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Malta
resident John Paris presents a replica of HMAS Anzac
I to senior members of the current crew of HMAS Anzac.
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Photo:
POPH Damian Pawlenko
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Model
maker John Paris made HMAS Anzac a special present during
the ship’s recent visit to Malta. Upon hearing that the Australian
frigate was going to visit the Grand Harbour in Valletta,
he set about building a model of HMAS Anzac I.
The first HMAS Anzac was an S Class destroyer that was commissioned
into the RAN in 1919.
Mr Paris started making his model of the ship on March 23
and finished the model on May 3.
He presented it to senior members of the ship’s company including
CO CAPT Richard Menhinick. It was made from cardboard and
modelled from a photo he found in a book, although the ship
was in the back of the photo and it was hard to see any detail.
Mr Paris joined the Navy when he was 17 and his career spanned
23 years. He was a scout messenger during the war and then
spent 15 years in the merchant navy. He is a ship enthusiast,
who has been building models since he was 12.
He tends to make the models from pictures that he finds in
books and other publications.
At one time he had an entire fort, complete with submarines
and destroyers. He has joked that he had more British ships
at the time than the actual British fleet.
