The Navy Vol_60_Part2 1998 - Navy League of Australia

THE NAVYTHE NAVYThe association s year-long study found asound and conservative financing planwhich should result in a successful, selfsupportingmuseum for San Diego. Thecosts of mooring and refurbishing theMIDWAY Museum will be borne by a $3million bank loan. $ I million in donationsas well as future surplus revenues fromthe museum. The carrier museum will bemoored to the old Navy pier just southof the Broadway pierMIDWAY Magic's fund-raising campaignpassed the $1.5 million mark in 1997.More than 40 San Diego individuals andorganisations have contributed $25,000each to the MIDWAY Project to become"Plank Owners." The second phase offund-raising, the "Centurion Club." isnow underway.A 390-page application for the use of theMIDWAY has been submitted to theSecretary of the Navy, an application thatdetails virtually every aspect of MIDWAYMagic's operation and impact. San Diegowas the only city to submit an application.'THE OLD NAVYWHAT IS ASTORES ASSISTANT?The 'What is a ..." navy people series wasoriginally written in the late 1950s. Theset will be re-produced in 'The Navy'during 1998Speaking very generally. Stores Assistantsissue stores - that is. if they: (I) can findthem; and (2) have them.There are two types of Stores Assistants- the "S" and the M V".SA(S) types are either myopic, liverish or"hung over".There are known exceptionsto this (see "The Navy of King Alfred'sTime" Chapter 16. and the "The Life ofHenry W/f Chapter 21). Other booksdo make further references, but onlyslightingly.The SA(S) insists on the indelible pencil.Without it the day's work cannot begin.This insistence amounts almost to a fetishand one can imagine the SA(S) spendingmany a quiet hour over the privatecollection of indelibles. The SA(S) knowsthese as instruments of signature.At the Supply School, the SA(S)undergoes rigid courses in being able tosay ^t the drop of a hat and withoutblinking an eyelid) "Sorry mate, (or Sir)but were closed for ..MIDWAY was commissioned onSeptember 10. 1945. Named for theBattle of MIDWAY, the carrier was thelead ship of her class, ultimately servingher country for 47 years. More than200,000 American veterans servedaboard her. In that time, the MIDWAY sawservice off Vietnam, in the Persian Gulfand in a number of other conflicts andcrises. She completed three tours offVietnam, her aircraft downing the firstthree and last MiG of the war in thecourse of nearly 12,000 missions. Morerecently, her aircraft flew more than3,000 missions in Operation DesertStorm.Through it all "MIDWAY Magic" became aliving legend in the Navy because theMIDWAY always found a way to meet heroperational commitments. Over fivedecades of service, she received thePresidential Unit Citation: Navy UnitCommendation; U.S. Navy & MarineCorps Expeditionary Medal. NavyOccupation Service Medal; China Service1. standeasy;2. lunch;3. make and mend:4. stocktaking, etc.As well, the SA(S) is so trained that unlesshe is surrounded by classes, groups,section, references and Forms AS Iupward to AS 1.000.000. he is helpless.Training also means use of the feint. Goto any Main Store, ask for an item and theSA(S) will tell you to "check at the office".Go to the office, ask for the same itemand the SA(S) there will tell you to "checkat the Main Store".The SA(S) has many favourite sayings.Amongst the more popular being - "Doyou know the pattern number mate?" and"Have you got your AS 156?" and "Wehaven't got any."The SA(V) deals with food, clothing andmess-traps. (The Trap is the 30 cents youget slugged for at the end of eachquarter).SA(V)s are a fine body of men. and whenjoining a ship are issued with either aseaman or stoker, or both to do thework. Also issued on joining is thescribblers book. Scribbling in this bookoccupies most of their day, and becomesvery feverish toward the end of thequarter. At this time no-one should askfor either a tin of milk or a tomato.Expeditionary Medal; and Vietnam ServiceMedal.After being the first aircraft carrier"forward deployed" for 17 years inYokosuka, Japan, she returned to NorthIsland Naval Air Station in San Diego fordecommissioning in April of 1992. Today,she rests at Bremerton. Washington,ready to begin her final "tour of duty" asSan Diego's tribute to the contributionsof the armed services and as a dynamic,interactive beacon of education andentertainment in "America's Finest City."MIDWAY will be converted into a multidimensional.interactive educational andentertainment complex. attractingvisitors and residents alike as the onlymuseum of its kind on the west coast.Anticipated Highlights include carrieraircraft on display, below-deck theatre,flight simulators, touring and permanentexhibits, tours through selected portionsof the ship. research/historicalmemorabilia centres and displays,community events and educational events.Some people in the Navy maintain that anSA(V) cannot victual. Neither side have asyet been able to prove their point.The Mess Gear SA(V) is usually the onlyperson with plenty of Mess Gear. Hisstock is effectively secured by a vastnetwork of cobwebs that keep the ship'scompany at bay. All SAs can do morewith a sheet of paper and a pencil thanany other sailor. This can be seen toadvantage during store ship periods. TheSA has been so finely trained that he canmake the paper and pencil appear heavierthan a bag of spuds.BOOKREVIEWSSHIPMATESIllustrated Tales of the MascotsCarried in RAN Ships andEstablishmentsBy Vic CassellsPublished by Vic CassellsPrice: $25.00This book tells of the trials andtribulations of the mascots carried in theships and establishments of the RoyalAustralian Navy - and a few RN caseswhere their story is pertinent in someway to this country.The most eye-opening thing found by theauthor during his research was the extentto which these mascots contributed tothe morale of the men. In the hundreds ofconversations conducted by Vic Cassells.the strong affection they'd had for'Digger', 'Smoky'. 'Wheels'. 'Tiddles','Durbo' and all the other remarkablecreatures in this book, comes throughjust as clearly 50-odd years on.Some of the stories are funny - evenbawdy, and others are sad. A bit like life,really. But. at least, to the best of theauthor's knowledge, they are all true.Nevertheless, it is understandable thatthere may be differences of opinion aboutexacdy what did happen all those yearsago. Most of the contributors wererecalling events which took place in theirteenage years, with all now in their 70s,some in their 80s, and even a few in their90s. It would be surprising, indeed, if theyall still retained perfect, uncloudedmemories of events.A paperback, laminated. 205 page book.Shipmates is illustrated throughout withmore than 280 black and whitephotographs, with a bibliography andindex. The book will be available in April.1998. direct from the author at P.O. Box229 Paradise Point Queensland 4216 for$25 plus $5.00 postage (add $2.50 pereach additional book).AUSTRALIAN MARITIME PATROLAIRCRAFTPublished by:TopmillCost: $14.95Reviewed by Joe StraczekMaritime Patrol Aircraft is a detailedexamination of the seaplanes, flying boatsand land based patrol aircraft of theRAAF since 1922. as well as the carrierborne aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm from1948.Twenty-five aircraft types are discussed,including sixteen RAAF and seven navalmodels, with 130 black and white and 30colour illustrations.The story of the maritime aircraft isrelated through well researched narrativeand data, plus some interesting largeformat (full page) tables which describethrough figures and dates, thechronological history of these unusualaircraftEach aircraft entry is presented via ageneral history of the type, its acquisition,armament, special notes and finaldisposal. Most of the photographs havereproduced well, with the colour sectionmainly devoted to the RAAF's Neptunesand Orions and the Navy's Gannets andTrackers.This book comes highly recommendedand at only $14.95. will not set back thefinances too much.AUSTRALIAN CARRIERDECISIONS: The Acquisition ofHMA SHIPS ALBATROSS,SYDNEY and MELBOURNEBy: Anthony WrightPublished: Maritime Studies ProgramReviewed by Ross GillettIn recent years the Royal Australian Navyhas. through the Maritime StudiesProgram, regularly added to the availablepool of quality publications dealing withAustralian naval and maritime subjects.• AUSTRALIAN AIR POKERMARITIMEPATROI. AIRCRAFT$SINCE1921PAGE 33PAGE I I