Commando Edition 17 2023

VALE
230530 - 2149013 RAYMOND XAVIER DELVES
Former Sergeant 1 RNSWR (Cdo)
By Audie Voormeulen
Ihave been asked by Ray’s wife Patricia to present
some background as to Ray’s military service and
most particularly to I Commando Company.
I received the following
message from Maj Gen
Greg Mellick AO RFD SC (at
his time in service he was a
Sergeant in 1973 prior to
attending his Officer training
course).
“I remember Ray well. He
was quietly determined,
very professional and very
competent without being
flashy. He would sit back and
calmly smoke his pipe
before giving a considered
opinion which one would
Ray as a Sergeant at
1 Commando
Company circa early 1970’s.
Source: Author
ignore at their peril.
He would always be
relied upon to performing
his duties but because he
lived a fare distance away from Georges Heights he
very sensibly did not often join many of the over
indulging in the demon drink after training.
He cared very much for his family, and I offer them
my sincere condolences.? Best Greg
Maj Gen Greg Mellick
National President RSL & Colonel Commandant 1st
Commando Regiment
From formerly of 1 CDO Coy & AATTV Captain
Mike Wells – I am sadly unhelpful on this one. All I can
offer is memories of Ray sitting back puffing on his
pipe, quietly organising things with his diggers. He
was very tolerant, but anyone stepping out of line
suffered a terrible physical retribution. I think he took
after me!! I guess why I don’t have more is that Ray was
such a quietly efficient Senior NCO, he required less
overview, we knowing he prepared well for every
activity.
To me they were indeed task masters both of the
first order for those of us serving at that time
Our ACA NSW Welfare Officer Brian Dumbar was
very helpful in providing some of the information for
this vale.
Prior to entering 1 Commando Company Georges
Heights I am informed that Ray served with the Field
Ambulance at Erina Depot.
Ray and I commuted for some years out of Gosford
to Central and had a very good time on the Friday
night Newcastle Flyer “dog box carriages indulging in
a little libation and bluffing each through pontoon.
From memory Ray was not too successful at the latter.
I first became acquainted with Ray when he was
qualifying to be an Assistant Instructor in Small Craft
operations and I as a qualified operator.
On page 125 a short article in the first edition of
STRIKE SWIFTLY The Australian Commando Story
published and released in 2005, Ray recollects the
following – “A the end of a two-week exercise on the
Hawkesbury River in the 1970s we stopped for the last
night, to relax and catch up on a little energy. We
found lots of oysters, which we all proceeded to eat,
along with a beer or two. Everything was going along
swimmingly until we all got carried away and decided
to throw WO2 Danny McClymans, who was fully
dressed in his usual white overalls, into the water.
When he surfaced, Danny walked out of the water and
gave the order “get all the gear into the boats we
are leaving right now! Don’t turn on the motors,
grab a paddle and start paddling, boys.” We
paddled for many hours throughout the night
eventually arriving at Pittwater tired and exhausted. It
was the best time of my life.”
It was returning to civilian life that Ray and I became
participants of a rag-tag group of commuters from
Gosford to Sydney on various occasions. This pre -
sented a different side of Rays at the unit he was
already an established senior green beret qualified
SNCO, and I was still a very raw ‘black beret’ recruit
member.
On Friday nights the various group members would
congregate in the front carriages of the Newcastle
Flyer “dog box” carriages indulging in a little libation
and bluffing each other through pontoon playing.
This was the other side of Ray – he was a rogue,
quiet achiever and in for it in the money although not
very successful on the Friday night pontoon sessions
enroute home! The betting stake was limited to five
cents per bet. The normal rules applied, and some
members were very adroit at applying their inter pre -
tations to them. From memory of those time Ray and
I were generally not very successful on the Friday night
pontoon session on the way home!
Ray had an endearing influence on our rag-tag mob
on that train and was very social.
That commuter group also arranged for homeward
bound Easter and Christmas parties in the old silver
single decker trains with the assistance of Central staff
to “reserve” the front two carriages for us. No worries
about non-smokers in those days.
Ray worked Coca-Cola Amatil at that time, and as
64 COMMANDO ~ The Magazine of the Australian Commando Association ~ Edition 17 I 2023