Harold Dihm joined the Royal Australian Navy in December 1942.
Harold was drafted to HMAS Australia, on which he served as a stoker.
On 20 July 1943, Harold came up from the bowels of the ship to collect water to make some billy tea. Looking towards the stern (back) of the ship, he saw a nearby navy ship, HMAS Hobart, struck by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine. He remembered the explosion being so violent that Hobart’s ‘stern just lifted right out of the water’.
Harold remained in the Navy after the war, serving until his discharge in 1963. He attained the rank of Petty Officer Engineering Mechanic.
