Autographed and decorated sail : HMAS Perth survivors who became prisoners of war in 1942

Triangular cream canvas foresail with black writing and artwork aligned along the longer, leading edge. This edge and each corner are reinforced with rope. In large decorative lettering in the centre is 'TO THE MEMORY OF THE GALLANT SHIP HMAS PERTH', a drawing of the ship's badge, and in smaller writing 'SUNK IN SUNDA STR. MARCH 1ST 1942 IN ACTION'. Beneath this is 'THIS FORESAIL WAS USED IN SALVAGED LIFEBOAT OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. IT WAS CALLED "ANZAC" AND SAILED TO TJILATJAP BY 10 SURVIVORS (SIGNATURES BELOW)'. The signatures are for Lieutenant John Albert Thode, PA1660 Petty Officer Herbert Keith Gosden, Sub-Lieutenant Norman Harold Stephen White, R19311 Yeoman of Signals Jack Reginald Edward Willis, 19127 Petty Officer Raymond Edward Parkin, 17663 Petty Officer Alfred James Edward Coyne, PM2539 Able Seaman Harry Oakley Mee, 17467 Chief Petty Officer Harry Francis Knight, B2912 Able Seaman Norman Joseph Griffiths and 18818 Petty Officer Horace Hilton Abbott. Beneath is a drawing of HMAS Perth; to the left of the badge a drawing of SL Anzac. A former HMAS Perth POW, Donald W McNab has added, the names of the 310 officers and men, who survived the sinking but were taken prisoner by the Japanese, to each end of the sail, together with the information, beneath the image of HMAS Perth, 'THE ABOVE REPRESENT THE SOLE SURVIVORS OF HMAS "PERTH" '.

McNab also added, in pen, a poem written by fellow Perth survivor Victor Duncan about the loss of the ship:
We've lost well nigh four hundred men, From the finest land on Earth.
They fought it out to the bitter end, And went down with the "Perth".
T'was indeed a glorious action 'gainst Overwhelming odds,
And they showed how Aussies "stick it", When unfavoured by the gods.
As the first gun thundered "Action", They were ready undismayed,
And as the battle raged about, Their courage was displayed,
For steadfast to their duty, With Nelson as a guide,
And comrades falling 'round them, T'was thus they fought and died.
With all her shells expended, She slid beneath the sea,
And though her story's ended, Her name is liberty.
So think of them with honour, As they rest beneath the waves.
They fought for King and country, And earned a sailor's grave.

This sail belonged to the steel lifeboat “ANZAC” that was sailed by ten HMAS Perth survivors attempting to reach Australia after the Perth was sunk during the Battle of the Sunda Strait on 1 March 1942. The lifeboat itself came from a Japanese transport sunk by the Perth and the American cruiser USS Houston earlier in the battle.

After the Perth sank the lifeboat was seen drifting by survivors, three of whom swam to the boat and rowed it towards the remainder, who were too weak to swim the distance. About fifty survivors were picked up eventually reaching Sangieng Island where they found thirty more survivors.

Staying on Sangieng for several days the men eventually left for Java in an attempt to make their way to Tjilatjap on the Javanese south coast and then onto Australia. Initially thirty nine men left in the lifeboat landing first at Anjer then Labuan and finally on an islet dubbed ‘Refuge Island’. At Refuge Island it was decided that to give themselves the best chance of reaching Australia, a distance of some 1700 miles (2700 kilometres) a skeleton crew of ten would be selected. It was agreed that the remaining men (including all those wounded) would surrendered to the Japanese.

The lifeboat crew continued onto Princes Island where they named their transport ANZAC. ANZAC reached Tjilatjap seven days later after a journey of 300 miles (480 kilometres). Her crew went ashore to see what or who was now there and with the hopes of acquiring an easier boat to sail. Unfortunately the Japanese had moved quickly and had already taken over Java and the men from ANZAC were now prisoners.

This sail had been one of the few things the crew had been able to save from ANZAC. During his first weeks in captivity, 19127 Petty Officer Raymond Edward Parkin designed and inscribed the central decoration onto the sail before all ten of the ANZAC crew signed it. When Parkin was transferred from Tjilatjap to a camp at Bandoeng the sail remained with R19311 Yeoman of Signals Jack Willis who was too sick to travel. Another Perth survivor F2729/20 Writer Donald William McNab met Willis later on at Bandoeng camp and they spoke about putting the rest of the names of known Perth survivors onto the sail, as a memorial. McNab was able to do this in camp adding 310 names in total. He returned the sail to Willis who rolled the sail up as a pillow to keep it undetected from the Japanese authorities.

After the war the sail was presented to Commodore Harold Farncomb, the then commanding officer of HMAS Cerberus and Perth’s commissioning captain. Out of the 310 names inscribed on the sail 105 died in captivity, including Petty Officer Alfred James Edward Coyne, who was one of the ANZAC crew. The sail was displayed for many years in St Marks Memorial Chapel at HMAS Cerberus