known as Japan wherein were our enemies. We came no more to land  for a space of many days, seeing naught but ships and engines of war. Our wants were filled by great vessels carrying corn and food stored in tins. These we pulled on board with stout lines from ship to ship, and fuel for our ship was poured through a pipe above the ocean. The winged chariots flew aloft each day, watchful lest the enemy come upon us with his chariots and drop down upon us fire and brimstone. But few came as our power was great.   For a great fleet had gathered to do battle against the infidels  and who perceiving the war was  going against them sent envoys crying  ‘PEACE! PEACE!’ which on their promising many things, was granted unto them. So there was great rejoicing amongst us and great Vats of strong wine were consumed with joyous shouts. Then we journeyed  to the enemy’s chief city   where  we did cast our anchor, whilst many hundreds of our people who had been made prisoners now came aboard and were received with great joy and given a place amongst us. Now the Captain gathered all before him and cried ; “Ho! Hark to these Words: We are going even unto now towards Sydney”.  Whereat there was a great cry of joy, for this was in the land that I had spoken that all men loved exceedingly,  and wished to return.
   Now this chronicle endeth, for we that were gathered together for war, will soon separate. For peace reigneth throughout the world and each man’s heart is now toward his own home.”
Soon the ship was passing once again close to the beautiful south sea islands with their palm fringed beaches on the long 4,500 mile journey to Sydney epitomised later so beautifully in the musical “South Pacific”. and eventually we arrived to refuel and collect valuable freshwater and stores in the great natural harbour of Manus in the Admiralty Isles just north of New Guinea. Here we dropped anchor in the middle of the huge natural harbour far away from shore, and at an appointed time in the afternoon had a chance to swim off the ship. A Companion ladder lead down to the sea and about 100 ft or so further down the vessel, was a yard arm hanging from which was a large net. The idea was you filed down the companion ladder jumped in the water and swam   up to the net and clambered up. Whilst all this was going on a picket boat with three or four sailors carrying sten guns, cruised just a few yards  off ready to shoot any sharks that might appear. Fortunately none did, as I am not quite sure who would have been hit!  I jumped and swam in the warm refreshing sea, the first time that I had swam since leaving Australia. The next day we were cruising past New Guinea  and New Britain into the Coral Sea past the  many small palm fringed islets upon whose beaches and reefs  were the rusting wrecks that had been beached during the great Naval battle three years before. One of the amazing sights in the Coral Sea was the enormous size of the flying fish. In the Indian Ocean and elsewhere they were about silvery 9 inch things. Here they were twice or three times as large with beautiful purple brown wings, and they would glide  effortlessly for really long distances away from the bows of the ship. Finally on the 27th September early on a cool fresh breezy morning we passed through the Heads and entered Sydney Harbour, Royal Ensigns flying passing   close   by  the famous Bridge through flotillas of yachts and small craft, to finally moor in the Centre of the City  at Pyrmont and meet the Press and Australia and civilisation once again.  We had completed the cruise of a lifetime through  the Indian and Pacific Oceans that had lasted  three and a half years with all the tremendous  and most wonderful  experiences in between.
For all of  us from the “Nankin” and from the camp in Fukushima it was also a time to thank the stalwart bearing of the elderly Australian Captain Stratford who throughout these  three turbulent years had been our steadfast spokesman  in dealing with the most awkward and difficult number of  Japanese  Commandants and other enemy officials in authority. Mother and I especially were grateful for the firm line that he had taken with the Japanese when us three children were due to be branded with a red hot poker on our bellies. His sombre and determined  threat of Allied  post war  retaliation and severe punishment undoubtedly saved the day.   He was exactly the right man with that true Australian grit to be speaking up for us, when he so easily could have been an appeaser. We thank God for the grit of tough men like him to have by ones side when the going is rough,  and feel secure in the knowledge  that they stick to their principles  and act like true leaders under the greatest adversity to cope with bullies of whatever persuasion.

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