| We know that in those days a ship was commanded from the quarterdeck at the ship's stern. |
| This was the Melbourne Cup scene, not at Flemington or Royal Randwick of course, but on the quarterdeck of HMAS Kuttabul in Sydney. |
| Without an accurate chart, she anchored in Betano Bay at dusk on September 23, 1942 and commenced disembarking troops over her quarterdeck. |
| Ascending to the quarterdeck, he checked in with the man assigned the afternoon watch. |
| He turned and continued his pacing along the windward side of the quarterdeck, easily adjusting his stride to the pitch and roll of the ship. |
| But just before 8 a.m., the 19-year old Marine bugler looked up from his watch post on the ship's quarterdeck to see Japanese planes overhead. |
