The Cat s Tales April 2016 Newsletter of Navy Association of Australia Brisbane Sub-Section President s Report Brett Piraner pres@naa-brisbane.org.au Greetings and salutations Well, it has only been three weeks since we last met. During this time the Executive has established position responsibilities and is working towards establishing a solid foundation for the Mess. Work has now been completed on identifying the COs of the ships of the fleet and Old Salt letters will be sent out in the next week fingers crossed we achieve a good support response. We are now in desperate need of a State Council representative. Please approach one of the Executive if you would like to help out. You would attend only 4 meetings a year on Saturday mornings. On a disappointing note, Mess 41 was the target of a graffiti tag event. Thank you to those who assisted with cleaning up this abhorrent attack on ourselves. Next month sees the National Executive meet in Adelaide for the AGM. There are a few changes on the table and all of them are possible I will be able to report back once these changes have been voted upon. Fair wind in your sails and calm seas till next we meet. Yours aye Brett Piraner President 2016 Sean Kenny Secretary sec@naa-brisbane.org.au Alan Cox Treasurer pusser@naa-brisbane.org.au 0407 430 941 Brett Ingram Vice President 1 Steve Grice Vice President 2 Cam Barnes Assistant Secretary Les Waterman Mess Manager Shane Cox President - The Crew
April 2016 meeting The April meeting will be held at, 175 Edinburgh Castle Road, Wavell Heights on Sunday 24 April, commencing at 11:00. As usual, the meeting will be followed by a few social beverages and scran. Please RSVP to Alan Cox by Sunday 13 March so we can cater accordingly. Mess Dinner are you interested? Brisbane Sub-Section is intending to host a Mess Dinner at the end of July. The Mess Dinner will be a social night for all members and their guests to come together over delicious food and a few drinks with ample opportunity to practise your moves up the dance floor. Date and venue are yet to be confirmed we are looking at 23 or 30 July and the estimated cost is $50-60 per person. Preliminary numbers are needed to ensure we cover our costs. Are you interested in attending? Can you assist with running this event? Please advise Alan Cox at pusser@naa-brisbane.org.au or on 0407 430 941. Vale Neville James Lyall Our member, Neville Lyall, crossed the bar on Monday 4 April 2016. Neville was 96 years of age. He joined the Navy in November 1939, discharging in March 1946. Neville's service will be held at the Albany Creek Garden Chapel on Wednesday 13 April, commencing at 10:30. Our condolences are extended to his family and friends. Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar. 2
Please meet Les Waterman I joined the RAN on 5 April 1982 from Wentworth Falls, NSW. I completed recruit school in July 1982 and went on to Basic Writer training until October 1982. That month, I joined HMAS Albatross pay office, looking after WO and CPO s pay records for 12 months, and then transferred to the Ships Office until posting to HMAS Vampire in March 1985. I only got to go on one trip onboard HMAS Vampire and this was to sunny New Zealand Christchurch and Wellington. I had a ball serving on this ship until March 1986, working in the ship s office, but I wasn t allowed to stay on to be part of the decommissioning crew (some DSP scribe made sure of that). Whilst on HMAS Vampire I had one really memorable moment - I was AWOL for a day around the time that the new DFDA was introduced. When I fronted the XO s table, the Supply Office offered mitigating circumstances for my absence that amused the XO, He met a girl that made him an offer he could not refuse, this saw me being able to step ashore that night with no loss of pay or having to do any chooks. March 1986 was my first posting to Navy Office, Directorate of Naval Safety. I was there for 12 months then transferred to the Helicopter Project on Northbourn Avenue until my posting to HMAS Parramatta in October 1987. Whilst on HMAS Parramatta, I participated in my first RIMPAC (88), had a ball and even managed to be part of a group of golfers that had the then CNS stopped from teeing off on Pearl Harbour golf course it s a long story (if you remember the Banana Splits, it may explain) but in short involved alcohol, golf buggies and sailors!!!!! HENCE THE REST OF THE WEEKEND WAS SPENT ONBOARD. End of 1988 saw the introduction of the new pay system NAVPAY which created some long hours for the scribes onboard HMAS Parramatta. We had to ensure that all manual pay was transferred to computer pay prior to departing on my first (and only) trip UPTOP!!! Yes, I was looking forward to this, having heard a lot of stories. It was just prior to us departing for the trip that my promotion to Leading Seaman came through and this time I got to stay onboard. During this trip is when I realised how lucky we are in this country. In October 1989 I joined HMAS Harman (home of the Bop & Flop) and was working in the pay office at Campbell Park Offices. After 12 months I was transferred to the Ships Office at HMAS Harman and whilst there had the opportunity to participate in the 75 th anniversary of ANZAC and participate in the exchange guard with the NZ Navy. One night after a Bop & Flop, I thought I d have a go at bonnet surfing (unsuccessfully) and spent next couple of days in hospital. In December 1991 I joined HMAS Adelaide where I participated in my second RIMPAC, this time going to San Diego as well as Hawaii. It was during this trip that I decided it was time to settle down and leave the service, so in July 1992 filled out my 9 months notice. I was paid off in April 1993, although I left HMAS Adelaide in February 1993 by taking leave as I did not want to participate in work ups. 3
Les Waterman contd After hanging around in the Sydney area for a year, I decided to move to Queensland in 1994 and worked for a bicycle company for a couple of years. Then I started work at a food can making plant where I spent 10 years and gained an interest in Safety. I met my partner in 1998 and have two children, a boy and girl. I put myself through relevant training and now work as Safety & Quality Manager, managing the Queensland region for my current company Fundraising Thank you to our sponsors Special thanks to the Grill d Chermside crew for catering our lunch at the March meeting. Drop in to Grill d and tuck into a great burger! Delivering thoughtful, caring funeral services to Brisbane families for four generations, the Gow family provides dignified and personal attention to those most in need. They can make arrangements for burial and cremation services, as well as providing information and resources for planning, pre-planning, insurance, financial arrangements, grief support and crematoriums and cemeteries across Brisbane. For information about funeral pre-planning, insurance or other financial arrangements, call their friendly Brisbane staff on 3073 4817. Mobile Rehab provides DVA gold card holders with: physiotherapy podiatry and occupational therapy in the comfort of your own home! All you need is a referral from your GP and there is no cost to you. Call Mobile Rehab s friendly staff on 3856 5428 they can even help you organise the referral! Mobile Rehab kindly prints this newsletter for our members who prefer a paper copy. 4
On this day Date Year Title Event 8 April 1918 Repatriation Department established Once soldiers were demobilised all tasks aimed at their rehabilitation and return to civilian life became the responsibility of the Repatriation Department. 9 April 1942 HMAS Vampire sunk The destroyer HMAS Vampire and the aircraft carrier HMS Hermes were sunk by Japanese bombers off Colombo in the Bay of Bengal. 9 April 1968 HMAS Sydney arrived at Vung Tau 11 April 1970 HMAS Vendetta returns to Sydney The 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, disembarked and the 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, embarked. Sydney made 24 voyages to Vietnam during the war. HMAS Vendetta was the only one of three Australian Daring class destroyers to serve on the gunline in Vietnamese waters. The ship served one tour. 12 April 1924 HMAS Australia scuttled The battle cruiser, HMAS Australia (I) was ceremonially scuttled off Sydney under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. 13 April 1983 Dedication of the Rats of Tobruk memorial 21 April 1917 Foundation of the Imperial War Graves Commission The memorial on Anzac Parade was dedicated by the Governor-General of Australia, the Right Hon Sir Ninian Stephen. The memorial commemorates the Australian and Allied servicemen who died during the siege of Tobruk in 1941. The Imperial War Graves Commission was later renamed the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is responsible for erecting and maintaining war memorials and cemeteries. 22 April 1941 Evacuation of Greece begins The evacuation marked the end of the ill-conceived Greek campaign which lasted only three weeks. 23 April 1918 Ostend and Zeebruge, Belgium, raided 25 April 1901 Naval contingent return to Sydney from China Eleven volunteers from HMAS Australia took part in a raid that aimed to prevent the Germans using these Belgian ports as a bases for their submarines. Sailors from New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria were sent to China to assist in quelling an anti-western rebellion by Chinese secret societies. Although it arrived too late to see any significant fighting, the Australian colonial force suffered six fatalities, none from combat. 5
On this day continued 25 April 1915 Landings at Gallipoli British, French, Australian and New Zealand troops were involved in a series of coordinated landings. Although the Gallipoli campaign was a military failure, the anniversary of the landing has become a national day of commemoration in Australia. 25 April 1916 First commemoration of Anzac Day The first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings was widely observed in Australia. Large crowds attended church services and public ceremonies. The day was also commemorated by Australian and New Zealand servicemen in Egypt and London. 28 April 1952 Australia ratifies peace treaty with Japan and official ending of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) From the end of 1948 Australia had taken on the largest role in BCOF. When the state of occupation ended the Commonwealth organisation in Japan was redesignated British Commonwealth Forces Korea and continued supplying and administering Commonwealth forces then fighting in Korea. 29 April 1915 HMA Submarine AE2 sunk in the Sea of Marmara 29 April 1965 Prime Minister Menzies announces the commitment of an infantry battalion to Vietnam 30 April 1941 Last evacuation ship leaves Greece AE2 was the first submarine to penetrate the Dardanelles. For five days the AE2 carried out orders to disrupt Turkish shipping. When her torpedoes were exhausted and she was attacked by Turkish gunboats, the submarine was scuttled and her crew captured. Australia's involvement in Vietnam was a gradual process. By April 1965 there were 100 members of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam in Vietnam. The commitment of a battalion represented a major step in Australia's involvement and precipitated further increases in the number of Australians serving in Vietnam until reductions began in 1970. Australian and New Zealand troops fought alongside soldiers from Greece and Britain in the ill-fated Greek campaign. General Blamey conducted a skillful evacuation of the ANZAC Corps from southern Greece at the end of the campaign. Birthdays April Garth Waters Happy birthday! Did you know between the devil and the deep The devil was the longest seam of the ship, thought to be the first plank on the outer hull of a wooden vessel from stem to stern. When at sea and the devil had to be caulked, the sailor hung from a rope to do so. He was suspended between the devil and the sea a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway. 6
Dates for your calendar April Sunday 24 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting Monday 25 ANZAC Day May Sunday 29 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting June Sunday 26 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting July TBC date Mess Dinner TBC venue Sunday 31 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting August Sunday 28 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting September Sunday 25 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting October Sunday 30 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting November Sunday 27 11:00 NAA BSS monthly meeting December Sunday 11 11:00 Proposed date for Christmas function We will remember them They have no grave But the cruel sea No flowers lay at their head A rusting hulk is their tombstone Afast on the ocean bed They shall grow not old As we that are left grow old Age shall not weary them Nor the years condemn At the going down of the sun And in the morning We will remember them Lest we forget NAA Brisbane Sub-Section PO Box 120 ASPLEY QLD 4034 Newsletter compiled by Bridget Hallam media@naa-brisbane.org.au 7