Individual Details
(11 Apr 1926 - 3 Sep 2008)
Jay Gribble says: "In WWII, my Dad enlisted in the Australian Navy when he was 16yo in 1942. (He put his age up so that he could enrol.) He served on the Destroyer HMAS "Nizam" which was attached to the British Pacific Fleet and eventually he was fortunate enough to be in close proximity to the Signing of the Peace carried out onboard the US "Missouri". HMAS Nizam and Napier represented Australia on this historic occasion. My Dad's claim to fame he said, was that he was one of the first 5 Aussies to set foot on Japanese soil, following their surrender on Wednesday 15 August, 1945 at 11.20am. That night, after dusk, 5 Aussies (including my father) swam ashore in Sagami Wan (Bay) south of Tokyo, to where they saw lights on the land - it turned out to be a small fishing village and Dad says he thinks that the people of the village were never aware on that night in 1945, that the war was over! The 5 sailors then swam back to the ship and a few days later, the sailors were on deck, dressed and assembled as they steamed into Tokyo Bay. Dad was the first Queenslander into Japan following the surrender to mark the end of WWII (he was the only Queenslander on the fore-deck as they entered the harbour) and from his memory, they were about 150 yards away from the dignitaries boarding the US "Misssouri" as they signed the Peace documents."
Events
| Birth | 11 Apr 1926 | | | | |
| Marriage | 24 Aug 1948 | Betty Ruth ALLAN | | | |
| Death | 3 Sep 2008 | Lung cancer - Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | | | |
| Burial | 8 Sep 2008 | Mt Thompson Crematorium, Holland Park, Queensland, Australia | | | |
Families