Alex Bedwell, a 91-year-old war veteran recounts the time he came face-to-face with Prince Philip.
FOR Alex Bedwell, a wireless operator on HMAS Ballarat during WWII, an unexpected encounter with Prince Philip is something that this unsung hero will never forget.
We were invited to attend a film night on board HMS Whelp, a destroyer anchored about a mile across from us in San Pedro Bay in the Philippines. Our Skipper agreed and we moved over, tied up to their starboard side and boarded the ship.
Just before the end of the film an Air Raid Red Alert sounded and we hurried to get back to our ship to take up action stations. I ran down the upper deck towards the stern, then took the shortest route down the starboard side, which was strictly against regulations.
As I slid down the ladder to the quarterdeck, about halfway down an officer appeared at the bottom in order to come up. A face-to-face collision took place. I quickly jumped to my feet, over the railings and back to the Ballarat.
I saw the officer’s face clearly, but at the time I had no idea who he was. Later, photos of him appeared in newspapers and magazines. He was Prince Philip of the Greek Royal Family and now the Duke of Edinburgh! Luckily for me, the incident was never mentioned.
Alex Bedwell, who was a wireless operator on HMAS Ballarat during WWII. Picture: Supplied.Source:Supplied
Another unforgettable moment for Alex was one morning when a Morse code signal arrived. As he decoded it he soon realised that it was a message marking the end of the war.
It was August 15th, 1945 and a signal came through in code at 1.21am. It said Cease operations against Japanese forces. Continue searches and patrols. Maintain defensive and internal security measures at highest level.
I went up to the Skipper, handed him the message and said Sir, the war is over. He looked at the message, then at me and said go back to the coding office and type this message on the official naval message form, then return it to me. I did so and when I gave him the correct form he announced it to the ship. It was certainly a very happy moment for all.
Alex’s naval journey began at age 17. Initially rejected as unfit to enlist, Alex’s unwavering determination to serve his country led him to visit the consultant physician to the Navy for a second opinion.
I wasn’t going to let high blood pressure stop me from doing my bit for the war. I spent two and a half weeks pay for an appointment. The physician wrote to the Navy’s Chief Medical Officer and cited that I was just a shy country lad and would be OK. With that, my adventure began and I was enlisted on the 5th of May, 1943.
After seven months of communications training at Flinders Naval depot, I joined HMAS Ballarat in Townsville. On my first night at sea I was on watch in the wireless office. We struck choppy seas and I had my headphones on, a pencil in one hand and a bucket in the other. It was the only time I was ever seasick.
Alex Bedwell nearly had a face-to-face collision with Prince Philip.Source:Supplied
My service took me on convoys to Thursday Island, across the Coral Sea to New Guinea and from Darwin down to the east coast of Melbourne. In December 1944, we were transferred to the British Pacific Fleet. We sailed to Manus Island where a large number of ships had arrived to assist in the invasion of the Philippines. It was there that my royal encounter took place.
My family had a long and notable naval history, dating back to 1806. When sailing off the coast of Queensland one day, the skipper called me over to the chart table to ask if the name E.P. Bedwell had anything to do with me. I proudly explained that he was my great uncle who had surveyed the Queensland coast between 1866 and 1878. It was amazing that his chart was still being used so many years on!
A shock to the system was when we were undertaking mine sweeping around Hong Kong and along the north and south coast of China following the end of the war. An acoustic mine exploded underneath us and we were very lucky that the ship was not holed.
On Sunday, 9 December, we led five Corvettes through Sydney Harbour to an enthusiastic crowd waiting at Village Point Wharf in Watson’s Bay. What a truly amazing feeling it was to be home again and to see my family.
Alex was discharged from service in June 1946, the year he met the love of his life Audrey, and together they had two children and 59 wonderful years of marriage. He went on to serve his local community, for which he was awarded an OAM in 2010.
Now living at Whiddon Kelso, an aged care home in Bathurst, where his family was recognised with a wing named in their honour, it is there where he met fellow veteran sailor and good mate Harry Linkins, now 98.
Alex, right, now lives in an aged care home in Bathurst alongside fellow veteran sailor Harry Linkins, left. Picture: Supplied.Source:Supplied
Harry joined the Royal Navy in WWII, which took him to many places including Nairobi, Durban and Tanganyika. On his way to join HMS Hermes aircraft carrier in Trincomalee on the east coast of Sri Lanka, it was sunk by the Japanese just days before he arrived. He later joined the Royal Australian Navy, where he served 20 very satisfying years.
Alex and Harry recently received a visit from Royal Australian Navy personnel to share their experiences and were honoured with a flyover of Whiddon Kelso as a gracious salute.
Stories like those of Alex and Harry show the power of mateship, the love for a country and true bravery and courage. On Remembrance Day, we remember and honour all who have served.
Friday 11th November marks Remembrance Day.