Kanimbla welcomed home
...She was the lynchpin of maritime operations...VADM Keating USN

Kanimbla on the home stretch with her huge escort flotilla including the Ted Noffs with all her firefighting cannon spouting water.

Part of the enormous crowd which waited for her to berth.

That special moment for LSCIS Rob Hutchinson with daughters Courtney (left) and Georgia (right).

Together again at last CO Kanimbla, CMDR David McCourt with his son Connor. Photos by: ABPH Cristine Mercer, ABPH Yuri Ramsey, ABPH Bill Louys and LSPH Damian Pawlenko.

By Graham Davis

HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR David McCourt) is safely home. Australia welcomed back the LPA on Thursday, July 17 after a six month absence. What a welcome it was.

Just inside Sydney Heads 60 launches from four Royal Motor Yacht Clubs, along with rescue craft from the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol and the Volunteer Coast Guard took up escort positions on both sides of the warship. With them was a flotilla of 15 police, Navy and Waterways security craft.

Overhead flew a Sea King helicopter flying a huge White Ensign.

Ahead raced the Sydney Port’s tug Ted Noffs, her firefighting cannons sending out cascades of water. Kanimbla led the flotilla of small craft towards Fleet Base East.

Tugs met her off Fort Denison and ushered her towards Fleet Base Two.

There an even bigger welcome was waiting as more than 2,500 wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends and Garden Island workers gathered on the wharf. Hundreds more well-wishers gathered outside the base.

Many held aloft signs, waved flags or held multi coloured balloons. Some of the signs declared “Welcome home”, “We Are Proud of You,” and “Welcome home Geoff.”

Keith Krause and Don Clough of the HMAS Kanimbla 1 Association unfurled the Association’s huge banner. Outside the security fence several hundred members from The Australian Christian Middle East Association held up a huge “Thank You” banner as well as dozens of Australian flags.

They were very vocal in their applause and later, in a very significant moment of appreciation showered a group of Kanimbla’s sailors who had gone to the fence to talk with them, with hundreds of lollies.

As Kanimbla inched towards the wharf the Sydney detachment of the RAN Band struck up Advance Australia Fair. The ship’s company was fallen out. It raced from the ship’s side to the flight deck while the brows were secured. In keeping with tradition the CO was the first ashore, where he quickly reunited with wife Julia and children Georgia and Connor.

Asked what was the best part of homecoming, CMDR McCourt’s answer was simple – “this” – his family. “You can’t describe what its like,” he said.

CMDR McCourt thanked the flotilla of small craft, which escorted his ship. They, the RAN helicopter, the White Ensign and the fire float had created an impressive scene. Behind him the ship’s company, some carrying red roses, streamed down the brows to reunite with their loved ones.

As they joined their families COMFLOT, CDRE Matt Tripovich introduced the VIP’s who had come to welcome the ship home.

Vice Chief of the Defence Force, VADM Russ Shalders told them, “Feel proud of yourselves.
You deserve it.” CN, VADM Chris Ritchie said, “ It is great to see you all back here.”

Like Australians, the US Defence top brass are impressed with Kanimbla “VADM Keating of the US 5th Fleet described Kanimbla as the lynchpin of the maritime operations,” VADM Ritchie continued.

“CDRE Peterson, the Task Force Commander, said Kanimbla was ‘the Queen of the Chessboard,’ the most versatile piece in the game.”

As crewmembers moved off with their families Kanimbla’s Sea King rotated for an early afternoon re-union with families at HMAS Albatross.

A proud ship was welcomed home by a proud nation.

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