FAREWELL SAILOR

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14 15 CENTRESPREAD Honouring tHeir sacrifice John Stuart Mould John Stuart Mould joined the RAN Volunteer Reserve in 1940. He trained in the UK as a rendering mines safe (RMS) and bomb disposal officer and he disarmed unexploded bombs and mines across Britain. Mould was the first RMS officer to successfully defuse a German magnetic unit and a moored magnetic mine, enabling British scientists to identify their triggering mechanisms. He received a commendation for bravery in 1941 and the following year was decorated with the George Medal and George Cross. Mould completed wartime service in Ceylon and Australia, where he discharged in November 1945. Leon Verdi Goldsworthy Leon Verdi Goldsworthy joined the RAN Volunteer Reserve in 1941 and soon found himself serving as a RMS and bomb disposal officer in the UK. Goldsworthy was heavily involved in mine/bomb disposal work conducted under extremely hazardous circumstances – in many cases under water or waist-deep in mud. He was awarded the George Cross for bravery in 1943 and the following year was awarded the George Medal. By the end of the war, LCDR Goldsworthy had successfully rendered safe more than 300 mines and his bravery was further recognised through the award of a Distinguished Service Cross and a mention in dispatches. He was RAN’s most decorated officer of World War II. Hugh Randall Syme Hugh Randall Syme was another who joined the RAN Volunteer Reserve and became a qualified RMS officer. In December 1940 he was posted to the Royal Navy (RN) establishment HMS Vernon, where he quickly gained a reputation for courage and initiative. He was awarded the George Medal in June 1941 for his coolness in dealing with 10 enemy mines. In June 1942 he was awarded a bar to his George Medal for disarming a mine lodged deep in clay in a reservoir embankment at Primrose Hill, London. In March 1943 he was awarded the George Cross for carrying out 19 mine recovery operations. After returning to Australia, he established a bomb disposal section at HMAS Cerberus in April 1943. However, the organisation was never operationally deployed. George Gosse George Gosse joined the RAN in 1926 and underwent training in HMA Ships Australia and Canberra before joining the British Mediterranean Fleet. In October 1940 he enlisted in the RAN Volunteer Reserve as an ordinary seaman, and was later commissioned as a sub lieutenant in April 1941 while undergoing training in the UK. In December 1941 he joined the Royal India Navy’s HMIS Hooghly as a mine disposal officer. From late 1944, Gosse served in the UK where he qualified as a shallow water diver before going to Germany to begin underwater mine disposal duties in the captured port of Bremen. There, Gosse distinguished himself, directing searches for mines laid by retreating enemy forces and undertaking dangerous duties himself. In one such operation he successfully dived on a D-type mine with additional James Collier Buchanan Robert Ian Davies fittings known as the “Oyster”. It was pressure-operated, with acoustic and magnetic units incorporated in its detonation sequence. With the aid of a waterproof torch and proceeding by touch, Gosse used improvised tools to remove the primer and interrupt the detonation train. Ruby Boye Perhaps the most unusual experience in the annals of the Women’s RAN was that of Australia’s only honorary WRAN, Ruby Boye. She lived with her husband, Skov, in Solomon Islands where he managed a timber operation. Leon Verdi Goldsworthy When war in the Pacific broke out, the base wireless operator returned to Australia to enlist in the RAAF. Boye volunteered to take over his duties and was soon using the radio equipment to provide the Allies with regular weather forecasts and other important information. When the Japanese invaded Solomon Islands, Boye stayed and taught herself Morse code, transmitting reports back to Australia. Boye was commissioned as an honorary third officer in the WRAN. Her appointment followed the capture and death of a fellow coast watcher in New Guinea. The hope was that, if captured, Boye would be recognised as a member of Australia’s armed forces and treated appropriately. Boye was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1944. Jonathan Rogers Jonathan Rogers joined the RN in November 1938 and spent most of World War II serving in motor launches and torpedo boats. Promoted to petty officer in 1943, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for “coolness and leadership” under enemy fire off Dunkirk, France, in 1944. Rogers joined the RAN in 1950 and subsequently served in HMA Ships – PART TWO – Twenty-two Navy members, past and present, have been selected to represent the values of honour, honesty, courage, integrity and loyalty. Part One of this two-part centrespread, published in the April 28 edition of Navy News, profiled 11 Navy people being considered for awards in a Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal inquiry into acts of gallantry and valour. Part Two profiles another 11 outstanding Navy people. The 22 people illustrate Navy’s finest qualities as the RAN begins celebrations to mark its 100th anniversary in July this year. Their stories will be used to educate Navy members and the community to promote a greater understanding of Australia’s maritime heritage, as well as the sacrifices made by everyday Australians to protect this country’s maritime interests. Hugh Randall Syme John Stuart Mould Jonathan Rogers Sydney III, Burdekin, Tobruk I, Junee, Anzac II, Warramunga I and Barcoo. He was promoted to chief petty officer in 1956, by which time he had seen further active service during the Korean War. In 1963 Rogers joined the destroyer HMAS Voyager as her coxswain. On February 10, 1964, Voyager was taking part in exercises with aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne when she collided with the much larger vessel. Voyager was cut in two and capsized. Sailors who escaped told how Rogers had taken charge of the situation, calming shipmates, controlling flooding, freeing a jammed escape hatch Hector Macdonald Laws Philip Waller C. Kember and organising men to move to other compartments with emergency exits. On realising he may not fit through an escape hatch, he was instrumental in helping others to safety. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. Kerry Francis Marien After training at the RAN College at HMAS Creswell, Kerry Francis Marien joined the Daring-class destroyer HMAS Voyager as a midshipman. When Voyager collided with Melbourne, Marien managed to get clear of the aft section of the stricken vessel and into one of Voyager’s life rafts. Noticing others in difficulty around him, Marien re-entered the water to help. The last person to see Marien alive reported that Marien had swum up to him asking whether he needed help. On replying that he did not, he saw Marien swim in the direction of the severed forward part of the ship, which it is believed he entered. Marien was posthumously awarded the Albert Medal 1965. James Collier Buchanan James Collier Buchanan began his flight training as an aircrew officer with RAN in October in 1963 and later, as Benjamin Sime a qualified pilot, was posted to HT 725 Squadron in February, 1964. Buchanan was posted to the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam, which arrived in the Republic of Vietnam in October 1970. He became the commander of the Second Lift Platoon, flying daily combat assault missions at the controls of a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter in which he routinely came under heavy enemy fire. On December 4, 1970, Buchanan performed an extraordinary act. While engaged in the medical evacuation of a wounded crew member from a South Vietnamese patrol boat, the group came under heavy attack. Realising that the boat he was operating was disabled and drifting towards the enemy-held shore, he pressed the skids of his helicopter onto the deck of the vessel and manoeuvred his aircraft to push the boat to safety. Philip C. Kember Philip C. Kember was a member of the first clearance diving team (CDT) to deploy to South Vietnam, serving from February 5 until August 29, 1967, with CDT3. On May 20, 1967, CDT3 was called to help salvage a crashed helicopter near Phu Loi. As part of a team of three, LS Kember was flown to the US Army base at Phu Loi and then by helicopter gunship to the crash site. The recovery of the aircraft from 10 feet of water was conducted in extremely hazardous conditions. Kember was instrumental in the recovery of two bodies and in rendering safe all of all the ordnance and weapons. He was later decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal for his involvement in this and other hazardous operations in Vietnam. Benjamin Sime During HMAS Stuart’s 2004 deployment to the Middle East, in support of Operation Catalyst, LSA Benjamin Sime was serving as the sensor operator in Stuart’s embarked Seahawk helicopter. On April 24, 2004, enemy fighters in fishing dhows launched a series of attacks against Iraqi oil terminals. One dhow, packed with explosives, was detonated when a RHIB from USS Firebolt drew alongside to challenge it. Three American sailors were killed and four seriously wounded. Stuart rendered assistance, ordering her Seahawk to close Firebolt’s position. On approaching the scene, Sime observed that the RHIB had capsized and its occupants were in the water. Following several unsuccessful attempts to get survivors into a rescue strop lowered from the helicopter, a decision was made for Sime to enter the water and provide direct assistance. Moments later, two further attacks were launched against the nearby oil terminals. Sime continued to provide support to survivors until he was recovered by Stuart’s RHIB. Sime showed courage and remained dedicated to supporting a sailor in his care without regard for his own safety. He was awarded the Medal for Gallantry. Justin James Brown ABCD Justin James Brown was a member of AUSTCDT Four during the 1999 deployment to East Timor. On October 21, 1999, AUSTCDT Four was tasked with a clandestine reconnaissance in advance of an amphibious landing by Australian troops into the Oecussi Enclave, West Timor. Brown was tasked with gathering beach intelligence for the proposed landing site. In addition, he was tasked to provide surface protection and early warning of impending danger, working close in shore and for the submerged dive team. During the reconnaissance, a number of shots and explosions were heard in the nearby town while two vehicles proceeded along the beach conducting a search to seaward using high-intensity lights. Brown jeopardised his own safety by remaining close to the shore to provide support to his commanding officer and the submerged dive team. He was awarded a Commendation for Gallantry. – Information compiled by Navy Communications and Media As reported in the April 28 edition of Navy News, an ‘Inquiry into Unresolved Recognition for Past Acts of Naval and Military Gallantry and Valour’ is being held. For more information visit www.defencehonours-tribunal.gov.au, email DHA.Tribunal@defence.gov.au or call (02) 6266 3486. Submissions close on June 30. NAVY NEWS www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews May 12, 2011 Ruby Boye Gallantry Inquiry
16 FEATURES Watson’s sea change LCDR Chris Watson will soon retire after 29 years in the RN, almost nine in the RAN and helping out in Japan. CPL Melanie Schinkel reports. FTER serving nearly 40 years in the Royal Navy and RAN, and working on board the USS Blue Ridge during her recent humanitarian effort off Japan, LCDR Chris Watson is hanging up his seafarer’s hat in May. LCDR Watson, 56, has spent the past year-and-a-half at Yokosuka, Japan, serving with US Commander Seventh Fleet Staff (C7F Staff) on board the USS Blue Ridge as part of the RAN’s Personnel Exchange Program. Appointed as the UN Korea (Rear) Command’s Liaison Officer to C7F Staff, LCDR Watson’s role involved working in the N7 directorate to support VADM Buskirk’s Fleet Theatre Security and Cooperation Program. “My desk looked after relationships with Australia, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Island nations,” LCDR Watson said. He said Blue Ridge had just arrived in Singapore for a week-long port visit when the magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan on March 11. “In less than 24 hours we had recalled all our personnel, loaded pallets of humanitarian aid stores onto the upper deck and sailed back to Japan. “Many of the ship’s company and C7F Staff were married and had families based in US Navy quarters in Yokohama, north of the US Navy base at Yokosuka. We were all very worried about our families and wondering if our houses were still standing.” Blue Ridge’s crew and staff were initially taken aback when it was revealed the USS Ronald Reagan had been exposed to radiation from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. “In less than 24 hours we had recalled all our personnel, loaded pallets of humanitarian aid stores onto the upper deck and sailed back to Japan.” – LCDR Chris Watson “At that point, Operation Tomodachi (Japanese for ‘friend’) became very complex and the other Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS George Washington, which was undergoing maintenance at the time, sailed from Yokosuka to avoid any further contamination. By then, however, minor contamination had already reached Yokosuka.” LCDR Watson’s wife, Angela, and two dogs were in a US Navy quarter in Yokohama, experiencing the earthquake and the aftershocks and nuclear crisis that followed. Mrs Watson said she was drying her hands with a tea towel in the kitchen when she felt the first tremor. “I thought I was having a dizzy spell,” she said. “I clutched at the sink and thought ‘I feel very odd’. Then I realised it was an earthquake. It was much worse than the other earthquakes I had experienced in Japan.” LCDR Watson said he was prompted to retire after he was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. “I submitted my discharge paperwork because I thought I was ill and wanted to spend more time with my wife,” he said. “Thankfully, it turned out to be a misdiagnosis. But, by then, I had already adjusted to the idea of retiring, becoming my own boss and moving to Tasmania with Angela.” LCDR Watson was born near Burnley in Lancashire, England and joined the RN in 1973. After graduating from the Britannia Royal Naval College, LCDR Watson deployed to the Caribbean and western seaboard of North and South America. He also served as the XO on board HMS Walkerton. Before transferring to the RAN in 2002, LCDR Watson served for three years as the UK’s exchange officer BOWING OUT: LCDR Chris Watson (right) with LCDR Demetrius Williams from the US Navy on board USS Blue Ridge in February. Inset, LCDR Watson’s photograph of the parading of US Navy and Marine Corps colours and the US and Malaysian national flags taken from his “scuttle” on board Blue Ridge. in the Joint Information Operations Centre in San Antonio, Texas. He was the first allied exchange officer to be awarded the US Meritorious Service Medal for his work in information operations during the Balkans conflict. LCDR Watson said he felt privileged to have experienced all that he had during his career. NAVY NEWS www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews May 12, 2011
Page 1 and 2: Navy SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE V
Page 3 and 4: NEWS Illegal fishing was the focus
Page 5 and 6: NEWS Making a difference in Afghani
Page 7 and 8: NEWS Some sailors are mums too By L
Page 9 and 10: When you live in the great metropol
Page 11 and 12: NEWS of opportunity POCK Filling in
Page 13: 2011 TIME TO REFLECT: HMAS Parramat
Page 17 and 18: Salary package your next vehicle wi
Page 19 and 20: 20 PERSONNEL EstablishmENt DatE tim
Page 21 and 22: 22 GANGWAY Limited Offer * Mention
Page 23 and 24: 24 LIFESTYLE Chew through the fat o
Page 25 and 26: 26 SPORT Atkins bags national bronz
Page 27: Glendennings Menswear Pty Ltd incor

FAREWELL SAILOR

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?