Navy News, March 18, 2002

Welcome aboard Royal Australian Navy News, the official newspaper of your Navy.

Navy News is published fortnightly with its basic charter to inform and entertain our sailors wherever they are serving, in ships or on shore, at home or overseas.

March 18, 2002

		Kanimbla in mercy dash RAN personnel in The Gulf went to the aid of a critically ill merchant seaman a few days ago. The ship's company of HMAS Kanimbla including her doctor, medics and aviators combined to carry out the rescue. Their professionalism later brought praise from the ill seaman's master.

		Gloucester cup tops off Anzac's awards The MC RADM Geoff Smith visited HMAS Anzac during the Bombing of Darwin 60th anniversary commemorations in February. He congratulated the ships' companies of both HMAS Anzac and the hydrographic ship (HS) HMAS Melville for the excellent work that they had undertaken on OP...

		COs ask for Chaplains on board Helping sailors to reverse decisions to send them back to sea so soon after they had returned from lengthy sea duty provided his toughest assignment, veteran Senior Chaplain Graeme Adsett reveals. "One sailor sought my help to get time ashore so he could get married," the Uniting Church clergyman..

		Super support for charity ride Four riders, 10 support men and some serious dedication have sparked interest and emotion from people all over the country. The cause is a 2275km Navy charity bike ride from Rockhampton to Canberra, with a target to raise more than $250,000 for children with special needs.

		Stirling puts heart into donations Valentine's Day was an appropriate day for the Heart Kids Support Group, when a team led by HMAS Stirling's CPO Gary Blissendon conducted a gold coin voluntary donation for the group at the entrance to the causeway at Garden Island WA.

		Health rates hold steady Defence Health has guaranteed to hold contribution rates at their present level despite increases sought and approved for a number of major open health funds. Their last increase in Defence Health rates was in May 2000 and additional benefits were introduced for the fund's 52,000 members last year.

		Sailors squire Squires Mrs Melinda Squires celebrated her 100th birthday last month and puts her longevity down to her "love of sailors" and "good eating". Mrs Squires has had a long association with the RAN, her father Thomas McLeery serving as a petty officer on the first Sydney. She maintained the links communicating with members of the service particularly those of the latter Sydneys.

		New comms conduit open The appointment of two additional special warrant officers to provide a communications conduit between the lower ranks of the RAN and Navy management, is working, according to the Command Warrant Officer Dave Baker.

		Bailey focussed on DHA challenge Problems with removals, Service accommodation and email contact with personnel overseas will all receive attention from the new Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Fran Bailey. Ms Bailey, who has just completed a whistlestop tour of Defence establishments in all states and territories except Tasmania and the Top End, returned to Canberra with...

		DHA review announced Many ADF members have recently experienced unsatisfactory relocation services from the Defence Housing Authority. "Postings are often stressful times for ADF members and their families and we aim to make sure that the problems experienced during the recent posting cycle are not repeated...

		An open letter to ADF members and their families from the Managing Director of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Keith Lyon: I am writing to directly - and publicly - address the problems encountered by DHA in organising the relocations of ADF members and their families during the recent peak posting cycle.

		Security Slams Scam A fraudulent scheme, commonly known as the Nigerian 419 Scam, or the 419 Advance Fee Fraud Scheme is perpetrated by people regularly posing as barristers, doctors and other professions, usually making contact by E-mail. But, phone, fax and letters may still be used to trick unsuspecting victims.

		16 rounded up HMAS Kanimbla's Sea King and her two high-speed RHIBs were needed when the 8,450-tonne LPA had a job-and-a-half in the Gulf last month - to round up 16 large trading dhows. Likened to an 'aerial jackeroo' and two 'cattle dogs' the helicopter and boats had to supervise and put boarding parties on to the craft, then spread over 10 kilometres.

		Aussie trio "flawless" says US commander A senior US commander in the Gulf has described as "flawless" the performance in the Gulf of our trio of ships, HMAS Sydney, HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Kanimbla. RADM Mark Fitzgerald, the commander of Carrier Group Eight said last month, "The Australian task group performed flawlessly.

		Smugglers nabbed in nine hours Nine Gulf boardings in nine hours - Sunday, February 13 will go down in HMAS Adelaide's log book as a busy day. The hectic time came when there was a mass break-out of suspected smuggler vessels. Adelaide, along with other ships, had been guarding the Kwawr-Abd-Allah waterway.

		Impressive 'stats' The 4100-tonne FFG, HMAS Sydney is on her way home from duty in the Gulf and has an impressive list of statistics. She spent 106 days on operation, did 30 compliant and 10 non-compliant boardings either by sailors fast-roping from a helicopter or going over the side from RHIBs.

		Neighbours give green light to 'hot pursuit' of illegal fishers Like us, three of Australia's smaller Pacific island neighbours have troubles with outsiders poaching their vital fish resources. Now they are doing more to halt the problem and the RAN is helping out.

		39-year veteran birdie flies in new direction If The Fleet Air Arm bid a final and fond farewell to CMDR Tom Kinross in late February. He had been in the RAN for 39 years. CMDR Kinross joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Junior Recruit in 1963.

		Sub's fire fundraiser "remarkable" Rural Fire Service Commissioner Phil Koperberg says the ship's company of submarine HMAS Sheean had put in a "remarkable effort" in raising $2,150 for the victims of the Christmas 2001 bushfires. Sheean was at home in Western Australia when the fires destroyed 109 homes, blackened 650,000 hectares of NSW and brought fear and hardship to thousands of people.

		Lady with flowers - Martin Place mystery The sudden appearance of a very elderly woman with a bunch of flowers...and her equally sudden disappearance...provided a poignant moment in the 60th anniversary remembrance ceremony of the Battle of the Java Sea at the Sydney Cenotaph on March 1. ABSTD Adam Thomson from the NUSHIP Yarra was standing easy after doing car-door opening duties when the 'mystery' woman approached him.

		Anzac cooks amazing - civvie chef When HMAS Anzac visited, as part of the commemorations for the 60th Anniversary of the bombing of Darwin, the MGM Grand's fine dining chef was unaware that he would be taking part. A reception, hosted by the Maritime Commander Australia, RADM Geoff Smith, was attended by almost 200 VIPs and provided an eye-opening experience for 20-year-old chef, Michael Goncalves.

		Sixty years since Sunda Strait battle This year marks the 60th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Perth during the Battle of Sunda Strait. On March 1, 1942, a Japanese invasion force off Banten Bay sank this gallant ship. Having survived the Battle of Java Sea just 24 hours previously, Perth, in company with USS Houston, arrived in Tanjong Priok (the Port of Batavia), to re-fuel and take on supplies.

		Obituary: LCDR Neil Gilmour The recent unexpected death at an early age of LCDR Neil Gilmour has deprived Navy and Australia of a fine naval officer. While the loss is felt most immediately by his family and friends, especially at the Royal Australian Naval College, HMAS Creswell, Neil will also be missed by all members of the Navy Training Systems branch, to which he devoted much of his naval career.

		Letters to the Editor My name is Geraldine Hewitt and I'm an 18-year-old donor conceived adult, which means I was conceived through anonymous donor sperm. My parents sought fertility treatment at the Royal Hospital for Women (RHW) in Paddington, Sydney. Until recently I held the assumption that my donor had most probably been a medical student.

		Historical Highlights - a series by LEUT Tom Lewis The Royal Australian Navy has never won a Victoria Cross. Why this is so is a curious matter. Valour is the quality in battle for which the Cross is awarded, and the lack of VCs seems more to do with convoluted bureaucracy than a dearth of this quality.

		Calling all Seadogs The Harman Seadogs Rugby League Football Club will celebrate its 30th anniversary on the long weekend of June 7-10. The Harman Seadogs is the only ADF rugby league team in Australia, with many members and past players scattered all over Australia.

		Royal whitewash A Royal Navy rugby league side has been whitewashed in three games during its inaugural tour of Australia from March 1-14. The team departed Australia at least a little wiser for the experience after games against a Royal Australian Navy side, Renown United (a suburban Sydney team) and a NSW Combined Services side.

		Curtain call for ASRU Once again the Australian Services Rugby Union (ASRU) National Inter-Service Carnival has sought a high profile curtain-raiser to conclude the 2002 competition between Army, Navy and Air Force. This year's inter-Service host union is Air Force.

		Dikko

		HMAS WORT