Allan a Murray

HMAS Nepal Allan a Murray

This book concludes the story of HMAS Nepal.

Allan's research into the World War II destroyer, HMAS Nepal, was prompted through the service aboard her in 1942 by his great-uncle, Able Seaman Bobby Forbes. He found there was no book or single repository of her story which was the most interesting and varied of the five N Sub-class ships that served with the Australian Navy. Allan's book, HMAS Nepal - The chameleon, 1939-43, tells the first half of her story; her construction and journey from Scapa Flow to the Indian Ocean. The book has been very well received but some readers have asked for more. PeterPac, for example, commented on Amazon ... "Early history of the ship was great. But would have loved to have read her whole history."

This book, HMAS Nepal - To Tokyo, 1943-45, responds to these calls. The year 1943 was an appropriate interregnum in the story of HMAS Nepal. Firstly, Allan's Uncle Bobby left the ship in late 1942. Secondly, from 1943 HMAS Nepal's service was more focused upon the War against Japan.

HMAS Nepal was launched in the week that war was declared against Japan. From early 1943 the War took her from the coast of Madagascar, protecting convoys from Japanese submarines, to attacking Japanese positions and installations in Burma, Java and Sumatra, then to the Okinawa Campaign - the largest amphibious assault of the Pacific War - and finally to supporting attacks upon the Japanese mainland. She had the honour of being the first Australian Navy ship to berth in Tokyo Harbour after the surrender ceremony. She survived all of this without a single loss to the crew.

Up until early 1943, HMAS Nepal had been a chameleon. During 1943 she established a reputation as a truly Australian fleet destroyer. By 1945 she was respected as one of Australia's more capable, trusted and best led fleet destroyers of World War II.