before they could be apprehended.

These were the conditions brewing on April 11, 1943, when HMAS PIRIE went into her own desperate battle.

Photo: Collection of the late Jack Lyall, RAN 1942-1946, it is one of many donated by his family to the Naval Historical Collection, Australian War Memorial, where it carries the ID No. PO1185.005. This photo, possibly originally RAN or BHP Company Ltd, has appeared in several books. The photo is held in the RAN Heritage Collection ID NO. 01100.

The desert! I cannot explain how awesome it is to leave an overly air conditioned building and feel that initial warmth of the desert hit your skin. It’s just amazing.

This time of year, being outside is glorious. The sun feels great. It’s just warmth. Constant and comforting warmth.

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