Alfred William Hails

(1918-2009)  

Son of Robert Hails and Emma Sarah Reeks

My grandfather, Alfred William Hails was born at Concord on 25 October 1918, the youngest of six children of Robert Hails and Emma Sarah Reeks who were married 6 February 1909 at Helensburgh, NSW, Australia. The family lived for a time on the south coast but had moved to Sydney by 1917. 

Alf’s parents were divorced when he was 8 years old and he lived with his mother and siblings at Arncliffe.  Alf was a textile worker and married my grandmother, Esther Rose Lillian Rake in 1935 when he was just 16 years old. They had two children.

Record of Service

Alf enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy just before the outbreak of WWII. He reported for duty on 27 Aug 1939 and was initially assigned to the Penguin II, the RAN's main naval base at Garden Island as an Able Seaman.

Able Seaman - Royal Australian Navy
27 Aug 1939 - 24 Oct 1945

Alf served on HMAS Canberra from 29 Feb 1940 patrolling and escorting in home waters and the Tasman Sea. She later began a period of service in the Indian Ocean on escort duty from Fremantle to Colombo and Cape Town and was involved in several searches for various German vessels on the shipping routes leading from Africa to India and the Malay States.

HMAS Canberra, Sydney Harbour, Oct 1930

Following the outbreak of the Pacific War, the Canberra continued her role of escort cruiser, convoying troops to New Guinea and convoys to the Malayan / Java theatre. 

HMAS Canberra was at anchor in Sydney Harbour on the night of the Japanese midget submarine attack on 31 May / 1 June 1942.  Details of the attack and what happened afterwards are covered in this DigiTalk - The mystery of the M24 midget submarine  by Sirling Smith, hosted by the Harbour Trust. 

Alf, Back row, 5th from left

Two of the submarines were recovered several days after the attack and after analysis they were sent around New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria to raise money for the Royal Australian Navy Relief Fund and the King George Relief Fund for Merchant Sailors. People could pay to view the submarines, buy war bonds and souvenirs, such as lead models of the submarines. They were then sent to the Australian War Memorial and remains of the two submarines have been put together and are on display in the Anzac Hall.  Alf participated in this tour and is pictured above. 

HMAS Canberra supported the American landings at Guadalcanal and Tulagi, which ended with her loss in the Battle of Savo Island on 9 August 1942 when she was struck by two torpedoes. With power lost and the ship listing, the wounded and survivors were evacuated  and the Canberra was then sunk by two American destroyers.

Of the 816 officers and men, casualties included 10 dead of wounds; 74 missing believed killed and 109 wounded. 

Alf survived this encounter and later served on the HMAS Wagga and was demobbed on 24 Oct 1945.

Alf and Esther divorced during the war and he married again. After the death of his second wife, Alf reconnected with Esther and they married again in 1980 and remained together until Esther’s death in 2000.

Alf always participated in the Anzac Day marches while he was able. He died on 29 Dec 2009 in Westmead Hospital, when he was 91 years old.