The official newspaper of the Royal Australian NavyVolume 55, No. 10, June 7, 2012

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDESERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE

NEWSNEWSPhoto: SBLT Sarah West

MIGHT AND THUNDER FOR MINOR WAR VESSELS – SEE CENTRE

HMAS HMAS BallaratBallarat on fi nal stages on fi nal stages of Asian deploymentof Asian deployment

FRIENDLY VISIT: LS Brendan Chaseling

and PO Sky McPhee give Japanese officers and sailors from the Japanese Maritime

Self Defence Force destroyer Shimakaze a tour of HMAS

Ballarat after arriving in Kure, Japan, ahead of her

participation in the bilateral anti-submarine warfare

exercise, Nichi Gou Trident.

WELCOME TO JAPAN

Page 5

02 NEWSJune 7, 2012

DirectorDavid Edlington: (02) 6265 4650

EditorMichael Weaver: (02) 6266 7707

Deputy EditorLauren Norton: (02) 6266 7615

Production EditorSharon Palmer: (02) 6266 7612

ReportersMichael Brooke: (02) 9359 2494LSIS Paul Berry: (02) 6266 7606SGT Andrew Hetherington: (02) 6266 7614CPL Max Bree: (02) 6266 7608CPL Nick Wiseman: (02) 6265 4140 CPL Mark Doran: (02) 6265 1304

LAC Bill Solomou: (02) 6265 1355Andrew Stackpool: (02) 6266 7611

CONTACT USEmail: navynews@defencenews.gov.auFax: (02) 6266 7701Mail: The Editor, R8-LG-038, PO Box 7909, Department of Defence, ACT 2600Website: www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews

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SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDEPRIDE

NEWSNEWS

Michael Brooke

THE courage and heroism of a small group of Navy personnel was official-ly acknowledged when they received a group citation for bravery in May.

The group citation was award-ed to personnel from HMA Ships Albany and Childers in recognition of their actions when the Suspected Irregular Entry Vessel (SIEV) 36 caught fire and exploded, throwing nine ADF personnel and 44 civilians into the sea on April 16, 2009.

C e r e m o n ie s we r e h e ld i n Br isbane, Sydney and Dar win where the crews of Ardent Four are embarked in HMAS Childers and Assail Two embarked in HMAS Albany.

I n B r i s b a n e , Q u e e n s l a n d Governor Penelope Wensley pre-sented the award to CPO Thomas Dawe, CPO Dean Faunt, POBM Paul Hetherington, AB Jason List and MIDN Christopher Saville, of Ardent Four, at Government House on May 11.

POBM Hether ington said he remembered the event vividly.

Bravery rewardedCeremonies held around the country to award group bravery citations to personnel

involved in SIEV 36 disaster

ACTIONS HONOURED: ABMT Thomas Gallant, LSCK Maria Mathews and ABBM Mathew Pierce get together after receiving a group citation for bravery at Government House. Photo: LSIS Brenton Freind

Assistance in PNG

A NAVY Landing Craft will support the commitment by Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces to assist Papua New Guinea with its election period from June to July. The Landing Craft Heavy will deliver bulk materiel and personnel to coastal areas. The ADF is working with the PNG Government to provide aviation support for the elections, including transporting personnel, ballot boxes and election materials to PNG’s many remote locations.

Defence family forumDEFENCE families from across Australia gathered at Darling Harbour in Sydney to explore the future of military family support at the 2012 Defence Family Forum from April 30-May 2. The forum, hosted by Defence Community Organisation, examined how Defence families could connect with the wider Australian com-munity. Ideas included building a centralised website to help families become familiar with new posting locations, establishing a group of experienced Defence partners to mentor newer Defence partners and building community gardens for mobile families. For information on the 28 projects planned at the forum, go to www.defence.gov.au/dco/ and click on Defence Family Forum.

CN in ShoalhavenCN VADM Ray Griggs presented three commemorative plaques to veterans and former students of Nowra’s Shoalhaven High School during the official opening of the school’s new Anzac Memorial Garden on May 24. LCDR Henry Hall, SGT Norm Pettit and MAJ Charles Gouldson each share a link to the same high school and also to distinguished service of their coun-try. “The good thing about these gentlemen is that they didn’t stop serving when they took the uniform off. They continued to serve. They served the Shoalhaven and served this school,” CN said before pre-senting the plaques.

Uruzgan changeAUSTRALIA will assume the leader-ship of Combined Team – Uruzgan (CT-U) in Afghanistan late this year, taking over from the United States. The change is part of the process to transfer security responsibili-ties from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to the Afghan National Security Forces. Uruzgan is due to commence the transition to Afghan-led security responsibility in the middle of this year. There will not be an increase in the overall average size of Australia’s presence in Uruzgan.

IN BRIEF

“There was a lot of debris, peo-ple in the water, f lames leaping off the boat, plenty of smoke, it was just chaos,” he said.

In Sydney, three members of HMAS Albany were presented with the award at NSW Government House on May 10.

LSCK Maria Mathews, of HMAS Parramatta, ABMT Tom Gallant and ABBM Matt Pierce, both from FSU-Sydney, received the award in recognition of their efforts rescuing injured and burnt people from the

water and assisting medical teams after SIEV 36 exploded.

ABMT Gallant said he remem-bers how the crew “clicked into gear” immediately.

“It was a very horrific scene with a lot of casualties but rather than go into shock, our training kicked in like we were on auto-pilot, and we responded swiftly to the crisis,” he said.

“All the boarding par ty got straight back into the RHIBs and set about rescuing the survivors.”

ABBM Pierce was on his first

sea-posting with Albany when the explosion occurred.

“We wasted no time rescuing the civilians and our own people from the water where there was a lot of burning debris,” he said.

“Our training and special cama-raderie among the crew enabled us to respond in the way that we did to such a tragedy.”

In Darwin, two Navy and two Air Force personnel, ABCK Quinton Boorman, ABBM Michael Lordan, CPL Brad Bendeich and SGT Sharon Jager, of the Transit Security Element, received the award at a cer-emony on May 10.

ABCK Boorman said the citation made him out to be a hero but he was just doing the job for which he was trained.

“When the explosion happened we all did what we had to do, without a second thought,” he said.

True to his profession, ABCK Boorman also cooked lunch and dinner for the crew and the other survivors.

“Roast pork smells just like burn-ing flesh,” he said. “That’s a hell of a memory for a cook like me.”

On the morning of April 16, 2009, a number of ADF personnel assisted occupants of a burning vessel in the waters near Ashmore Island, Western Australia. Patrol boats HMA Ships Childers and Albany were escorting a SIEV that held 49 civil-ians and ADF personnel, when the situation on board deteriorated. Four personnel from the escort vessels immediately volunteered to form an augmented security team to board the SIEV. Within two-minutes of arriving on board, the vessel caught fire and exploded, causing most

people to be thrown into the water. In response to this hazardous situation ADF personnel, both on the escort vessels and the SIEV reacted swiftly and professionally. The escort ves-sels continually manoeuvred their crafts and rescued as many survi-vors as possible. Ultimately, all nine ADF personnel on board the SIEV at the time, and 44 passengers and crew of the vessel were recovered. Sadly, dozens of casualties occurred sustaining horrific injuries and five people died. – Group citation

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03NEWS June 7, 2012

MAJ Cameron Jamieson

ADF personnel are proving they are made of “the white stuff” as part of the Australian contingent to embark on Pacific Partnership 2012 aboard the massive white-painted US hospital ship USNS Mercy during its stopover in Guam.

A team of 29 ADF command and medical specialist personnel have joined more than 1000 international military and non-government organisation (NGO) personnel on the ship.

Another 12 engineers are already working on building an emergency care facility and renovating a clinic on the Indonesian island of Talaud as part of the same mission.

Australian contingent commander CMDR Ken Walters said the contingent

had been warmly welcomed on board. “We are a truly integrated force, with our people working side by side with people from the US, 13 partner nations and 23 NGOs,” he said.

“The statistics for this mission are staggering, and they are all aimed at making things better for the lives of the people in the host nations we will visit.”

Now in its seventh year, Pacific Partnership is an annual US Pacific Fleet-sponsored training and readi-ness mission drawing together partner nations, host nations and NGOs to create an Asia-Pacific collective to respond to natural disasters.

The mission will deliver medical, den-tal, veterinary and engineering services to locations in Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia during two-week stops in each country.

White on track

ON THE WAY: POWTR Kylie Faulks, of HMAS Sirius, stands in front of her home for the next six weeks – USNS Mercy. Photo: MAJ Cameron Jamieson

Michael Brooke

HMAS Darwin has set sail for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) where she is scheduled to conduct firings of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) and torpedoes while embedded with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.

Darwin was farewelled by more than 300 family and friends from Fleet Base East on May 25 to what is shaping up to be a challenging five-month deployment that includes Exercises RIMPAC, Kakadu and Singaroo.

CO Darwin CMDR Brian Schlegel said RIMPAC and the associated activities provided an opportunity for Navy to demonstrate the capability, professionalism and interoperability that is the corner-stone of the organisation.

“We will spend considerable time developing effective military to military relationships in the region during the deployment,” CMDR Schlegel said.

“We are scheduled to participate in planning conferences, sporting activities, receptions and, of course, the air warfare, tactical communi-cation, anti-submarine warfare that will be conducted with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group.

“It will be a steep learning curve as we perform our role within the carrier strike group and hone our air warfare competencies.”

Embedding with the USS Nimitz Strike Group will enable Darwin to validate important les-sons from Exercise Talisman Sabre when she operated with the George Washington Strike Group.

The embed will enhance coali-tion interoperability by aligning key systems and procedures while pre-paring the RAN for the introduc-tion of the Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyer and the reinvigoration of high-end war fighting.

RIMPAC will give Darwin’s crew an opportunity to cross-deck to Nimitz and US Navy Aegis-equipped destroyers that will pro-

vide a glimpse of the capabilities coming with the AWDs.

WEEO LCDR Dan Crocker said the ESSM missile firings would be a first for many of Darwin’s new team of electrical technicians.

“The missile exercise will be a major milestone, because not many of the crew have taken part in col-lective training and live fire exer-cises before,” he said.

ABET Tom King joined Darwin in April on his first deployment and is looking forward to seeing new ports while mastering new skills in a major exercise.

AB King said his biggest chal-lenge would be integrating with the ship and the work team.

“Embedding with the US Navy will be a steep but rewarding learn-ing curve for me,” he said.

While transiting to Pearl Harbor, Darwin will visit Apia, Samoa, to participate in the Samoan 50th anniversary of independence cel-ebrations followed by a short visit to Nukualofa, Tonga.

Setting sail for the Pacific rim

ALL ABOARD: HMAS Darwin’s ship’s company members haul in the last line as she sails from Fleet Base East on a four-month deployment. Photo: ABIS Sarah Williams

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04 NEWSJune 7, 2012

CMDR Andrew Nelson

HMAS Perth has achieved a frigate’s equivalent of threading the eye of a nee-dle after piloting one of the most chal-lenging but scenic passages in the world – the Juan De Fuca Strait in Canada.

The Anzac-class FFH reaffirmed Australia’s close ties to Canada with a visit to the Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt in Victoria, Canada.

Activities included a busy program of anti-ship missile defence demonstra-tions, industry briefings and participation in the Victoria Day march, where HMAS Perth personnel marched in a place of honour ahead of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) at the annual Esquimalt parade.

After departing Esquimalt on May 24, Perth turned her bow east then north before conducting pilotage training through the myriad islands and tricky currents that comprise the historic water-way.

With two Canadian Navy pilots on board to provide local knowledge, the officers of the watch (OOW) and trainee maritime warfare officers derived enor-

mous benefit from undertaking the chal-lenging pilotage planning and execution.

CO HMAS Perth CAPT Mal Wise trained with the RCN as a young officer and reminisced on earning his bridge watchkeeping certificate, then serv-ing as the “specials” OOW on board the Canadian frigate HMCS Qu’appelle, which frequently navigated the same waters.

“There is nothing more effective than face-to-face contact with mates for developing relationships between navies as well as nations,” CAPT Wise said.

By late afternoon the ship had anchored for the night for the crew to enjoy a beach barbecue and impromptu concert by the ship’s band No Direction (no link to the conduct of the pilotage).

During the visit, HMAS Perth also demonstrated the recently fitted, Australian designed and built CEAFAR radar and CEAMOUNT Missile Control Illuminator.

While on deployment to the US west coast and Canada, HMAS Perth will visit several other ports and then partici-pate in RIMPAC.

Not so strait manoeuvresSCENIC PASSAGE: HMAS Perth sails through the scenic islands off the Vancouver coast. Photo: LEUT William Ho

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05NEWS June 7, 2012

LCDR Simon Franklin

WHISKY tango charlie – Welcome to China was the signalled greeting given to HMAS Ballarat by warships of the People’s Liberation Army – Navy (PLAN-N), as Ballarat made her way into Shanghai on May 17.

Her arrival in China marked the 40th anniversary of Australia-China diplomatic relations.

The Anzac-class Guided Missile Frigate has since berthed in Japan on the final stage of its Asian deployment after completing a series of exercises with the maritime forces of China and Korea.

After a short port visit to the city of Kure, HMAS Ballarat was sched-uled to participate in the Australian–Japanese bilateral Exercise Nichi Gou Trident 2012 from June 4-6.

The Asian deployment began in China with a busy nine-hour pilotage which included transits of the Yangtz and Huangpu Rivers.

Ballarat was escorted by the frig-ate Anqing and berthed adjacent to the

famous Bund district in the centre of Shanghai for a five-day port visit.

At t he welcome ce remony, resplendent with guard and band, CO Ballarat CMDR Jonathan Earley thanked the senior PLA-N representa-tive, Deputy Chief of Staff Shanghai Naval Garrison, CAPT Li Jun, for the warm welcome.

“It is indeed an honour for us to be here this year, marking the 40th anniversary of Australia-China dip-lomatic ties, and what better way to herald this event than to be berthed in such a spectacular location,” CMDR Earley said.

The port visit was a success with a large number of official activities conducted between the PLA-N and Ballarat.

These included reciprocal ship visits, an official reception and ban-quet hosted by the Commander of the Shanghai Naval Garrison, a cocktail party on board Ballarat jointly hosted by the Australian ambassador to China, and a friendly game of basketball.

The ship’s company thoroughly enjoyed interacting with their PLA-N

counterparts, with all ranks doing their bit to help strengthen the rela-tionship between the two navies.

“Our relationship is an important one, and within the maritime domain as navies we can help strengthen that bond through visits such as these both here and in Australia.”

On the way to China, Ballarat also conducted an impromptu passing and photo exercise with US 7th Fleet Flagship USS Blue Ridge on May 8 in the South China Sea.

The exercise provided an excellent occasion for a cross deck between the two ships and eight Australian and 11 American sailors undertook the exchange.

For ABBM Cody Nicol, the chance to cross deck to Blue Ridge was a new and exciting experience as it was the first time he had been on a USN ship.

“From the captain down, the crew was very welcoming. I was blown away on how they lived in 100 man messes and how they had dispensers for soft drink and chocolate milk at lunch,” he said.

Forty years of friendship

CEREMONIAL SUNSET: Personnel on board HMAS Ballarat lit by the Shanghai skyline.

IN PASSING: USS Blue Ridge and HMAS Ballarat transit alongside each other in the South China Sea. Photo: US Navy

Navy News will feature more from the final stages of HMAS Ballarat’s four-month deployment through Asia in the next edition. Further details can be found on the Navy website: http://www.navy.gov.au/Main_Page

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06 NEWSJune 7, 2012

FIVE Navy musicians had the chance to swap skills and bring an “Aussie touch” to events after they were invited to Washington DC in April.

At the request of the Australian embassy in Washington DC, ABMUSN Damian Dowd, ABMUSN Peter Taylor, POMUSN Christopher Palamountain, ABMUSN Vladimir Shvetsov and CPOMUSN Andrew Stapleton visited the US capital.

They participated in Anzac Day events, supported commemorations for the 70th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea and performed at the Australian embassy.

POM USN Pa la mou nt a i n sa id throughout the visit they were assisted by the US Navy Band, who supplied equipment and a sound operator for all engagements.

“It was really interesting to spend time at the US Navy Band facility to see how they do business,” he said.

“The US Navy Band staff were so friendly and helped us out immensely with equipment and logistics.”

The band’s Anzac Day commitments started with a chilly dawn service at the Korean War memorial, attended by a crowd of more than 2000 people.

After the service, they performed aprogram of Australian and New Zealandpopular songs for a lunchtime receptionat the Australian embassy.

POMUSN Palamountain said theembassy staff and guests praised theensemble and commented that the enter-tainment helped create a more casualand high-spirited event than in previousyears.

The Coral Sea commemoration ser-vice on May 1 was held at the US Navymemorial in the heart of the city.

Before the official service, the bandperformed a 40-minute bracket of popu-lar music which helped draw a localcrowd to supplement the large numberof service personnel in attendance.

Fol low i ng t he l ay i ng of t heAustralian wreath by Ambassador KimBeasley, CPOMUSN Stapleton playedthe Last Post and reveille.

“I loved Washington,” CPOMUSNStapleton said.

“The historic streets, the grandhotels and the imposing architecturewere highlights.”

The Navy Band also has groupsgoing to Samoa, Baltimore, Hong Kongand the Edinburgh Military Tattoo overthe next few months.

Michael Brooke

THE Navy Bash ‘task group’ is looking for charity-minded and fun-loving personnel to participate in the 2012 NSW Variety Bash from August 19-28.

The team requires crew for five cars it will enter in the annual charity drive that raises money for Australian children with special needs.

LCDR Wong said the five cars will be modified with the help of

engineers at FSU-Sydney to look like a f r igate, a submarine, a replenishment ship and two heli-copters.

“The five Navy cars will par-ticipate in the 4202km charity voy-age from Balmain in Sydney to Bamaga, at the tip of Cape York,” he said.

Those interested need to be prepared to pay for their food and accommodation and make a contri-bution towards the cost of fuel.

They also require approval from

their work area to undertake adven-ture training and to be prepared to assist with preparation in their own time before the event. Mechanical and/or electrical skills are not essen-tial.

Since 2003 the Navy team has raised more than $300,000 for the NSW Variety Bash.

For further details about the 2012 NSW Variety Bash, contact LCDR Graeme Wong on 0412 256 918, or graeme.wong@defence.gov.au

Musicians rock US

AUSSIE TOUCH: ABMUSN Damian Dowd, ABMUSN Peter Taylor, POMUSN Christopher Palamountain, ABMUSN Vladimir Shvetsov and CPOMUSN Andrew Stapleton perform in Washington DC.

Join the Bash for charityBIG BUSH BASH: WO Kevin Goodwim, LSMT Jason Rigby, LEUT Sandra Fraser, LSET Daniel O’Rourke and LCDR Graeme Wong at last year’s Bash.

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07NEWS June 7, 2012

Michael Brooke

THE winner of this year’s Queen’s Gold Medal said his training was vital in securing one of Navy’s most prestigious awards.

LEUT Charles Marchant, of HMAS Parramatta, has been recognised for his outstanding perfor-mance while posted to HMA Ships Darwin and Tobruk.

CN VADM Ray Gr iggs presented LEUT Marchant with the medal at a ceremony attended by HMAS Parramatta personnel at Fleet Headquarters.

VADM Griggs said the award was presented in recognition of LEUT Marchant’s outstanding per-formance during the Engineer Officer Application Course (EOAC) and Weapons Electrical Engineer Officer Certificate of Competence (WECC).

“I commend LEUT Marchant for his outstand-ing achievement and performance on EOAC and WECC and subsequent dedication and commitment to excellence during postings to HMA Ships Darwin and Tobruk,” he said.

“The Queen’s Gold Medal is presented annually to the officer who has exhibited the most exemplary conduct, performance of duty and level of achieve-ment while undergoing initial and application course training.”

Paying tribute to Navy’s signature behaviours, LEUT Marchant said second best should never be an option.

“This award is about being the best that you can be,” he said. “Even if no one is watching.”

LEUT Marchant said the training he received enabled him to answer the challenge of being a jun-ior officer, which required learning from senior sail-ors while also providing leadership and inspiration.

His training mantra also supports the Fleet oper-ating concept, which is designed to maximise train-ing opportunities and achieve directed levels of prep-aration in an enduring and cost-effective manner.

Winner praises training

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: CN VADM Ray Griggs presents the Queen’s Gold Medal to LEUT Charles Marchant in front of his family and HMAS Parramatta personnel at Fleet Headquarters, Sydney. Photo: LSIS Brenton Freind

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09NEWS June 7, 2012

LCDR Ryan Jose

A NAVY pilot has been named dux of course, surpass-ing Air Force pilots in one of the ADF’s most demand-ing courses.

After 10 months of gruelling training at RAAF Pearce’s 2 Flying Training School, two Navy pilots, ASLT Caleb Muggeridge and SBLT Brody Marris, and 10 Air Force pilots received their wings.

The parade on April 19 was a particularly special day for SBLT Marris who made several trips to the podium to accept course awards.

These included Most Proficient at Instrument Flying, Most Proficient Pilot and to cap it all off, the dux of course award.

SBLT Marris said the 226 pilots course provided a number of challenges but was something he had always wanted to do.

“Flying is something that I’ve always been interested in since I was a kid, it’s something that has always fasci-nated me,” he said.

“Some aspects of flying are quite challenging and everyone had areas of the course that they struggled with or didn’t do so well in. It’s been a steep learning curve.”

His exceptional performance has given him the opportunity to fly Hawk aircraft at RAAF Pearce’s 79SQN and a future in the fast-jet community.

“I’m pretty rapt to have the opportunity to fly jets. From what I’ve seen so far at the squadron the flying is fun and challenging,” he said.

“It’s a bit of a culture shock for me going to an Air Force squadron when I was expecting to go to a Navy one.

“Here, the atmosphere is a bit more up-tempo, I think that’s just the nature of what they do, but I’m just start-ing to get used to it and it’s actually pretty good.”

The pilot courses predominately consist of RAAF students, but Navy pilots are also required to complete the course.

“Due to our role at sea we place a heavy reliance on instrument flying and this course has a great emphasis on that,” SBLT Marris said.

Dux of course takes flight

FLYING HIGH: SBLT Brody Marris receives his trophy for dux of course from AIRCDRE Noel Derwort, CSC Commander Aerospace Operations Support Group, and Pilatus representative Mark Thoreson. Inset, SBLT Marris and ASLT Caleb Muggeridge at the awards ceremony.

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10 NEWSJune 7, 2012

25 YEAR REUNIONHMAS NIRIMBA

103rd apprentice intake (26 Jun 87)

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103rd Intake”

CMDR Greg Swinden

DUBBED the Angel of the Gap, former able seaman Don Ritchie has died at his home in Vaucluse in Sydney aged 85.

His home was near the infamous ‘Gap’ and for more than 50 years he pre-vented many people from leaping to their deaths from the cliff overlooking the sea.

In April 1970, Don was awarded the NSW Royal Humane Society Bronze Medal for saving the life of a man attempting to jump off the Gap.

In the Australia Day honours list for 2006 he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to the community through programs to prevent suicide. Also as part of his 2011 Australian of the Year Local Hero Award he had his picture placed on a limited edition stamp set commemorat-ing the 2011 Australians of the Year.

On several occasions Don, and his wife Moya, prevented men and women from taking their lives by talking to them and offering them a cup of tea.

It is estimated that some 150 people owe their lives to Don and Moya for this simple act of kindness. Don said, “It shows that people who are planning to commit suicide, if you can be nice to them and invite them home, this gives them a chance to change their mind.”

Don was born at Vaucluse, Sydney

in June 1926 and educated at Vaucluse Primary School and Scots College.

In his spare time he was a keen sailor and a member of the Vaucluse Amateur Sailing Association. In June 1944 he joined the RAN, as an ordinary seaman, and after his training at HMAS Cerberus he was posted to the cruiser HMAS Hobart in December 1944. The ship was soon sent north to operate with the US 7th Fleet.

Initially Don’s action station was below decks in one of the six-inch shell magazines, but later he became a loader on one of Hobart’s twin four-inch gun mounts.

Don saw service in operations in the Philippines, New Guinea waters and the landing of Australian troops at Tarakan, Labuan and Balikpapan in Borneo.

He was also on board Hobart at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in early September 1945.

Don left the Navy in May 1946 with the rank of able seaman. Initially he was a travelling salesman and then a stew-ard before joining the insurance firm Legal & General in the early 1950s. He worked with Legal and General until he retired as a senior executive in 1991.

Don was a keen naval historian and never lost his love for the sea.

Michael Flynn

AT 95 years of age Syd Sharp’s 68th Anzac Day march held special significance because of this year’s 70th anniversary of the Darwin bombing raids.

Declining the office of a taxi or a jeep for the Sydney march, Mr Sharp said he would march until he couldn’t.

“If I can‘t march, I will not be participating,” he said.

Mr Sharp has marched every Anzac Day since 1947 and said “God willing” he planned to march again next year.

His involvement with the Anzac Day march started when he served as a flag bearer at the 1937 and 1938 services as an NCO in the Army Militia.

He was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant into the RANVR in February 1939 because of his exper-tise as an off-shore yachtsman.

Mr Sharp qualified in anti-submarine warfare and was posted to HMAS Melville in Darwin as a Harbour Defence Officer in 1941.

When the first wave of Japanese carrier-borne aircraft appeared on the horizon off Darwin on February 19, 1942, he assumed they were from the US.

“I thought they were the Yanks … until the bombs started falling,” he said.

He witnessed the devastation that occurred in the city and in the harbour.

The tonnage dropped that day was more than at Pearl Harbor (from the same Imperial Japanese Navy task force) two months before.

In his fox-hole, he was able to fire at the second of two low-flying Japanese Zeros with a .303 rifle.

One Zero subsequently force-landed at Melville Island with a .303 bullet hole in its oil tank that had caused its powerful engine to seize.

T h e p i l o t , S G T H a j i m e Toyoshima, was the first Japanese POW captured by Allied forces. He subsequently died in a mass escape from Cowra on August 4, 1944.

Mr Sharp was posted to Darwin

throughout the sustained Japanese bombings over seven months until August 1942.

With the lack of supplies, he and other personnel relied on local resources for food including shoot-ing wildlife and constructing a sub-stantial fishing net to take advantage of the large tidal flows.

During his career he also flew with RAAF Lockheed Hudson and USAAF Mitchell bomber recon-

naissance aircraft as a Naval observ-er over the Timor Sea.

He was discharged from active service at the rank of lieutenant in 1946 and remained in the RANVR in 1976 and was awarded the 1939-1945 Pacific Star medal in 1995, after restrictions on information about the attacks on Darwin were lifted.

“Darwin was not considered to be a war zone,” he said.

Syd’s still sharp after 95 years

VETERAN MARCHER: WWII veteran Syd Sharp with his wife Linda during this year’s Anzac Day march in Sydney. Photo: PO Damian Pawlenko

Local hero hailed for saving lives

ANGEL OF THE GAP: Don Ritchie pictured at the Gap where he helped stop many people from committing suicide.

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11NEWS June 7, 2012

LEUT Todd Austin

IT WAS paws to the pavement for a 20-month-old Irish wolfhound called Murphy who marched in step with household pets across Nowra for the RSPCA’s Million Paws Walk.

Murphy’s owner POET Olivia Usback was one of several Navy pet owners who took part in the annual fundraising drive on May 20 to raise money for their local RSPCA animal shelter.

Murphy stood out from his four-legged friends this time around, with POET Usback given special permis-sion to dress her pet in Navy’s dis-tinctive disruptive pattern uniform (DPNU).

Murphy and POET Usback had special clearance to use the uniform, which had been made by POET Usback from discarded DPNUs col-lected by HMAS Albatross’ clothing store.

“I used to volunteer at the RSPCA shelter, so the Million Paws Walk is very special to me,” POET Usback said.

She said while Murphy wasn’t an

RSPCA dog, he was once in a similar situation.

“When we came across Murphy, he was on his way to the shelter to an uncertain future,” she said.

“His former owners’ couldn’t care for him any more.”

To assist Murphy with his efforts, several other Navy members joined in to raise funds for RSPCA.

“All together with the assistance of HMAS Albatross and other mem-bers of the ‘Albatross Dog Squad’ we raised more than $400 for the RSPCA this year,” POET Usback said.

There are plans in motion already for next year’s event with the four-legged friends from HMAS Albatross sending out invitations for their HMAS Creswell counterparts to join in the fun and form a ‘Shoalhaven Dog Squad’.

The RSPCA Million Paws Walk is one of the biggest fundraising events for the RSPCA.

It involves thousands of people and dogs registering, fundraising and participating in walks held across Australia.

Charitable walk for proud pup

BIG EFFORT: POET Olivia Usback, of HMAS Albatross, and her Irish wolfhound Murphy show off the doggy-DPNUs after the Million Paws Walk in Nowra, NSW. Photo: ABIS Hayley Clarke

ON THE WAY: Crew and two Squirrels from 723SQN inside a RAAF C-17 Globemaster ready for transport from HMAS Albatross to Darwin for Exercise Triton Thunder. Photo: LSIS Yuri Ramsey

CENTRESPREAD12 13June 7, 2012

MIGHT AND MIGHT AND THUNDERTHUNDER

Navy’s minor war vessels honed their skills off the north coast of Australia during Exercise Triton Thunder, SBLT Sarah West and LEUT Patrick McGuire report.

AT SEA: ABBM Clayton Marshall prepares to fire the 12.7mm Browning machine gun on board HMAS Balikpapan. Photos: ABIS James Whittle

VARIED ROLES: POBM Sean Conway, of Minor War Vessels – Sea Training Group, role-plays as a member of an enemy force during a beach extraction serial.

SETTING OUT: CAPT Heath Robertson, of Sea Training Group, takes control of HMAS Ararat with CO Assail Six LEUT Rob Cucchi.

DEPARTING: HMAS Larrakia departs Darwin for the sea phase of Triton Thunder, followed by Indonesian naval vessels KRI Tongkol and KRI Kakap.

BOARDING SKILLS: Members from the Indonesian naval vessel KRI Kakap conduct a mock boarding of the Jenny Wright K.

ON WATCH: ABBM Colin Lees takes up his position on board HMAS Balikpapan while conducting a Force Protection Exercise.

TEAM WORK: An Army Unimog drives on to HMAS Balikpapan during a beach extraction serial.

ACCORDING to Greek mythol-ogy, the fish-tailed-god Triton (the son of Poseidon) carried a twisted conch shell which

he blew like a trumpet to calm or raise the seas.

However, it was the Navy’s minor war vessels that stirred up a flurry of activity off the coast of Darwin when the Fleet took part in the aptly named Exercise Triton Thunder.

HMA Ships Larrakia , Ararat , Gascoyne, Diamantina, Balikpapan, Shepparton and Benalla were joined by 723SQN, five AS-350 Squirrels, and an LCM8 amphibious landing craft for the exercise, which took place in the Northern Australian Exercise Area (NAXA) and alongside HMAS Coonawarra from May 7-18.

The exercise aimed to further devel-op littoral warfare and in-company com-petencies, in a joint service environment with surface, air and land objectives.

This ensured confidence in the Fleet’s general warfare capabilities, in-company competencies and amphibious interoperability.

After two weeks of intensive train-ing, the units proved their newly refined

skills in a major beach extraction serial at Dundee Beach, near Darwin.

The HMA Ships and aviation assets launched into action.

With the help of Army LCM8 landing craft, operated by 36 Water Transport Troop, they delivered Unimog trucks and personnel to the beach to extract a high value target.

The target was then evacuated by sea to safety.

On completion of the beach extrac-tion serial, the Commander of the Minor War Vessels Sea Training Unit, CMDR Alex Hawes, said he was satisfied with the performance of his assets.

“The ADF has a long history of amphibious operations and the inter-operability demonstrated this week between all contributors holds us in good stead for much larger ventures,” CMDR Hawes said.

“While the scale is small, the struc-ture is very sound. The timeline was met and the quality of information provided at key decision points was unprecedent-ed in this exercise construct.”

Exercise Triton Thunder is held bian-nually from Darwin and Cairns.

FLYING HIGH: A Squirrel patrols the NAXA.

EXERCISE SUCCESS: HMAS Benalla sails into Darwin Harbour on completion of Exercise Triton Thunder

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14 GANGWAYJune 7, 2012

INFORMING ROLE: SMN James Neylon and CPO David Glen with Austin Cove Baptist College students, Nicholas Keating, Katelyn Stables and Ethan Pritchard, at the Defence 2020 Youth Challenge in Perth, WA.

Photo: Matt Jelonek

STIRLING EFFORT: CO HMAS Stirling CAPT Brett Wolski and Training Facility Manager RANSSSS-W, WO John Scarfe, present LSBM Alan Kelly with the HMAS Stirling Sailor of the Month for April.

Photo: ABIS Alan LancasterWELL PREPARED: LCDR Alan Parton and LCDR Matthew Carroll, of International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. Photo: SGT Mick Davis

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15GANGWAY June 7, 2012

FINELY TUNED: Guitarist and singer Christian Power, who is part of the Forces Entertainment Tour, helps ABMUSN Greg Turner set up equipment during preparations for a concert in Dili, East Timor. Photo: LAC Oliver Carter

DIRTY WORK: CPO Andrew Perry, of HMAS Waterhen on deployment with the International Stabilisation Force, organises a clean-up of the Camp Phoenix grounds in Dili, East Timor. Photo: LAC Oliver Carter

FAMILY TIES: ABCSO Kate Bowerman catches up with her family as HMAS Warramunga has a three-day stop over at Hobart. The ship has 10 Tasmanian-born personnel embarked who were able to spend some time back in their home state. Photo: LEUT Todd Austin

LADY WRITER: ABWTR Laura Johnson, of HMAS Newcastle, enters data to keep personnel files up to date. She is also a member of the ship’s medical emergency team and attends to any casualties that might happen on board. Photo: ABIS Sarah Williams

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16 TRAININGJune 7, 2012

Peter Blanchonette and Robert King

NAVY and Army pilots have been help-ing the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) finetune prototype sym-bology used for head-mounted displays on MRH 90 helicopters.

In the helicopters, flight symbology con-veys key information such as aircraft speed and attitude to pilots through the helmet-mounted sight display.

DSTO scientist Eleanore Tracey said the pilots tested the prototype symbology in a simulator at the organisation’s Melbourne labs, to create the most realistic operational environment possible.

“The simulation laboratory accurately rep-licates the real aircraft, including the cockpit displays and flight controls,” she said.

Another scientist on the project, Dr Geoff Eberle, said the seven pilots flew air-mobile scenarios during the trial, as well as several

take offs and landings on a realistic model of a landing helicopter dock.

Project Air 9000 will deliver 46 MRH 90s to replace the Sea Kings and Black Hawks.

The MRH 90 includes a suite of modern systems, such as weather radar, forward-look-ing infrared camera, a helmet-mounted sight display and a digital map generator.

DSTO’s report on the simulation trial results and recommendations will soon be delivered to the Air 9000 Phase 2/4/6 project team.

Trialling the signs

THIRD-year cadets from ADFA put their leadership skills to the test on board the tall ship James Craig in Jervis Bay from May 3-17.

ADFA Commandant CDRE Bruce Kafer said more than 200 cadets, including Navy midshipmen, were in Jervis Bay and Nowra as part of Leadership Challenge Three – an exercise focused on developing their prac-tical leadership experience in unfamiliar and arduous conditions.

The exercise was conducted as a rotation between the Majura Training Area near Canberra and the Jervis Bay region.

“The trainees are expected to lead their teams through a variety of activities,” CDRE Kafer said.

“These include field training, rock climbing, escaping from a simulated helicopter crash into water at HMAS Albatross in Nowra, controlling the dam-age on a sinking ship simulator, surviving at sea and physical training.”

On board James Craig, the ADFA trainees received initial training by the ship’s crew and, under supervi-sion, served as the crew day and night for a 72-hour voyage.

Cadets said the most challenging part of the expe-rience was climbing to the top of the masts to trim the sails, particularly at night.

“Leadership Challenge Three is demanding, requiring cadets to function as an effective team and to lead their peers under high stress situations with lim-ited rest to prepare them for the challenges they may face in the future,” CDRE Kafer said.

“The Leadership Challenge exercise greatly assists in developing their leadership qualities and character as future leaders of the ADF.”

Cadets put to test on high seas

STAYING AFLOAT: Third-year ADFA cadets test their sea survival skills in Jervis Bay as part of exercise Leadership Challenge. Photo: David Paterson

READY FOR TAKE OFF: Pilots LEUT Ben White and CAPT Daniel Mearns check out the cockpit of DSTO’s MRH 90 simulator in Melbourne while evaluating trial symbology for use in the aircraft.

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17HISTORY June 7, 2012

SHE proudly represented Australia in the hunt for the German battleship Bismarck, and was the first Australian

ship to sink a U-boat in World War II, but HMAS Nestor never graced Australia’s shores.

The N-class destroyer – built in Scotland and commissioned in February 1941, as an Australian war-ship crewed by Australians – remained the property of the RN.

Former Oerlikon gunner Ken Brown, now 91 and living at Barooga in southern NSW, is one of a handful of Nestor’s surviving crew.

“Nestor was my first destroyer and, to me, she looked beautiful,” he said.

Mr Brown said he wasn’t aware that Nestor was the only Australian ship involved in the hunt for the Bismarck until after the action.

“I was then very proud that we’d taken part, and I still am today,” he said.

On July 24, 1941, Nestor took on board 470 soldiers and crew after the merchant ship in which they were tak-ing passage, Sydney Star, was torpe-doed during an Italian E-boat attack on the Malta convoy.

Determined air attacks followed and Mr Brown said they were under constant attack for three days.

“Some of the Army types hid under the torpedo tubes ... last place I’d hide,” he said.

She never made it homeThe 70th anniversary of the loss of HMAS Nestor brought back vivid memories for one of her last surviving crew, SGT Dave Morely reports.

Action-packed career: HMAS Nestor served the RAN for 16 months before being scuttled off Crete. Photo: Seapower Centre

On December 15, 1941, Nestor became the second Australian destroy-er to sink an enemy submarine in WWII and the first to claim a German U-boat.

Mr Brown said Nestor was search-ing for submarines before joining a Gibraltar-bound convoy.

“We sighted a U-boat on the sur-face off Cape St Vincent, Portugal, at a

distance of about seven miles,” he said.“We opened fire with our main

armament, forcing it to submerge.“After gaining contact we made a

successful attack with depth charges.”Nestor was credited with the

destruction of U-127 and her 51 crew.Nestor left the Mediterranean in

January 1942, and formed part of the escort for the aircraft carrier HMS

Indomitable, engaged in ferrying air-craft to the Malayan/Java theatre.

She patrolled the Indian Ocean before returning to the Mediterranean theatre in June 1942, where she sailed as part of the Operation Vigorous escort force, protecting a supply convoy to Malta.

On June 15, Nestor was heav-ily damaged when she was straddled

by bombs from an Italian high-level bomber which caused the boiler room to flood.

Surgeon-Lieutenant Shane Watson was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for attempting to rescue four stokers from the flooded boiler room.

The stokers were the only fatali-ties from the attack, however several others, including Mr Brown, were wounded.

“The blast knocked me off the gun platform and I hit my back on the bulkhead behind,” he said.

Attempts by the RN J-class destroyer HMS Javelin to tow the ship failed as lines parted and Nestor took on more water.

Nestor was finally abandoned and scuttled off Crete the next morning with depth charges from HMS Javelin.

Although only in RAN service for 16 months, HMAS Nestor had an action-packed career.

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18 PERSONNELJune 7, 2012

NAVY personnel have been reminded about the appro-priate wearing of disruptive pattern Navy uniform (DPNU) in public.

Current DPNU policy allows personnel to wear DPNU in public when conducting routine domestic duties while travelling to and from their workplace.

This includes collecting children from school, shopping, buying petrol, and travelling on public trans-port (excluding commercial air travel).

RADM Tim Barrett said the policy gave person-nel flexibility and freedom and helped promote Navy through greater visibility in the community.

While he said the vast majority of personnel were wearing their uniforms correctly, some personnel had been reported wearing DPNU at non-sanctioned social events or functions.

“Currently, the flexibility afforded in the policy has been taken advantage of by some members who are wearing the DPNU to pubs and clubs on social occa-sions,” he said.

“This has the potential to undermine the positive public image of Navy.

“Personnel must take responsibility for upholding the reputation of our Navy and to wear DPNU ashore in a manner befitting our service.”

Where DPNU can be worn

DO NOT WEAR DPNU AT:➤ Bars➤ Clubs or night clubs➤ Casinos➤ Offensive establishments or activities➤ Race tracks and betting institutions➤ Public rallies and protests➤ Political events➤ Any other place or situation that may

cause disrepute

THE Russell Conference Centre was officially opened on May 18 by Chief Operating Officer Simon Lewis.

The Conference Centre is available for meetings, conferences and workshops. The multi-use facility features six rooms, four of which have video-telecon-ference facilities, including one secure system.

Use of the centre will help reduce Defence travel and external hiring costs, as well as deliver improved productivity through collaborative workspaces and provide computer access for an increasingly mobile workforce.

Catering can be supported by a catering com-pany and the centre also features two kitchenettes.

Bookings for the Russell Conference Centre can be made on (02) 6266 4499 or bookingscprus.conference@defence.gov.au

Russell conference centre open

NEW LOOK: The Australia room at the new Russell Conference Centre is one of six specially equipped rooms. Photo: LACW Casey Gaul

WEAR WITH PRIDE: Wearing DPNU at non-sanctioned events is not appropriate. Photo: Lauren Black

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19PERSONNEL June 7, 2012

LEUT Trent Bancroft

A FORMER student returned to his old high school in style in April.

LEUT Kye Hayman was ecstat-ic about the opportunity to return to, Kawana Waters State College in Caloundra, Qld, with Seahawk crew from 816SQN.

“Having gone to this school, it’s nice to be able to return the favour and motivate some of the current students,” LEUT Hayman said.

During the visit, LEUT Hayman delivered a presentation to the entire school, and invited students to chat with the crew and sit in the cockpit of the Seahawk.

“I showed them some photos, and told them about modern-day pirates and what a threat is today,” he said.

816SQN, which is home to the Seahawk, has freedom of entry to the city of Caloundra and attempts to visit the city a number of times per year.

Whilst in Caloundra, LEUT Hayman and his crew, LCDR Jeff Topping and PO Nathan Minnet, also conducted a flypast for the Anzac Day march in Caloundra and Kawana.

LIVING spaces on board the new Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) have come under close inspection and scrutiny by a review team of four members from HMAS Sydney.

In April, the team took part in a “habitability review”, designed to seek feedback from Navy personnel on the accommodation modules being fabricated for the ships.

It also gave personnel the chance to offer suggestions to refine and enhance the living spaces within the bounds of the current ship and accommodation design based on their knowledge of life at sea.

The outfit accommodation project coordinator for the AWD Alliance, Brad Ginman, said the review was part of the consultation process with Navy by the Alliance.

“An interior design review was conducted in 2010 where Navy was engaged to finalise soft furnishings, colour schemes and accommodation space finishes,” Mr Ginman said.

“Having members of HMAS Sydney’s company travel to Hobart where these spaces are being fabri-cated was a great initiative and will ensure we deliver a product Navy is happy with.

“The feedback was very positive and gave the spaces a tick of approv-al.”

HMAS Sydney personnel who participated in the review were WO Michael Connors, POCSS Grant Ireland, LSCSO Michelle Drewett and LSMT Matthew Blackwell.

The team assessed the accommo-dation spaces, communal areas and facilities and provided comments on the suitability and functionality of the spaces, as well as recommendations for improvements.

As part of the review, the team vis-ited the AWD Alliance in Adelaide to undertake project briefings and draw-ing reviews and took part in a tour of the AWD shipyard where they saw

FLYING VISIT: LEUT Kye Hayman, POA Nathan Minnet and LCDR Jeff Topping, of 816SQN, at Kawana Waters State College.

Back to school

Tough tests for AWD

steel blocks being constructed for the first AWD, HMAS Hobart.

The team then travel led to Tasmania to tour the Taylor Bros site.

Deputy Director AWD Capability Deve lopment CMDR Michae l Doherty said it was a comprehensive review that included just about eve-rything.

“We inspected the overall layout as well as the prefabricated compart-ments, modular cabins, communal

furnishings and equipment,” CMDR Doherty said.

WO Connors said the team was asked to focus on three areas.

“Workplace health and safety, functionality and those things that are nice to have were the criteria for the review,” he said.

“Overall, we found the habit-ability standard of the AWD a marked improvement over the FFG.

“I was particularly impressed with

the width and height of the sailors’ bunks.”

HMAS Sydney’s team have returned the favour and invited Alliance person-nel and Taylor Bros management to visit the ship to allow them to gain a better understanding of current ship-board issues.

The feedback from HMAS Sydney’s company, together with recommenda-tions by Taylor Bros, will now be given to the AWD Alliance for consideration.

TAKING NOTES: LSCSO Michelle Drewett and POCSS Grant Ireland, of HMAS Sydney, test out the proposed AWD accommodation.

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21HEALTH June 7, 2012

Finding the right running shoe for your foot can be difficult, but what if the best shoe is no shoe?

Taking your daily jog barefoot may not be something you’re willing to try, yet barefoot running enthusiasts con-sider it to be a more natural way of running.

Followers of the barefoot move-ment say it reduces the risk of chronic and repetitive stress injuries by giv-ing the body more “sensory feedback” – basically if you run barefoot and it hurts you know that you need to change your technique – something you don’t necessarily get from wearing shoes.

They also argue that it is more effi-cient to run barefoot as the weight of a running shoe can slow you down and compromise form.

There hasn’t been a lot of research to substantiate these claims, but a recent study by a team at the University of Colorado and pub-lished in the online journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise has sparked new debate.

The team found it was actually more efficient to run wearing minimal-ist running shoes rather than going barefoot.

Testing a small group of 12 men with barefoot running experience, the team concluded that a runner could use up to 4 per cent more energy running barefoot versus shod.

So what will be right for you? Running in a heavy shoe doesn’t make a lot of sense when you’re after more efficiency, however, because every foot is different, one type of shoe won’t work for everyone. The same goes for deciding between minimalist shoes or going barefoot.

As PTI CPL Aaron Rawnsley dis-cussed in the April 12 edition of Navy News, before choosing the right shoe (or not, as the case may be) you need to decide how you run.

Barefoot running seems to encour-age people to run on the balls or soles of the feet. This forefoot strike pattern has been shown to reduce impact-relat-ed injuries when running.

However, most people will have developed a rear-foot strike pattern where their heel hits the ground first because modern running shoes have a slightly lifted heel.

This extra cushioning and support reduces the level of feeling and contact with the ground.

This means most runners will not know if their gait needs to be altered or if they could benefit from adjusting their technique.

The benefit of wearing a light-weight or minimalist shoe, compared to going barefoot, is that it protects your feet from harsh surfaces yet still lets your feet do the work.

Whichever you decide, if your feet aren’t used to not having the support from a shoe, take it slowly.

Throwing yourself into training in minimalist shoes or barefoot without adequate preparation can cause more problems and changing your gait can take time.

“In my experiences and research so far on this controversial topic, tran-sitioning to minimalist footwear is not for everyone,” CPL Rawnsley said.

“The starting point and rate of pro-gress if conducting this training and transition is purely individual based. No set program or timeline can be applied from one person to the next.

“Slow and steady progression is the foundation of enjoyable and injury free minimalist shoe running.”

CPL Rawnsley advises prospec-tive minimalist or barefoot runners to get a foot analysis done by a profes-sional and seek guidance from a PTI and podiatrist.

“They can monitor the volume of training, give you guidance on the types of surfaces to train on and devel-op a plan that is tailored to suit your individual needs and outcomes,” he said.

Providing there are no issues, CPL Rawnsley said starting training on a non-impact surface such as a grassed football oval was a good idea.

“Commence with walking, doing small low-intensity sessions to get your feet used to the difference. You can progress slowly from there to jog-ging but always seek expert medical guidance,” he said.

Barefoot training isn’t always the right fit, Lauren Norton reports.

SLOW AND STEADY: If you choose to try barefoot or minimalist training, seek expert guidance and start with low-intensity sessions. Photo: LAC Bill Solomou

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22 SPORTJune 7, 2012

John Martin

AT 57, LCDR Steve Johnson was the oldest competitor at the Interservice Surf Competition last month – but clearly he was not there just to make up the numbers.

He won the inaugural stand-up pad-dle board event.

Now, we know what you’re think-ing. You’re thinking, ‘that’s not proper surfing’.

And you probably won’t get much of an argument from LCDR Johnson who took up the discipline last year.

“I found that, at my age, it gave me much more opportunity to exercise and have fun in the surf and on flat water than the conventional long board and it is something that all the family can do together,” he said.

Don’t let that fool you though. LCDR Johnson, the deputy director of Project Neptune at HMAS Waterhen, likes the big waves too.

He was there at the first compe-tition in 2004 and he’s surfed at the interservice titles every year since.

His speciality has been the long-board category, an interservice title he has won three times – in 2005, 2006 and again last year.

This year he finished fourth from a field of 24 starters. Poor old fella.

The titles were held at One Mile Beach, Port Stephens from May 14-18 and Navy did not get off to a great start.

2012 SURF CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS➤ Stand-up paddleboard:

1st – LCDR Steve Johnson2nd – MAJ Matt Carr 3rd – CPL Trevor Marshall

➤ Men’s shortboard: 1st – FSGT Rick Pfi effer2nd – Dr Chris Shanahan3rd – PTE Ben Morton

➤ Women’s shortboard: 1st – ACW Vicky Voyzey 2nd – CPL Keichelle Oldis 3rd – LT Denna Fryer

➤ Longboard: 1st – SQNLDR Mark Evans2nd – LS Chad Poland3rd – LS Nathan Adamson

➤ Tag team:

1st – Air Force Team 22nd – Navy Team 1 3rd (tie) – Army Team 1

Air Force Team 1 Navy Team 2

4th – Army Team 2

➤ Service championship:

1st – Air Force (58 points)2nd – Navy (40 points)3rd – Army (37 points)

➤ Best and fairest:

Navy – AB Ben SmeethAir Force – CPL Stuart JohnsonArmy – WO2 Martin Fisher

Age no barrier for surfer

ROUGH LUCK: LS Brett Tate, of HMAS Penguin, shows off his broken board at One Mile Beach.

LS Brett Tate snapped his board in rough weather in round one and had to make a quick dash into town where the local board shop gave him a great deal on a second-hand board.

He eventually fought his way through to the shortboard finals.

However, that was not enough to stop Navy’s six-year run as service champion coming to an end.

But in mitigation, it has to be said that due to work and personal commit-ments Navy only had 13 surfers, com-pared to Air Force’s 28 and Army’s 33, and had no female surfers at all.

Nevertheless, Navy still finished second on 40 points.

Air Force won with 58 points and Army finished with 37 points.

Army was the chief organiser of

this year’s event, but Army Surf Riders Association President MAJ Matt Carr thanked the other services for their help.

“Navy ran the day-to-day competi-tion and RAAF acted as safety man-agement,” he said.

An annual general meeting was held during the event to prepare an application to the ADF sports council

to approve surf-riding as a recognised ADF sport.

“Future competitions are hopeful and we would like to include a wide range of surf-riding sports such as body-boarding and open water racing,” MAJ Carr said.

“It is also hoped that challenges can be made to overseas services clubs such as the US and UK.”

TAKING A STAND: LCDR Steve Johnson, of HMAS Waterhen, competes in the stand-up paddleboard event at Port Stephens, NSW. Photo: WO2 Mark Dowling

23SPORT June 7, 2012

Michael Brooke

THE Navy men’s rugby team of rookies came of age with a heart-breaking four-point loss to arch rivals Army in the Australian Services Rugby Championships (ASRC) carnival at Sydney’s Victoria Barracks.

Navy played with great skill and determination to lead 13-12 at half-time but fell agonisingly short of a dramatic come-from-behind victory to lose 33-29.

After crushing Air Force 42-3 in its first match, Navy appeared on track to defend the title it won from Army with a last-minute try in the 2011 ASRU, but lost its way in the second stanza before staging a remarkable comeback.

Despite good scrimmaging by the sailors, Lady Luck mostly

smiled upon Army as the bounce of the ball generally favoured them.

Army had two conversions bounce over after hitting the cross-bar while two of Navy’s attempted conversions just went wide of the goal-posts.

Navy coach WO Tony Doherty said bad luck and some missed tack-les cost Navy the title.

“With nine new players in the squad, the boys really came of age in time for the Commonwealth Navies Rugby Championships (CNRC) to be played in Sydney in October,” WO Doherty said.

The Navy set-piece play was the highlight of the match with their forwards, led by war-horse PO Matt Hilyard, dominating this facet of the game.

But as fatigue took its toll late in the second stanza, the sailors missed

several crucial tackles to allow Army to race to a 33-24 lead. Navy scored with five minutes remaining and seemed poised to turn a 33-29 scoreline into a fairytale victory, but Army dug in to win.

Navy’s best players were No 8 PO Hilyard and MIDN Declan Maguire, who was named RAN rookie of the year.

WO Doherty said the Navy play-ers would be a force to be reckoned with next year.

“With 12 months’ experience under their belts and having lost a final by a small margin, it will assist RANRU to regain the ASRC trophy in 2013,” he said.

The ASRU carnival helped his squad prepare for the CNRC that involves the RAN, the Royal Navy, the South African Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

Michael Brooke

IT’S not often a Navy team triumph reduces Army’s players to tears.

In a fitting salute to the centenary of Navy rugby, the pain of defeat at the Australian Services Rugby Union (ASRU) carnival made some of the Army women weep in despair.

The combined Navy and Air Force Women’s rugby team beat Army 13-5 at Sydney’s Victoria Barracks on May 19.

Navy’s victory was secured by flanker LS Renae Woodward, of HMAS Cerberus, who scored a try in the first half and LEUT Sara Mooney, of FFG System Program Office, who kicked the conversion and two penalty goals.

LEUT Mooney was named as the ASRU Women’s Player of the Series for her inspiring performances in attack and defence.

“I am as pleased as I am surprised to be named the ASRU women’s player,” she said.

The lanky flanker played with great skill and determination against Army’s veteran forwards, while her two penalty goals snuffed out their desperate fight-back in the second half.

“I have been playing rugby since 2005 and really enjoy how the game challenges me mentally and physically,” she said.

Navy’s other flanker, LS Woodward, opened the scoring with a try in the first half.

The six-year Navy rugby veteran

barged over several Army defenders after a scrum win on the quarter-line to give her team the initiative and a confidence boost.

“The try was actually more impor-tant than the five points because it gave us extra confidence while demoralising Army,” she said.

Coach LCDR Paige Butcher said the team’s defence in the second half was outstanding, when seemingly exhausted players miraculously found the energy to pull off try-saving tackles.

LCDR Butcher said AB Sarah Beard and LS Nadine Block had strong games with LS Block’s 20m cut-out passes slic-ing the Army defence to shreds.

Earlier in the ASRU carnival, the Navy women lost 19-12 to the Air Force in the Margie Quinn Cup match on May 13.

Navy held a 7-0 lead at half-time but ran out of steam in the last 20 minutes to lose by a converted try.

Such was Navy’s dominance during the competition, that seven players were selected in the ASRU team for a match against the touring British Army wom-en’s team, played at Victoria Barracks on May 24.

Navy representatives were LEUT Sara Mooney, LS Kim Thomson, LS Renae Woodward, AB Lulu Gray, AB Sarah Beard, SMN Naomi Curran, and SMN Brittany Young.

The British Army won 14-0. A full wrap of that game will appear in the next edition of Navy News.

Combined effort pays dividends

Rookies take it to big guns

ELEVEN players were selected to face Tasmania in Hobart on July 14. They are AB James Smith, AB Tait O’Sullivan, PO Jason Harrington, SMN Aaron Louden, SMN Sam Peters, AB Bryson Madigan, AB Daryl Seden, AB Nigel Maher, MIDN Declan Maguire, SMN Alex Brown and PO Matt Hilyard.

GOING NOWHERE: Army’s CPL Fasheena Nevell is tackled by LACW Lucinda Tomlinson as AB Lulu Gray looks on during the Australian Services Rugby Union Carnival. Photo: LSIS Brenton Freind

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STEAM ROLLER: AB James Smith offloads the ball as he is brought down by CFN Jeremy Nelson in the men’s match during the Australian Services Rugby Union carnival held at Victoria Barracks, Sydney.Photo: LSIS Brenton Freind

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Page 23Page 23

COMBINED WOMEN’S TEAM TAKES DOWN ARMY – Page 23