There are many
stories from the Han, but one of the best, largely because it gives
a clear picture of Dollard the man, concerns Murchison's "Guns", Frank
Smith. On one of many trips to Knife Edge, when only a few shots were
fired against them. Smith saw an ox cart, which the Chinese used to
carry ammunition and food, making for a village about 1,000 yards
from the river. He fired the four-inch and missed, and as the shells
kicked up the mud of a paddy field just ahead of the cart Smith could
see the owner belting the ox with a stick. As the ox began to canter
and then gallop he fired and missed again—and missed with every shot
after that before his target reached the village. Twenty minutes later,
on their way back from Knife Edge, Smith saw what looked like the
same ox cart coming out from the other end of the village.
"I'll get the
bastard this time," he yelped, still furious with his poor shooting.
But from the
Compass Platform Dollard called: "No, Guns. You've wasted enough bloody
ammunition. Let him go."
To Dollard, however,
the most memorable day of the sixty he spent up the river was 31 January
1952. On that day the tall and elegant Rear-Admiral Scott-Moncrieff,
whom the Australians admired tremendously, moved his flag from the
cruiser Belfast to Murchison when the Little Ship made her final tour
among the channels of the Han, and fired her final broadsides at the
game Chinese. And when that day was over and Murchison was once more
outside in the Yellow Sea, Scott-Moncrieff wined and dined Allen Dollard
and his officers and later sent two farewell signals which Dollard
has never forgotten.
The
first read:
"I dislike
the thought of continuing the war without Murchison but I will have
to accept it now as a fact. You have been a tower of strength and
your good name will always be associated with the infamous Han. No
ship could have done better. For fine seamanship and steadiness under
fire you have proved yourselves beyond reproach. Good luck in all
your sailings and a happy home coming to you all."
The
second was:
"For your
long tenancy of the Han, for mastery of all insidious and doubtful
delights, and for insecurity of tenure I think you should be created
Baron Murchison of the Han, Lord Fork and Viscount Spoon."
