IN HMAS NIRIMBA OF USTRALIA

Transcription

1 28 CHAPTER 28 PERSON ERSONALITIES OF HAVE VE SER ERVED AUS OF HMAS NIRIMBA - SOME USTRALIA IN HMAS NIRIMBA OME WHO They through all shapes of peril and of pain, Intent on honour, dared in thickest death To snatch the glonous deed - John Dyer Rear Admiral Frank Leveson George CBE This officer was the first Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA and his strong character and dedication are still felt in HMAS NIRIMBA today. Born 15th March 1910, he entered the RAN College in He gained Colours for cricket and swimming and on passing out was awarded the prize for Physics and Chemistry and the prize for Practical Engineering. In addition he was top in engineering theory and in seamanship. He became a Midshipman in 1928, Sub- Lieutenant (Engineering) in 1931, Lieutenant (E) 1932 and Lieutenant Commander (E) in His first ship was HMAS MELBOURNE in His engineering course occupied the next four years and for three of those years he held the Farr Cup for Swimming Champion of the Royal Naval Engineering College. In 1932, he was appointed to HMAS AUSTRALIA in which ship he served during the Duke of Gloucester s cruise. He was in the Mediterranean during the Abyssinian crisis and on returning to Australia supervised the fitting and trials of the first catapult for launching aircraft fitted in the RAN, aboard HMAS CANBERRA. Between 1936 and 1938 he served at Flinders Naval Depot, one year of this time being spent as instructor in engineering at the RAN College. At the outbreak of war in 1939, he was serving in HMAS VOYAGER, where he remained until the end of 1940, serving first in the Pacific and Indian Oceans and later in the Mediterranean with the 10th Destroyer Flotilla. For the next three years he was Assistant to the Director of Naval Engineering at Navy Office and then in February 1944 he joined HMAS AUSTRALIA and took part in her actions at Hollandia, Wakde, Biak, Morotai, Leyte and Lingayen. In 1945, he was appointed Officer in Charge Captain Cook Dock, being promoted to Commander (E) in the following year. Commander George held many senior naval engineering postings and was appointed in the rank of Captain in command of HMAS NIRIMBA in Later promoted to Commodore he was appointed Commodore Superintendent 0f Training in Command of HMAS CERBERUS from 1960 to 1962, being promoted to Rear Admiral and awarded the Companion of the Order of the British Empire prior to his retirement. This distinguished and industrious man began Law studies at the age of 70 and at the time of writing is doing well in his studies. Captain Daryl Robin Osmund Shaw Fox AM, RAN Captain Fox, Commanding Officer 0f HMAS NIRIMBA joined the Royal Navy as a National Serviceman in 1954 and was commissioned as an Acting Sub-Lieutenant (L) Royal Naval Reserve in He served in HMS MODESTE as Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer and was promoted to Lieutenant in (The year of HMAS NIRIMBA s commissioning.) He transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in 1959 and his first posting was as Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer in HMAS ANZAC. In 1962 he spent 10 months in the United Kingdom and the United States undergoing Communications Engineering courses and on his return to Australia joined the staff of the Director of Electrical Engineering in Navy Office Canberra. He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in 1964 and then spent a period as Base Electrical Officer at the Communications Station at Darwin. In 1967, he returned to sea as Skilled Hands at Sea 121

2 the Deputy Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer in HMAS MELBOURNE and was promoted to Commander in He returned to Navy Office as a member of the Project Team for the new Communications Stations in Darwin and in 1970 was appointed Assistant Director (Ship s Systems) on the formation of the Directorate 0f Fleet Maintenance. In 1971 he was posted as Principal Overseer at Cockatoo Island Dockyard, where he remained for two years before rejoining HMAS MELBOURNE as Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer. In 1974, he became the Fleet Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer on the staff of the Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet. He became the Assistant Director of Fleet Maintenance (Weapons Systems) at Navy Office in 1976 until 1977 when he was promoted Captain and assumed the posting 0f Project Director for the Guided Missile Destroyer update. Captain Fox assumed command 0f HMAS NIRIMBA, Quakers Hill, New South Wales on 4th January He was appointed a Member 0f the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen s Birthday Honours List in June 1982 in recognition of his outstanding service in furthering the interests of naval trade training in HMAS NIRIMBA. In January 1983 he was appointed in command of HMAS Stirling, Garden Island, Western Australia. He was promoted to Commodore in Mr Wally Swann - Fitting and Machining Instructor Wally Swann joined the original civilian instructor staff 0f HMAS NIRIMBA on 30th April 1956 having already served 16 years in the Royal Australian Navy as an Engine Room Artificer. Born in Melbourne on 10th September 1918, he graduated from Collingwood Technical College in 1934 and commenced his apprenticeship as a Fitter and Machinist and on completion of his apprentice training he was employed at the Maribyrnong Munitions Depot until he joined the Royal Australian Navy at HMAS CERBERUS as an Engine Room Artificer on 27th March Wally s first ship was HMAS HOBART in which he was serving when she was torpedoed by the Japanese on 2nd November He later served in HMAS SHROPSHIRE and BATAAN and left BATAAN as Chief Engine Room Artificer in For the next four years Wally was in charge 0f training Engine Room Artificers at the Engineering School HMAS CERBERUS until he transferred to the Naval Dockyard Police in Sydney. At this time discussions were being held regarding the formation 0f an RAN Apprentice Training Establishment. Captain F L George, the first Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA was given the task 0f selecting uniformed and civilian staff for HMAS NIRIMBA and that officer personally selected Wally Swann to take over Fitting and Machining instruction in HMAS NIRIMBA. Wally was appointed to NIRIMBA in 1956 as Technical Instructor Grade II and made a permanent officer in The task of establishing the training school in those days had to be met with a lot of patience and little in the way of training resources. The craft school began in building 259 on the eastern side of the Establishment adjacent to the Richmond railway line and it was not until the arrival of adequate machinery and equipment that the school moved to the hangars where it is domiciled today. Wally Swann and his three other technical instructor helpers were tasked with the job of re-establishing the Fitting and Machining machinery into the hangars. This excellent man retired from naval service in 1978 by which time he had devoted half of his life to the Navy and one third of his life to the advancement 0f naval apprentices. We in HMAS NIRIMBA have a lot to thank Wally Swann for. Mr Albert Charles Marshall - Fitting and Machining Instructor This gentleman served over twenty years in HMAS NIRIMBA as Fitting and Machining instructor. From 1933 to 1958 he had been associated with the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy either in a uniformed or civilian capacity. Born in England in 1917, the son of a Royal Marine, he spent his childhood living in or near various Royal Naval Establishments. Albert joined the 122 Skilled Hands at Sea

3 Royal Navy as an Ordnance Artificer Apprentice in 1933 and on completion of Apprentice training went to HMS EXCELLENT, the Gunnery School at Whale Island to carry out a further twelve months Ordnance training. Albert went to sea first in HMS COURAGEOUS, then on to HMS ARK ROYAL when she first commissioned on 2nd December After war broke out in 1939, Albert Marshall had a very busy war, serving on many fronts and in many battles. He was in the Norwegian campaign, Atlantic convoys, attack on the French Fleet at Mersel Kabir, attack on the French at Dakar and took part in all but one of the Malta convoys. Albert was in ARK ROYAL when the ship was torpedoed in the Mediterranean on 13th November Albert s next ship was HMS HOWE in which he saw service in the North Atlantic and Iceland and on the Arctic convoys to Russia. Next HOWE served in the Mediterranean taking part in the invasions of Sicily and Italy. Those tasks finished, the ship was deployed to Trincomalee in Ceylon to prepare for attacks on Japanese held Indonesia (Dutch East Indies). HOWE then became Flagship of the British Pacific Fleet and took part in the invasion of the Okinawa group of islands. Albert later served in HMS INDOMITABLE and VICTORIOUS and was then lent to the Irish Navy, being the first Ordnance Artificer in the Irish Navy. Emigrating to Australia postwar, Albert worked in the gun mounting section of Garden Island Naval Dockyard until he came to HMAS NIRIMBA. This man devoted much of his life to the good of naval apprentices and his retirement was a great loss to HMAS NIRIMBA. Chaplain Hugh Michael McDonald Nineteen years a priest of Jesus Christ, 15 years Chaplain of the Royal Australian Navy, Patriot in love with his country, Sportsman of no mean ability, paragon of manliness. So spoke Monsignor the Reverend Frank Lyons, Senior Chaplain RAN at the funeral service of the late Chaplain Hugh McDonald (Father Mac ) in the Cathedral of St Mary at Geelong in Father Mac, as he was known throughout the Navy became a legend in his lifetime. Born in Geelong in 1930 he attended St Joseph s College, before beginning his studies for the Priesthood at Corpus Christi College, Werribee, Victoria. He was ordained in St Mary s Geelong in July He served the parish of Armadale, Victoria as assistant to Father Frank Ryder until 1960 when he was appointed as Chaplain, Royal Australian Navy. After some months at HMAS CERBERUS, Hugh McDonald was posted to the Fleet Air Arm Station at Nowra. At once he became absorbed with the personnel and activities of that branch of the service and the courage and skill of the Fleet Air Arm personnel won his lasting admiration. His time at sea were the highlight of his naval career and some time prior to his death he became closely associated with the Submarine Squadron. He saw in Submariners, the qualities he so greatly admired. He was a man of action, not enamoured of anything artificial and he found it difficult to tolerate insincerity. So it was that the efficiency and accuracy of the men of action above, on and beneath the sea fascinated him. Father Mac s love for Australian Football began early in his life in Geelong. He played for his school, his local team and any other club he could get a run with. Eventually he trained with Geelong, but his decision to study for the priesthood prevented him from ever playing senior grade football. Being appointed to the Navy gave him the opportunity to continue his great interest in the game. He was a prominent member of the first XVIII at HMAS CERBERUS and played for CERBERUS when the Depot team won the Nepean District Grand Final in The trophy for the Father Hugh McDonald knockout competition in Australian football is an appropriate memorial to one who gave so much to Australian football and to the Royal Australian Navy. Father McDonald was killed in a motor accident at Castle Hill in 1975 whilst serving in HMAS NIRIMBA. Skilled Hands at Sea 123

4 Commodore Bryan Louis Cleary RAN (Retired) Commodore Cleary, who was Commanding Officer 0f HMAS NIRIMBA from 1974 to 1976 entered the Navy as a Recruit Seaman in 1942, rose to the rank of Commodore before his retirement and qualified as a Barrister. After initial training at HMAS CERBERUS in 1942 he was selected as an officer candidate, underwent specialist training and was posted to Australia s only World War II Submarine, K9 in the rank 0f Midshipman. He served in submarines throughout the War, in the Royal Navy s 3rd, 7th and 8th Submarine Flotillas. He was on patrol off Norway when the European war ended and again at sea off Hong Kong when the Japanese surrendered. Lieutenant Cleary returned to Australia in early 1946 to take command of HMAS AIR VIEW. He served at the Anti-Submarine School, HMAS RUSHCUTTER in 1948 then in HMAS QUICKMATCH and TOBRUK before going to the United Kingdom to undergo specialist Anti- Submarine Warfare courses. After service in the Royal Navy on exchange, during which time he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander, he was posted to Navy Office as a member of the staff of the Director of Ordnance and Underwater Warfare. He next served in HMAS TOBRUK as Squadron TAS Officer and then in HMAS MELBOURNE as Fleet TAS Officer before his next stint in the Training Directorate at Navy Office. He then went to the Joint Services Staff College in the United Kingdon and was promoted to the rank of Commander in Commander Cleary commanded HMAS QUICKMATCH , later serving as Director of Naval Intelligence, and was promoted to Captain in He later served as Naval Officer In Charge North Australia Area, Director of Naval Reserves, Commanding Officer 0f HMAS PENGUIN and Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA. He returned to sea in Command 0f HMAS SUPPLY in 1976 and was promoted to Commodore in 1977 taking up the post of Chief Staff Officer to the Flag Officer Commanding East Australia Area. This was his last posting prior to retirement. He is now a Barrister practising in Sydney. Rear Admiral Bryn W Mussared CBE, RAN (Retired) Rear Admiral Mussared was the Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA 1958 to He began his career in the Royal Australian Navy in 1932 when he joined the Naval College at Flinders Naval Depot as a Cadet. He later chose the Engineering Branch and trained at the Royal Naval Engineering College, Plymouth, leaving there as a Sub-Lieutenant. During World War II he served in HMAS CANBERRA, VENDETTA and NIZAM. In 1946 as a Lieutenant Commander he was the Senior Engineer in HMAS SHROPSHIRE. His later sea appointments were in HMAS TOBRUK and HMAS VENGEANCE. Rear Admiral Mussared s naval postings included Deputy Chief of Naval Technical Services, Chief Staff Officer (Technical) to the Flag Officer Commanding HM Australian Fleet, the General Manager Garden Island Naval Dockyard, Project Manager Light Destroyers, Chief of Naval Technical Services. He retired from the last posting in 1974 and is now enjoying a quiet retirement. Admiral Mussared was appointed ADC to the Governor General in 1966 and to Her Majesty the Queen in He was awarded the CBE in the Queen s Birthday Honours List in Admiral Mussared has a son who is now serving in the Royal Australian Navy as an officer of the Engineering Branch. 124 Skilled Hands at Sea

5 Commodore David Guy Holthouse RAN Commodore Holthouse commanded HMAS NIRIMBA from 1978 to He joined the RAN as a 13 year o1d Cadet in January He was awarded the Queen s Sword in the Training Ship HMS TRIUMPH in He served in several Royal Navy ships before joining HMS THUNDERER, the Royal Navy Engineering College from which he graduated in He served in several Engineering postings before returning to the United Kingdom as a Lieutenant for specialised engineering training. He served in HMAS MELBOURNE, HMS ANCHOR1TE, HMAS ANZAC before joining HMAS QUEENBOROUGH as Marine Engineering Officer in His next posting took him back to the United Kingdom for nuclear engineering training at the UK Atomic Energy Establishment at Harwell. This was followed by eighteen months service with the Yarrow-Admiralty Research Department in Scotland. Commodore Holthouse later served in HMAS HOBART (Vietnam), HMAS MELBOURNE and HMAS SUPPLY. He has been Assistant Director of Fleet Maintenance, Chief Staff Officer (Technical) to the Flag Officer Commanding HMA Fleet and the Commanding Officer 0f HMAS NIRIMBA. He has now been promoted to Commodore and is presently serving in Department 0f Defence (Navy) Canberra. Commodore Jeffrey Shepherd Partington RAN Commodore Partington was the Commanding Officer 0f HMAS NIRIMBA from 1976 to He joined the Royal Navy as a Special Entry Cadet in January 1946 and qualified in Marine Engineering at the Royal Naval Engineering College. Commodore Partington served as a Watchkeeping officer in three Cruisers, Engineering Officer of HMS MODESTE and COMUS and Deputy Marine Engineering Officer of the Cruiser HMS TIGER. He has seen active service at Palestine in 1948, Suez in 1956 and Borneo in After serving in the Royal Navy in a variety 0f postings including lecturer at the Royal Naval Engineering College, on the Staff of the Commander in Chief Mediterranean and Naval Assistant to the Director General of Ships, he resigned voluntarily from the Royal Navy and transferred to the Royal Australian Navy in a Supplementary List Commission. His first posting was as Officer in Charge of the Marine Engineering School at HMAS CERBERUS and then as Executive Officer of HMAS CERBERUS. After transferring to the General list with a Permanent Commission he served in HMAS HOBART as Engineering Officer and was selected for promotion to Captain. He served as Director of Fleet Maintenance before being posted as Deputy Chief of Naval Material. In July 1979 he was promoted to Commodore and posted as Director General Fleet Maintenance. Captain Joseph William Stead RAN (Retired) Captain Joe Stead was the Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA from 1968 to He was born in London and joined the Royal Navy in He completed training and qualified as a Marine Engineer, Aeronautical Engineer and Pilot. His service in World War II included his presence at the invasion of Sicily and Italy and at the surrender of the Italian Fleet at Taranto. He saw much service in HMS DIDO. On transfer to the Royal Australian Navy in 1968 he was appointed in command of the Apprentice Training Establishment HMAS NIRIMBA. After commanding NIRIMBA for four years, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Technical) to the Naval Support Commander in Sydney before his retirement in Skilled Hands at Sea 125

6 Commander Keith Graham MBE, RAN Keith Graham was born at Kempsey NSW and joined the RAN in 1942 as a Recruit Seaman. Twenty six years later he was promoted to Commander. Commander Graham was in command of HMAS NIRIMBA for a period of months in He established a number of firsts during his naval career. In 1959 he became the first Special Duties List Officer to undergo the Long Navigation and Direction Course - having preceded that first by being the first Australian sailor to be commissioned as Boatswain PR (Plot Radar). Later he was the first Special Duties List Officer to be posted as Executive Officer of a large ship - HMAS STALWART. He is the only Special Duties List Officer to have been in command of HMAS NIRIMBA. Commander Graham was awarded the MBE in 1968 for outstanding performance of duty in HMAS STUART during the ship s Ikara Trials duty and for his service to the Royal Australian Navy whilst serving in New Guinea. During his naval career Commander Graham represented the Navy at Rugby, Squash, Tennis and Cricket Captain E J ( Ernie ) Morrison Captain Morrison was in command of HMAS NIRIMBA from 1966 to This officer achieved much in his naval service. He joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Recruit Seaman in 1942 and subsequently specialised in the Electrical Branch. During World War II he served in the Pacific campaign takng part in convoy, minesweeping and landing operations. The former Recruit Seaman Morrison was the first RAN sailor to reach the rank of Engineering Captain. He was one of two ex-sailors of the Electrical Branch to command HMAS NIRIMBA. Before his retirement in 1974, Captain Morrison was Director of Naval Industrial Policy at Navy Office, Canberra. Commodore Henry James Bodman Henry James Bodman born at Sale, Victoria in 1923, entered the Royal Australian Naval College at Finders Naval Depot in He gained colours for tennis at the college where he was selected to specialise in Engineering. He went to the United Kingdom for Engineering training in 1941 and having completed his studies and having served in HMS CARDIFF, he returned to Australia in 1944, when he was appointed to HMAS ARUNTA. He was then a Lieutenant. He took part in operations in ARUNTA at Wewak, Brunei, Labuan and Balikpapan. Commodore Bodman served in HMA Ships CULGOA, HOBART, MELBOURNE and VOYAGER as well as shore postings before being appointed in command of HMAS NIRIMBA in After leaving NIRIMBA, Commodore Bodman was appointed as the RAN Director of Marine Engineering and Dockyards, Naval Technical Representative at Australia House, London and General Manager HMA Naval Dockyard, Garden Island. Captain Jack Robertson McMurray Jack Robertson McMurray, entered the RAN College at Finders Naval Depot in At the College he gained colours for cricket, rugby and hockey. His first ship was HMAS CANBERRA in At the outbreak of World War II, then a Lieutenant, he was serving in HMAS HOBART. Captain McMurray was a member of the former Torpedo Branch and underwent the Long Torpedo Course in During the second World War he served in HMS NILE, HMAS HOBART (twice) and HMAS NAPIER. 126 Skilled Hands at Sea

7 He had several senior postings including Fleet Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer and was appointed in command of HMAS NIRIMBA in the years 1962 to He was the only officer of the former Torpedo Branch to command HMAS NIRIMBA. Captain McMurray died in August Commodore Thomas Reed Fisher Thomas Fisher, born 8th March 1929 in South Australia, entered the Royal Australian Naval College in He gained colours for rugby and rowing and was made Cadet Captain. On passing out of the RAN College he gained maximum time and was awarded the prize for Engineering. Specialising in Marine Engineering he had held several senior naval engineering postings and has served a deal of time in seagoing ships. Captain Fisher was in command of HMAS NIRIMBA from 1972 to He has been promoted to Commodore and was the General Manager Garden Island Naval Dockyard prior to his retirement in Engineer Lieutenant C L M Jack Shepperd MBE, DSM, RANVR (Retired) Engineer Lieutenant Jack Shepperd ended a period of fifty four and a half years service when he retired from HMAS NIRIMBA as Practical Training Officer (Fitting and Machining) on January 2nd, Jack Shepperd spent over fifty years in the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, the last six years as a civilian instructor of Apprentices in HMAS NIRIMBA. He first entered naval service at the Royal Hospital School Greenwich - a preparatory school for naval mens sons to groom them for service in the Seaman or Artificer Branches. Jack was then 11 years and four months of age. Jack eventually graduated as an Engine Room Artificer from HMS FISGUARD and the Chatham Dockyard - where he completed the final two and a half years of his apprenticeship. During the ensuing years up till the outbreak of World War II, Jack was promoted to Chief Engine Room Artificer and developed a degree of fame as an expert in naval aircraft launching catapults. During this time he received two Herbert Lott Trust Fund awards for original development related to naval aviation equipment. At the outbreak of World War II, Jack was serving in HMS PEGASUS and was present at Scapa Flow on the night that HMS ROYAL OAK was sunk by German Submarine attack Jack spent a busy war, mainly at sea in Aircraft Carriers and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1943 for: Outstanding service in the face of the enemy Promoted to Warrant Engineer in 1944, Jack remained in the world of naval aircraft equipment engineering in the Royal Navy until coming to the Royal Australian Navy in 1948 on 'loan' service. The period of loan service extended to eight years during which time Jack had been promoted to Lieutenant and had received several commendations for skillful application to duty in the Fleet Air Arm. In January 1957 Jack joined HMAS NIRIMBA at the start of the second entry s training and became Practical Training Officer, Fitting and Machining and held that job until he finally retired at the age of 66 years in January Jack was invested as a Member 0f the Order 0f the British Empire in 1967 for long and outstanding service to the Navy. He is still a welcome visitor on regular occasions to his old home NIRIMBA, to Skilled Hands at Sea 127

8 which he contributed so much. Mr Graham ( Jan ) Leach Graham Leach joined HMAS NIRIMBA in 1957 and as a skilled tradesman was later employed in the Marking Section of HMAS NIRIMBA. This important part of any trade training institution is dedicated to the marking and assessment of progressive trade practical tests of the trainees. Graham Leach joined the Royal Navy as an Apprentice Engine Room Artificer in 1940 and served until 1957 when he came to Australia. Graham was a fairly good soccer player and represented the Royal Navy several times during his RN service. His love of soccer was carried over to his NIRIMBA days when he coached the NIRIMBA soccer side. Unfortunately in 1960 Graham contracted polio and suffers a lasting physical disability. Such is the calibre and personal courage of this man that he returned to work as soon as he was able to get about after his chronic illness. After 41 years of service to Sovereign and Country in the face of major physical adversity Graham Leach was formally commended for his devotion to duty and contribution to the Navy by the award of a Commanding Officer s Commendation by Captain D R O S Fox AM, RAN, the Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA, in Graham Leach was commended for: Exceptional devotion to duty and an inspiring display of personal courage over a long time. His courage and conviction which helped him overcome his serious disability were noticeably evident in the way he accepted the challenge his job entailed. His qualities of loyalty, industry, tenacity and the consequent respect they have earned are an inspiration to all. That commendation is a fair summing up of the opinion which all who served in HMAS NIRIMBA and know Graham Leach hold of him. Mr Bruce Brewer Bruce Brewer bad a long career of dedicated service to the Royal Australian Navy before his retirement from HMAS NIRIMBA in This stalwart was the first technical instructor (Boilermaker) to join HMAS NIRIMBA for training apprentices in that skill in Bruce was born at Grenfell in 1912 and finished his schooling at Marrickville in In 1927 he began his fifty odd years of service to the Royal Australian Navy. In that year he began his apprenticeship as a Boilermaker at His Majesty s Australian Naval Dockyard, Garden Island. Bruce joined the Royal Australian Navy as an Engine Room Artificer in 1934 and after serving in various ships of the RAN went to the United Kingdom to commission HMAS PERTH. He later commissioned HMAS NAPIER in Glasgow. After a busy time in the North Sea, Atlantic and Mediterranean, Red Sea and Indian Oceans, Bruce returned to Australia in He later served in HMAS MORESBY and HMAS AUSTRALIA in the Pacific campaign. After discharge from the RAN in 1947, Bruce returned to HMA Naval Dockyard, Garden Island and worked there until he transferred to HMAS NIRIMBA when apprentice training commenced in NIRIMBA in Being one of the original pioneers of HMAS NIRIMBA apprentice training, Bruce was required to virtually setup the training scene for Boilermaker instruction. He had to design practical and theory exercises and tests and instruct in the skill of Boilermaker on his own for some considerable time. 128 Skilled Hands at Sea

9 During his time in HMAS NIRIMBA, Bruce was very active in Steam Club matters, working on construction of the model railway engine and on refurbishing the Foden steam truck. Bruce took charge of a large part of the work of restoration of the Foden, including flanging of the new tube plates. Although Bruce retired in 1977 after nearly fifty years of service he is still well remembered in HMAS NIRIMBA. Mr Graham Cherrett Graham completed a Radio Trades Apprenticeship with AWA in 1960 and was soon recognised by AWA who transferred him to the drawing office where he was involved in design of communications transmitters of many types, recording studio equipment and test instruments. Graham joined HMAS NIRIMBA as a Draftsman in 1967, being promoted to Draftsman Grade 2 in He was appointed Senior Technical Instructor Weapons Electrical in thus returning to his original field. Graham is well qualified, possessing Radio Trades Certificate, Television Servicing Certificate, Electrical Engineering Certificate and the Industrial Supervision Certificate. This stalwart of HMAS NIRIMBA has been very active in support of apprentice sport in HMAS NIRIMBA and youth sport in the community. He has been involved in interservice sports as referee and manager at Balcombe, Wagga and NIRIMBA. Graham is a soccer referee and is a member of the Phillips Youth League Panel. He has a son training as an Apprentice in HMAS NIRIMBA at this time. Communications Training in the Electrical School Instructor - Mr Graham Cherrett & Staff Member - Senior Wran Pronger Skilled Hands at Sea 129

10 Mr R M (Roy) Forsyth Roy Forsyth has served the Royal Australian Navy without a break for thirty five years, the last 27 years as Technical Instructor Fitting and Machining of apprentices. Roy obtained the First Year Engineering Diploma at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (then known as Melbourne Technical College Senior School) and completed his apprenticeship as Fitter and Machinist before joining the Royal Australian Navy as an Engine Room Artificer in He was promoted to Chief Engine Room Artificer in 1953 and began instructing in HMAS NIRIMBA whilst still a uniformed Chief Engine Room Artificer in Discharged in 1959, Roy became a Technical Instructor, Fitting and Machining in HMAS NIRIMBA in 1959 and was promoted to Senior Technical Instructor I, Fitting and Machining on 24th January Mr Leonard Wilfred Middleton Len Middleton has been around boatbuilding since 1945 when he began his apprenticeship with McDonald Hamilton, working on ships of the Peninsular and Orient Line and other overseas and Australian shipping companies. After completing his apprenticeship, Len was awarded Honours in the Shipwrights Post trade Certificate Examinations and the Shipping Companies Shipbuilding Prize. Len was engaged as Ship Surveyor for the Maritime Services Department working all along the coast of New South Wales on surveys of various commercial vessels. Len joined NIRIMBA as technical instructor (Shipwrights) in 1958 and as he was here soon after NIRIMBA commenced trade training, was required to carry out a lot of the pioneer work in development of the syllabus for the Shipwright apprentices. Len has taken an active part in the extra curricula life of HMAS NIRIMBA in the sporting fields of cricket and tennis. He is a member of the New South Wales Professional Tennis Coaches Association. He is an Associate Member of the Council of the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (Australian Division). Old NIRIMBA shipmates of Len may be surprised to learn that he was a member of the winning choir of the annual NSW State Schools Eisteddfod in 1944! Mr Bruce Willis Bruce Willis, currently in charge of the Maintenance Workshop in HMAS NIRIMBA joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Technical Instructor in January Bruce completed his apprenticeship in Toolmaking at AWA in Ashfield where the Master of Apprentices was Mr Charles Layzell - longtime senior member of the civilian technical staff of HMAS NIRIMBA. Among interesting positions held by Bruce Willis before he joined NIRIMBA were Ground Engineer of a civil airline and with the maintenance staff at the Lucas Heights Atomic Energy Commission. Bruce has been heavily involved with motor cycling racing and was the pioneer of the Apprentices Rifle Shooting Club in HMAS NIRIMBA. He shoots at A Grade level and is the holder of two Queen s Badges for rifle shooting. Mr Ron Payne Ron Payne, the NIRIMBA Senior Technical Instructor in Fitting and Machining at the present time has served the Royal Australian Navy for twenty two years, the last twenty years in HMAS NIRIMBA. 130 Skilled Hands at Sea

11 After completing his apprenticeship as Fitter anc Machinist, Ron joined the Royal Australian Navy as an Electrical Artificer in 1943 and spent the greater part of the next four years at sea in RAN ships. On leaving the Navy in 1947, Ron returned to Fitting and Machining and was the heavy machinery foreman at A W Fairfax for ten years before joining HMAS NIRIMBA in 1964 as Instructor Machining and Fitting. Since then, Ron has instructed in all Fitting and Machining areas of the Craft School and succeeded Mr Wally Swann as Senior Technical Instructor in Fitting and Machining in Ron Payne and another NIRIMBA stalwart, Eric Scanlan, were the two instructors responsible for taking charge of apprentices in building the model steam railway. Mr Gordon Forbes This stalwart of Craft training in HMAS NIRIMBA has spent his entire adult life in close affinity with shipbuilding skills and has spent the last seventeen of those years instructing NIRIMBA apprentices in those skills. Gordon completed his apprenticeship as Boilermaker at the Newcastle State Dockyard, later moving to the Garden Island Dockyard where he became first, Leading Hand and then Foreman Boilermaker in the Dock Squad working on naval and merchant ships. Gordon was present at Garden Island when HMAS TARAKAN blew up alongside the wharf with the loss of nine lives. Gordon was involved in saving survivors of the ship s explosion. Gordon Forbes has devoted much time to apprentices sport whilst he has been serving in HMAS NIRIMBA, notably in Rifle Shooting. He is a long time member of the NSW Police Rifle Club and has been three times outright champion of that club. During his time in NIRIMBA he has coached the Apprentices Rifle Club to Fleet championship on two occasions. At present Gordon Forbes is Senior Technical Instructor with a staff of four instructors and is piloting a newly introduced metal fabrication course. Mr Robert John Spencer Bob Spencer joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Technical Instructor in Fitting and Machining in January Before joining NIRIMBA Bob had nine years experience in Fitting and Machining and Toolmaking in various Sydney firms. He was foreman of the Machine Shop of the firm which he left, to come to HMAS NIRIMBA. During his service in NIRIMBA he has worked as instructor in all sections of Fitting and Machining and in February 1979, he was appointed Senior Technical Instructor and has been in charge of Craft Theory since then. In the 1960 s Bob visited HMS FISGARD in the United Kingdom to observe Royal Navy Apprentice training methods. Mr Arnold Edward Richardson Arnold Richardson was born at Gisborne, New Zealand in He completed his education at Hamilton Technical College. Arnold served his apprenticeship with Mullon & Noy General Engineers, iron and brass founders, Hamilton, New Zealand. He served in the RNZAF from 1943 to 1945 as a Machine Tool Setter and Operator. On discharge he worked on the construction of Hydro Electric Schemes in both North and South Islands of New Zealand as a Fitter and Turner. He came to Australia in 1953 and worked with the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Authority at different construction sites attaining the position of Maintenance Foreman, until December Skilled Hands at Sea 131

12 He joined HMAS NIRIMBA in December 1957 as Fitting and Machining Instructor and attained the position of Senior Instructor Fitting and Machining in Arnold processes the Navy mortality fund for HMAS NIRIMBA employees. Mr John Robert Miller John Miller was born in Portsmouth, UK in He joined the RAF as an apprentice in 1934, was transferred to RN Fleet Air Arm in December He re-commissioned HMS HERMES in 1939, which was sunk in the Bay of Bengal on Easter Sunday He served with British Pacific Fleet John paid off in He then returned to Australia in 1962, and joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Aircraft Technical Instructor in February 1963, and retired in July John Miller officiated as a starter (AAA) at various athletic meets including interservice sports. Mr Charles Loines Charles Loines attended school in Orange and completed schooling in March He commenced his apprenticeship at Garden Island Dockyard in March 1944 as a Boilermaker/ Welder ( per week) which he completed in He then commenced work at , Orange as a Maintenance Fitter where he worked until February He then worked as a Boilermaker at the Zinc Corporation Mine, Broken Hill (February 1951). He returned to Garden Island Dockyard in July 1952 as a Boilermaker. He became a Leading Hand then Acting Foreman prior to taking up a position as a Technical Instructor at NIRIMBA in February As a Technical Instructor he worked on Yacht NIRIMBA in the years up till 1966, when it was launched. Charles Loines was one of the driving forces behind the design and development of Yacht NIRIMBA. In view of his long experience with apprentice training, Charlie Loines was selected to serve on loan service with the Royal Malaysian Navy at K D PELANDOK, Lumut, Malaysia in October He was tasked to advise the Royal Malaysian Navy regarding programming of apprentices in Allied Trades subjects. Charlie Loines is a stalwart of HMAS NIRIMBA and of the HMAS NIRIMBA Wardroom Mess. Mr Fred Hadley Fred Hadley completed his apprenticeship as a Fitter and Machinist and obtained his Certificate at the Ultimo Technical College, Sydney. After working as a tradesman in the Moulding shop at Hardie Rubber Company, Paddington, where he rose to Foreman, Fred joined HMAS NIR]MBA as a Technical Instructor Fitting and Machining in July During the past 22 years Fred has been involved in all facets of Fitting and Machining training of apprentices, Mechanicians and Adult trainees at HMAS NIRIMBA. His extra curricular activities have seen a deep involvement in training and referee of NIRIMBA Rugby teams, in civilian and service competitions. Fred obtained his Referee s Certificate in In addition Fred has devoted much time to the advancement of the image of training in HMAS NIRIMBA through his involvement in the preparation 0f technical trade displays set up ashore to show the skills and activities of the NIRIMBA trainees. Fred is active in intership sports between messes representing the civilian instructors in golf, rugby, tennis and soccer. In his busy life in HMAS NIRIMBA Fred has found time to act as President of the Civilian Instructors Club and act as the delegate of the Australian Public Service Artisans Association. The last mentioned duty required him to appear before arbitration tribunals on more than one 132 Skilled Hands at Sea

13 occasion. Fred Hadley now serves in HMAS NIRIMBA as Senior Technical Instructor Grade 1 - Fitting and Machining. Mr Jim Inkson This stalwart of Air Engineering instruction in HMAS NIRIMBA first served here in 1946 as a member of the advance RAAF party sent to RAAF Schofields to convert the Royal Navy Air Station for RAAF use. Coincidentally, Mr Inkson now serves in the same aircraft hangar of the Air Technical School in which he served as a young RAAF Airman thirty eight years ago. After schooling in Melbourne Jim joined the RAAF as an Apprentice in 1940 and served in the New Guinea campaign from He was a crew member of the inaugral flight to pioneer courier flights to Japan after World War II and a crew member of the Governor General s RAAF flight from He served 24 years permanent time and 13 years reserve time in the RAAF. He joined HMAS NIRII4BA early in 1967 as a technical instructor; and has been engaged since instructing in the Air Technical School in all phases of engine, airframe and sheet metal work. Jim has found time to coach the NIRIMBA Clay Pigeon Shooting Club since its inception in Commander Brian Lawrence Swan Brian Swan was one of the first intake of apprentices in HMAS NIRIMBA in July He was a Naval Shipwright Apprentice and it is noteworthy that of the 32 apprentices of the first intake, eight were commissioned as officers in the RAN later in their careers. Brian Swan passed out of NIRIMBA in June 1960 having been awarded a prize for technical achievement. Soon after joining HMAS MELBOURNE he was nominated as an officer candidate. He was promoted Petty Officer in 1961 and in 1963 he was promoted to Naval Shipwright Third Class (Chief Petty Officer). In the same year he passed the professional examinations for promotion to Shipwright Officer. From the start of his naval career, Brian shone at Rugby and has represented the Navy in that code. He was promoted to Shipwright Sub-Lieutenant in 1965 and posted to the United Kingdom for courses. After service as Barrack Master in several large Establishments and service at sea as Shipwright Officer, he was posted to HMAS CERBERUS in 1974 to undergo cross training as a Marine Engineering Officer. This was followed by more sea service for Marine Engineering Watchkeeping training and a period in HMAS CERBERUS for Marine Engineering consolidation training. Since then Brian Swan has attained his qualifications as Charge Marine Engineering Officer, has served as Deputy Marine Engineering Officer in HMAS TORRENS and as Marine Engineering Officer of HMAS STUART. He has held several senior staff Marine Engineering postings and is currently the Command Technical Officer on the staff of the Flag Officer, Naval Support Command in Sydney. He is to join HMAS HOBART in Commander Brian Swan has come a long way and achieved much since he joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Apprentice Swan in July Petty Officer Work Study Laurence A Johnson A varied career in the Navy was started when young Johnson joined the RAN in Adelaide in March 1961 for training in the Electrical Branch. He has served three times in HMAS NIRIMBA since then as a trainee Mechanician, an Instructor of apprentices in Steam Machinery and as a Petty Officer Work Study. Transferring from the Electrical Branch to Engineering he became a Stoker Petty Officer in 1968, serving in HMA Ships DIAMANTINA, QUEENBOROUGH, SYDNEY, HOBART, Skilled Hands at Sea 133

14 SYDNEY and SUPPLY. After a short spell on shore, he re-entered the RAN as a Leading Seaman Engineering Mechanic and was re-promoted to Petty Officer in Successful completion 0f the Mechanician course at HMAS NIRIMBA followed in the years where he gained qualification in the Fitting and Machining trade. During a further three years service at sea in HMAS SUPPLY he was awarded the Machinery Charge Certificate and qualified for promotion to Chief Petty Officer Marine Technical Propulsion. During this period Petty Officer Johnson was awarded a commendation for action taken in an environment of uncontrolled machinery when the main feed pump in HMAS SUPPLY oversped to destruction in May 1978 at Maui, Hawaiin Islands. Petty Officer Johnson returned to HMAS NIRIMBA as an instructor of apprentices in 1980 and in November of that year he underwent the Work Study course at the Army Ordnance Centre Bandiana, Victoria, where he gained Graduate membership of the Australian Institute of Industrial Engineers. He is now a member of the RAN Work Study Branch. Mr Arthur Frederick Watts Arthur Watts commenced his apprenticeship in Fitting and Machining in Sydney in During World War II he tried to join the Royal Australian Air Force but was not permitted by National Service Regulations to leave the protected industry in which he was employed. After obtaining his Higher Trade Certificate, Arthur commenced working at the RAN Torpedo Establishment at Kirribilli where he was employed on overhaul of both English and American torpedoes, on gyroscope overhaul and toolmaking. During his time at the RAN Torpedo Establishment, Arthur qualified as a naval hard hat diver as he was required to carry out underwater search for errant torpedoes fired at the Torpedo Range at Pittwater. Some of these searches took up to a week before the lost torpedoes were found. In November 1961, Arthur commenced employment as a Technical Instructor at HMAS NIRIMBA and has worked in all sections of the Fitting and Machining section of the Craft School. For three years he was employed in the original Quality Control Section of the Craft School at NIRIMBA. Arthur is a bowler of some note having won many trophies. Currently he is a member of the Number One State Pennant Team from the Rosehill Bowling club. Arthur retired in July Mr George Arthur Whibberley Bill Whibberley, Senior Technical Instructor Grade 2, Weapons Electrical Engineering School, HMAS NIRIMBA began his technical training at the RAF Electrical and Wireless School, Cranwell, UK in He trained as a Wireless Air Gunner at the Bombing and Gunnery School, RAF Dumfries UK and later qualified as a RAF Pilot at the Empire Air Training School in South Africa in He became an Air Navigation Instructor in In 1956, Bill completed the Australian Radio course in Radio Servicing, Television, F M and facsimile and in 1967 he completed courses in Advanced Electronic, at the RAAF School 0f Radio, Laverton, Victoria. In his career in Weapons Electrical Engineering, Bill Whibberley has held many senior positions including his time as a commissioned officer in the RAF and as a Department of Education Teacher in Electronics. Bill joined HMAS NIRIMBA as a Senior Technical Instructor Grade 1 in 1978 and one year later was promoted to Senior Technical Instructor Grade Skilled Hands at Sea

15 Mr Ronald Mervyn Smith Ron Smith first began to serve the Royal Australian Navy in 1948 when he joined as a Recruit Electrical Branch (RCTLB) soon after the newly constituted branch changed from the Torpedo branch. Ron, born in 1930 at Castle Hill, NSW, trained as an Electrician with the Baulkham Hills Shire Electricity Department before joining the Navy. He saw service in HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, WARREGO, PLATYPUS, WAGGA, QUADRANT, MELBOURNE, QUEENBOROUGH, SUPPLY, QUICKMATCH, SYDNEY and STALWART. Ron served as uniformed staff in HMAS NIRIMBA in 1961, and was discharged to shore from HMAS NIRIMBA in June He was the President of the Petty Officers Mess in HMAS NIRIMBA in the years Ron Smith joined the NIRIMBA technical teaching staff as a Technical Instructor on 18th June 1970 and became Senior Technical Instructor Power and Weapons. Ron has contributed much to the development of the NIRIMBA Museum. Mr Edward Ramsay Scott This well remembered stalwart of NIRIMBA Craft training and humourist of some note - Eddie Scott was born in 1919 in Castlemaine, Victoria. Eddie underwent apprenticeship as an Enginesmith with Clyde Engineering Company of NSW, before joining the Royal Australian Navy as an Engine Room Artificer in He served in the Pacific and Indian Ocean theatres before being discharged medically unfit in Eddie Scott then worked at Garden Island Dockyard and again at Clyde Engineering where he was in charge of the Heat Treatment Section. In 1958, Eddie Scott began twenty thee years service in HMAS NIRIMBA as a Craft School Technical Instructor in heat treatment and in the Enginesmith Shop. During his service in HMAS NIRIMBA Eddie was Secretary of the Civilian Instructors Club for three years and Union Delegate for six years. He retired medically unfit in Mr John Barry Chaffer Barry Chaffer, Technical Instructor in the Shipwright Section of Craft Training has served over twenty years in HMAS NIRIMBA. Barry Chaffer, born in Sydney underwent apprenticeship as Shipwright and Boatbuilder at Garden Island and Cockatoo Island Dockyards. He consolidated his trade training in employment as Shipwright and Boatbuilder with Australian Petroleum Company of Papua New Guinea and again at Garden Island Dockyard in the Ship and Boat Construction and Repair Section of Garden Island. Barry left Garden Island to commence technical craft instruction in HMAS NIRIMBA in 1963 and has worked here since. Mr J R (Pat) Midgley Pat Midgley was born in Yorkshire, England and joined the Royal Navy as a Probationary Writer at Plymouth at the outbreak 0f World War II. Posted to HMS SUSSEX, he served in Home waters until the ship was heavily damaged by enemy action and was subsequently paid off in Following twelve months service with anti-invasion forces in South East England, he joined HMS CUMBERLAND, another eight inch gun Cruiser. He saw service in the Atlantic, and Arctic theatres including convoys to North Russia, relief of Spitzbergen and was with the illfated convoy PQ17 in which 38 ships were lost. Skilled Hands at Sea 135

16 He saw further active service in HMS LONDON, Flagship of the Far East Fleet in the Battle of the Yangtse in Entering the Training service in HMS CERES in 1953 as an instructor of National Service Supply Branch officer cadets - Pat remained in that role for three years. A posting followed to the staff of the Commander Allied Forces, Southern Europe at Naples, Italy for two years as part of NATO. Commissioned in 1958, he underwent officer courses at the Royal Naval College Greenwich, before going to the staff of the Commander in Chief, NORE, where he took part in the run down of that Home Command. Two more years in the Training service followed when he served in HMS GANGES (Boys Training Establishment) and a further three years in the Training side of the Navy when he served at the Royal Navy Apprentice Training Establishment HMS COLLINGWOOD. Pat returned to sea in 1965, being appointed to HMS TRIUMPH - a former Aircraft Carrier converted to Escort Maintenance and Repair Shin serving in that ship in the Far East. His last appointment in the Royal Navy was at the Fleet Base at Rosyth, Scotland from where he retired from the Royal Navy in 1969 after thirty years service. Shortly afterwards, Pat joined the RAN (Emergency List) being appointed to HMAS NIRIMBA, where he spent the next ten years serving under six Commanding Officers and filling a variety of roles in the Supply Department. This man, of great charm and experience contributed a lot to HMAS NIRIMBA, particularly in the enhancement of the image of the Royal Australian Navy in the local district. His enormous capacity for calm in the midst of storm was often called upon to placate irate or disturbed sailors and officers and he is remembered as a pillar of confidence in a stream of crisis. Pat Midgley retired in 1979 after almost 40 years of service to the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy and lives in the district adjacent to HMAS NIRIMBA. Warrant Officer Gordon Leslie Craze Cordon Craze was the first Warrant Officer Cook appointed to HMAS NIRIMBA after the introduction of the Warrant Officer rank. Born at Culcairn in 1928, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Recruit Cook in He saw much sea service and rose steadily though the ranks to be promoted to Warrant Officer Cook in Gordon was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1972 for outstanding service to the Royal Australian Navy, already being in possession 0f the British Korea Medal, the General Service Medal with Clasp (Malay Peninsular) and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Gordon Craze was the President of the Senior Sailors Mess in HMAS NIRIMBA on two occasions and He was well remembered for his success in this field as well as for his great skill in catering. When he left HMAS NIRIMBA, a citation presented by the Commanding Officer of HMAS NIRIMBA regarding him read, in part, Warrant Officer Craze was an asset to HMAS NIRIMBA through his high personal standards and his energetic approach to his duiies. In addition to maintaining a high standard of catering for a large Establishment, he was a very successful President of the Senior Sailors Mess. By his personal effort and example, he has been an inspiration to his juniors and a valued advisor to his superiors. His voluntary discharge is a great loss to the Service and to HMAS NIRIMBA. Gordon lives at Culcairn, New South Wales where he is the President of the Golf Club and active in other civic affairs. 136 Skilled Hands at Sea

17 Mr John Bootle John Bootle, Senior Instructor in the Air Technical School, HMAS NIRIMBA was serving here in 1953 whilst the place was an RAN Air Station and again when NIRIMBA commissioned as the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment - he re-joined NIRIMBA in 1957 as a Chief Aircraft Artificer and worked in setting up the Air Technical School for apprentice training. John has been around aircraft since 1948, when he joined the Royal Australian Navy as an Aircraft Artificer after completing his apprenticeship as Fitter and Turner with Hardie Rubber Company. He trained in naval aircraft engineering at Arbroath Scotland and became a Chief Aircraft Artificer in the 1950 s. He was Chief Aircraft Artificer of 723 Squadron, and 805 Squadron. Leaving the Service in 1958, john joined NIRIMBA as a civilian Technical Instructor where he taught Air Engineering Apprentices until 1960 when the Air Technical Training Section of HMAS NIRIMBA was stopped - with the Government s decision to phase out the Fleet Air Arm, John Bootle transferred to instructing in Fitting and Machining in the Craft School where he worked under the well remembered Lieutenant Jack Shepperd. On recommencement of Air Technical training HMAS NIRIMBA, John recommenced instructing in the Air Technical School and has worked there since. Mr Keith Guthrie Keith Guthrie joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1941 as an Electrical Artificer in the 0ld Torpedo Branch after an apprenticeship as Electrical Fitter with Australian General Electric. Keith served in many campaigns in HMAS AUSTRALlA from the Phillipines to the Battle of the Coral Sea. He was serving in HMAS AUSTRALIA when the ship was put out of action by Japanese Kamakaze attacks. In HMAS AUSTRALIA, Keith served with other later NIRIMBA Technical Instructors - Laurie King and Bruce Brewer. Keith joined HMAS NIRIMBA in the Electrical School in 1958 and for several years after that he was busily pioneering the setting up of various sections of the Electrical School. He set up the house wiring section and in setting up the Electrical Artificers Machine Shop was required to scrounge equipment from various sources. Keith was one of the early Presidents of the Civilian Instructors Club and Union Delegate. He racalls that when he joined, - the Captain apologised for the standard of the Civilian Instructors Change Room and Recreation Room and promised that all that would be put to rights soon. When he retired in 1980, twenty one and a half years later, things had not been put to rights in that area. The very modern civilian amenities centre was opened in Lieutenant Commander Patrick Norman Beagley Pat Beagley, First Lieutenant of HMAS NIRIMBA from 1979 to 1982 retired in the rank of Lieutenant Cornmander in September Pat first went to sea in the Training Ship ARETHUSA in 1933 at the age 0f 13. He joined the Royal Navy at HMS ST VINCENT in May 1935 and served as a Boy Seaman in HMS WANDERER and HMS WARSPITE before World War II. In 1939 he qualified as a Telegraphist Air Gunner and served in HMS COURAGEOUS until she was sunk and then in HMS ILLUSTRIOUS until she was put out of action by bombing in the Mediterranean. He flew on torpedo, mining and bombing sorties until he was disembarked to the Western Desert campaign and the Battle of Crete. In 1941 he was shot down and taken prisoner of war in Valcona, Albania. After the Allied landings in Sicily, Pat escaped and joined up with the Italian partisans. They lived for six months in the Gran Sasso mountains carrying out hit and run sorties against German Skilled Hands at Sea 137

18 road convoys. Pat was recaptured by German paratroopers and transported to a prisoner of war camp in Germany where he spent the remainder 0f the war in Europe. He was liberated in Denmark. After return to Britain and requalifying in aircrew he served in HMS INDOMITABLE, GLORY, VENGEANCE, ILLUSTRIOUS, EAGLE, VICTORIOUS, TRIUMPH and HERMES. Pat saw further service in the Korean War and the Malayan Campaign whilst serving in HMS GLORY. He came to the Royal Australian Navy in 1971 and spent eight years as Fleet Operations Assistant in Fleet Headquarters before coming to HMAS NIRIMBA as First Lieutenant. Pat Beagley gave forty seven years service to the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. Mr Derek Charles Searle Derek, the Senior Draftsman 0f HMAS NIRIMBA was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England during a blizzard in He was educated at St Albans School, one of the oldest established schools in England and left school in He began work in the Ship Research Branch of the mighty English Shipbuilders - Vickers Armstrong, before entering the Royal Air Force as an Instrument Repairer in January He was attached to 15 Bomber Squadron until Derek became a design draftsman and worked for various engineering firms, in England including the guided weapons division of English Electric - later to become the British Aircraft Corporation and later still - British Aerospace. In 1962, Derek came to Australia and worked for a time as a draftsman in the drawing section of AWA before joining HMAS NIRIMBA in 1963 as a Drafting Assistant. The drawing office was situated in building 259 and the infant NIRIMBA Instructional Publications Centre came from the drawing office under the direction of Mr Bert Taylor to its present location - taking along Derek Searle. Derek took charge of the IPC in 1970 and the IPC enjoyed many successes under the direction of this man. Commander John Graham O'Neill John O Neill, who joined HMAS NIRIMBA as an Apprentice in the January 1957 intake has a unique record in that he was the first NIRIMBA apprentice to be posted back to HMAS NIRIMBA as Training Commander, which he achieved in He had not been back to NIRIMBA since he posted out in Commander John O Neill was commissioned in the Special Duties List of Engineer Officers in 1967, just 10 years after he entered HMAS NIRIMBA. John served in HMAS QUEENBOROUGH and HMAS SYDNEY as an Engine Room Artificer until 1963 when he was posted to the United Kingdom to undergo Submarine Engineering training. He served in HM Submarine CACHALOT for around two years before going to stand by HMA Submarine OXLEY. He carried out further training at the Royal Naval College Greenwich, the Royal Naval Engineering College Manadon and underwent Submarine Officers courses in HMS DOLPHIN. After a year in the surface Navy in HMAS SYDNEY, John returned to submarine service until 1974, when he went as Submarine Project Officer with the Principal Naval Overseer at Cockatoo Island Dockyard. In 1977, having transferred to the General List of officers and having been promoted to Lieutenant Commander, he went to the United Kingdom as Submarine Staff Officer to the Australian Naval Representative, where he served for two years. After one year as Squadron Marine Engineer Officer at HMAS PLATYPUS, John went to HMAS SUPPLY as Marine Engineering Officer. He was promoted to Commander in 1979 and served in HMAS SUPPLY for almost two years before returning to his old school HMAS NIRIMBA in Skilled Hands at Sea

19 Mr Charles H D Layzell AOM Charlie Layzell, a longtime stalwart of NIRIMBA training joined the training staff in Charlie went to school in Gosford, Belmore and Sydney Technical College and underwent apprenticeship as a Toolmaker with Amalgamated Wireless Australasia then took up technical trade teaching undergoing teacher training at the Sydney Teachers College and the Granville Technical College. From 1957 to 1974, he was Senior Technical Instructor Grade 2 at HMAS NIRIMBA in charge of the Fitting and Machine Shop theory sections. He is a senior member of the Training Administration of HMAS NIRIMBA trade training at the present time in craft quality control. Charlie has had two breaks from NIRIMBA in the past twenty six years and both took him to world trouble spots. In 1970 he went to Libya with the United Nations to help start technical education in the country just after Colonel Gadaffi took power in a coup. In 1980 Charlie went to Liberia, again following a military coup, this time led by Master Sergeant Doe. He didn t think that a group of NCO s had the skill to run a country. Charlie s time in Liberia was frought with constant danger due to the instability of those in charge of the country and their penchant for discharging firearms. In 1981, Charlie Layzell s dedication to technical training and to HMAS NIRIMBA was recognised when he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia. Mr Eric George Scanlan Eric Scanlan, who has contributed much to the training of NIRIMBA apprentices and adult trainees, joined the Technical Instructor staff of HMAS NIRIMBA in He was born in Sydney of English parents and attended Ultimo and Paddington technical colleges. He carried out his apprenticeship with a general engineering firm which manufactured a wide range of commercial machinery. Eric manufactured the first Hoadley s Violet Crumble Bar wrapping machine while working with his apprentice Master. After a period working with Automatic Totalisators, Eric commenced service in HMAS NIRIMBA at the age of 33 years. He spent his first nine years in NIRIMBA as a Technical Instructor and was selected as a Senior Grade 2 in the Fitting and Machining Section of the Craft School. About this time, Eric Scanlan began with a group of others in NIRIMBA to set up the model railway system in HMAS NIRIMBA. The loco was constructed to the plans of a Pacific engine and some 2,000 man-hours later the NIRIMBA locomotive made up of some 2,000 parts was completed. The excellent model railway still operates in HMAS NIRIMBA. With the coming of Sailstruc to training, Eric became involved in a further training subject, Basic Engineering Theory. Several thousand naval apprentices and adult trainees have benefitted from this man s instruction. Eric retired in Mr Barry John Kimber Barry Kimber, Ship Design Draughtsinan, joined HMAS NIRIMBA in 1965 where he taught Shipwright Apprentices in the Boatshop. He transferred to the Drawing Office in Barry completed his apprenticeship at Garden Island where he later served in several areas of the Dockyard including two years in the Garden Island Drawing Office. He was Charge Hand at Sayonara Slipway - an annex to Garden Island Dockyard at the time he transferred to HMAS NIRIMBA to devote his expertise to training naval apprentices. In 1969, he qualified for admission to the Royal Institute of Naval Architects and has gained further qualifications in his particular field of Engineering in the ensuing years. Skilled Hands at Sea 139

20 Barry has been closely involved in several major projects in HMAS NIRIMBA, among others, the Fitting Out of the Yacht NIRIMBA, the conversion of a motor boat as a yacht tender for the Snapper Island Sea Cadet Unit and the design of a speed boat for the NIRIMBA Water Ski Club. Barry s qualifications, experience and dedication have proven invaluable to the training of the many naval apprentices who have passed through HMAS NIRIMBA under his guidance in attaining their shipbuilding trades certificates and for construction and maintenance knowledge in the Royal Australian Navy. Mr Miklos Andrew Petery Mike Petery came to Australia in 1950 from France hoping to continue flying as a commercial pilot with Ansett Airways. Mike was born in Hungary and was a fighter pilot during World War II. Whilst undergoing his four years Air Force training he trained in Radio and Communications. His first position in Australia was with EMI/HMV, where as Quality Inspector, he was testing on behalf of the Department of Supply, the last run of Eureka- Rebecca transceivers developed for the Royal M A Petrey Senior Technical Instructor WEE School Australian Air Force. Having some difficulty in obtaining recognition of his European gained technical qualifications, Mike enrolled in an Industrial Electronics course and then in the Television Designer Course. Mike joined the Product Engineering Department of H G Palmer then the largest Electric and Electronics goods manufacturer in New South Wales with four factories and some 70 Service departments. After three years with HGP, Mike was made National Technical Officer of all HGP s Service Departments and in charge of training within the company. With the introduction of colour television to Australia, Radio Corporation, Australia, Electronic City, Rhodes, NSW, set up a Solid State and Colour Television School for Engineers and Technical Teachers. Mike had been trained as lecturer in colour television transmission and receiver principles at Radio Corporation Melbourne. Whilst in Melbourne, in co-operation with the Melbourne Institute of Technology, he assembled the first solid state colour transmission equipment, including the colour spots scanner, in Australia. While he was working in charge of the Solid State and Colour Television School at Radio Corporation, Electronic City, Mike enrolled in post graduate courses in colour TV Engineering at the University of New South Wales. In 1970, Mike was appointed Head of the semi-government institution School of Advanced Electronics, where he was Lecturer-in-Charge and head of the School for eight years. He has had the honour of several prestige temporary appointments as Lecturer in seminars and exhibitions in Australia and overseas. This valuable man s talents were brought to HMAS NIRIMBA for the benefit of naval technical training in 1978 when he joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Senior Technical Instructor. He has achieved an enormous amount of electronics training development in the Weapons Electrical Engineering School where he is in charge of seven electrical and electronics laboratories. Dramatic advances in technical training have come to fruition under the guidance of this Design Engineer who has designed, developed and mass produced the necessary new equipments, training aids, sub-assemblies and relevant documentation for the updated and modernised curriculum in 140 Skilled Hands at Sea

21 the electronics and electrical laboratories of the Weapons Electrical Engineering School. Mike Petery is a workaholic dedicated to the advancement of Navy technical training. When he is asked to slow down, he will respond, I am getting old, life is short so I must achieve tomorrow s task today! Mr John David 'Jack' Leary-Smith Jack Leary-Smith the Instructor in Charge of the Blacksmith Section of the Craft School served in HMAS NIRIMBA for 19 years. He was an ex NSW Railways and Gas Company tradesman of many years experience. In particular, Jack Leary- Smith is remembered as an expert in the heat treatment segment of his trade. Many Naval Apprentices and adult trainees have received the benefit of his great expertise. This popular man was the Artisans Association representative in HMAS NIRIMBA. Jack died at work on Tuesday, 8 th May, Such was the great affection held in HMAS NIRIMBA for this man that he was given a Naval funeral which left from the HMAS NIRIMBA Chapel. Mr Jack Leary-Smith - Enginesmith Instructor Died at Work 8 th May 1984 Skilled Hands at Sea 141

22 Apprentice A J Fowler Apprentice A J Fowler of the July 1978 intake was the first son of a former NIRIMBA Apprentice to pass out of NIRIMIBA since commissioning in His father Apprentice C M Fowler was a member of the first intake into HMAS NIRIMBA in July Mr Alan Phipps Alan Phipps, stalwart of the Welding Shop has been in NIRIMBA almost since its inception. He is acknowledged to be a walking encylopedia in the art of welding and his great skill and knowledge is called upon in this matter by all and sundry. Alan is an active member of the Royal Australian Air Force Reserve. NIRIMBA Barbers Mr Percy Holmes was the original barber in HMAS NIRIMBA when the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment commissioned in The shop was formerly located in the open ground adjacent to the Executive Officer s Office. Mr Holmes was one of the driving forces behind the building of Yacht NIRIMBA. He obtained the drawings of a 41 foot masthead sloop from Mr Alan Payne, the designer of SOLO and GRETEL. When Mr Holmes died, Mr Tony Parkes took over and served as the NIRIMBA barber until 1976, when he became a quadraplegic as the result of a motor accident. Ron James ran the NIRIMBA Barber Shop in the old building until 1977 when the partnership of Mr Brian McManus and Mr Phil Nicholson took over the business, now located in part of the building which formerly housed the Apprentices Canteen and Billiards room. Phil Nicholson is a cycling coach of some repute and has devoted a lot of his own time to coaching the NIRIMBA Cycling Club team to a very high standard. Brian McManus has been a stalwart of support of all sporting codes in fund raising and providing weekly awards. Sons of Instructors John Leach the son of Senior Technical Instructor Jan Leach and Terry Delroy son of Senior Technical Instructor Ken Delroy are old boys of HMAS NIRIMBA. Stephen Cherrett, the son of Senior Technical Instructor Graham Cherrett is currently training in HMAS NIRIMBA. Communications Training 142 Skilled Hands at Sea

23 Mrs Robyn Allen - NIRIMBA LIBRARIAN Robyn Allen qualified as a Librarian in 1971 and is an Associate of the Library Association of Australia. In 1980 she completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Australian National University, majoring in History and Political Science. Robyn commenced her career in libraries at the State Library of New South Wales, moving to Randwick Municipal Library after a period of five years. After her marriage, she moved to the Penrith City Library where she became Deputy Librarian and then City Librarian for a period of tbree years. NIRIMBA Library Full time study followed Robyn s move to Canberra but in her second year she worked part time as a Reference Librarian with the Canberra College of Advanced Education. Mrs Allen joined the Department of Defence as a part time Cataloguer in February In March 1980, she became Cataloguing Librarian, a position which she held until she joined HMAS NIRIMBA as Librarian in August Captain David H Thomson AM, RAN Captain David H Thomson AM, RAN, took over command of HMAS NIRIMBA on 2lst January the fourteenth Commanding Officer since 1956 and the second Commanding Officer of the Executive branch to take command. David Thomson joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Cadet Midshipman in He graduated in 1951 and proceeded to the United Kingdom for sea training in HM Ships DEVONSHIRE, ENARD BAY and MAIDSTONE. Promoted Midshipman in He returned to Australia in 1953 in HMAS VENGEANCE and then served in HMA Ships AUSTRALIA, ARUNTA and TOBRUK. Promoted Sub-Lieutenant in January 1954, he then proceeded to the United Kingdom for courses during 1954/55 and returned to Australia in HMAS QUEENBOROUGH in late He joined HMAS QUICKMATCH in January 1956 as Navigating Officer and was promoted Lieutenant in May In mid 1958 he returned to the United Kingdom to undergo the Long Navigation and Navigation Direction courses. On completion of the Long Navigation course he served as Navigating Officer in HMS LOCH LOMOND in the Persian Gulf during 1959/60. On return to Australia he served as Squadron Navigating Officer, First Frigate Squadron in 1961/62 and as Executive Officer of HMAS QUEENBOROUGH in During 1963 he was Staff Navigating Officer at the Navigation Direction School - HMAS WATSON, completing the Advanced Navigation Course in the United Kingdom that year. In December 1963 he joined HMAS SUPPLY as Navigating Officer. He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in From 1965 to mid-1968 he served as Navigating Officer of HMA Ships PERTH and SYDNEY. SYDNEY was then assigned to Vietnam trooping. He returned to HMAS PERTH as Executive Officer in May 1968 and completed a tour of duty in Vietnam in HMAS PERTH during 1968/ 69. Promoted Commander in 1968, he assumed Command 0f HMAS PERTH from April 1969 to January Skilled Hands at Sea 143

24 In the years 1970/71 he served as Staff Officer, Military Planning at SEATO Headquarters Bangkok. On return to Australia in 1972, he became Commanding Officer, Navigation Direction School, HMAS WATSON. He took Command of HMAS PARRAMATTA in December In 1974 He attended the Joint Services Staff College and on completion of that course he was appointed to the Joint Policy Staff, Department of Defence from 1975 to 1977 inclusive. Promoted Captain in December 1977, he was posted next to Singapore as the Defence Adviser to the Australian High Commission. In 1981 he returned to Australia and took command of HMAS PENGUIN. After courses and special duties, Captain Thomson took command of HMAS HOBART from January 1982 and served in HOBART until taking command of HMAS NIRIMBA. He was promoted to Commodore in 1984 and posted to Naval Support Command as Chief of Staff. Rear Admiral W J Crossley AM Admiral Crossley was born in Brisbane in 1930 and joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Recruit in 1954 in the Weapons Electrical Engineering branch. He served in a number of RAN ships including HMAS MELBOURNE, and at shore establisbments in New South Wales and Victoria. Senior appointments have included Command of HMAS WATSON, Project Director Navy Supply Centre Zetland, Director General Naval Manpower, Director General Facilities Branch in Navy Office, Canberra and Chief of Naval Personnel. Admiral Crossley served twice in HMAS NIRIMBA, as Instructor and Officer in Charge of the Weapons Electrical Engineering School and as Training Commander To date, Rear Admiral Crossley is the only former NIRIMBA officer other than Commanding Officers to reach the rank of Rear Admiral. He is also the first former RAN sailor to reach that rank. In June 1983, Rear Admiral Crossley was appointed to the Order of Australia in the Queen s Birthday Honours List and he was promoted to Rear Admiral in January 1984 on taking up his current appointment of Chief of Naval Personnel. Electrical School at Divisions - January 1960 Lieutenant W J Crossley, Platoon Commander 144 Skilled Hands at Sea