By LCDR Andrew Stackpool

Weather conditions were marginal when ABCD Mathew Nolan took a float and entered the water to rescue the first of six islanders after LEUT Sean Andrews saw a man clinging to a red coloured fuel tank. When AB Wayne Broad saw a shark posing a threat to one of the men in the water he opened fire. The six were attempting to transit from Lale to Ghizo in a powered canoe. Hawkesbury found the men in groups of two approximately 1.5 kilometres apart.

HMAS Hawkesbury (LCDR Paul Mandziy) has saved six men from heavy seas in the waters off Ghizo Harbour in the Solomon Islands.

The men had been in a 23 foot powered canoe with four others transiting from Lale to Ghizo when their vessel was swamped, capsized and sunk.

The coastal minehunter had just completed a mercy dash from an outlying island some 140 kilometres away, transporting a gravely ill infant to Ghizo hospital along with the child’s mother and the regional doctor.

Shortly after departing the harbour to resume her patrol the ship spotted two men in the water. Conditions were rough with 2-3 metre swells and winds of up to 35 knots as HMAS Hawkesbury immediately closed to rescue them.

With the two men safely aboard, a 20-minute search by Hawkesbury found a third and fourth survivor approximately 1.5 kilometres away and another two a further 1.5 kilometres away.

The coastal minehunter used her rigid hulled inflatable boat to recover the survivors in the marginal conditions.

According to LCDR Mandziy it was a “life saving coincidence” that the ship was transiting that particular area at that particular time.

“Hawkesbury’s involvement in assisting the people of the Solomon Islands means we have received whole-hearted support from the locals, and the relationships we have created with the communities here are strong,” he said.

HMAS Hawkesbury has now resumed her patrol duties.

Hawkesbury medevacs gravely ill baby – saves six

By LEUT Robin Dunk

Prior to the rescue of the six off Ghizo Harbour, Hawkesbury had performed a medical evacuation of a very sick baby from an outlying island. Making the transfer to Hawkesbury LSMED Mathew Wood cradles the baby with a locally employed New Zealand doctor (holding the drip) and the child's mother (lower right) keeping watch on the tot during the 140 kilometre transit to Ghizo.

One of the canoeists in the water. Weather conditions were marginal and when AB Wayne Broad saw a shark posing a threat to one of the men in the water he opened fire.

HMAS Hawkesbury (LCDR Paul Mandziy) has set some records with her deployment on Op Anode.

She became the first Huon Class Minehunter Coastal to deploy operationally and also became the first commissioned RAN mine warfare vessel to deploy operationally overseas since the Ton Class during the Confrontation crisis of the early 1960s.

In doing so, Hawkesbury claimed another first for a MHC by creating two six-man boarding teams trained to conduct level two boardings.

Only four days into her scheduled two week maintenance period and swarming with contractors, Hawkesbury was given ten days notice of the deployment.

A considerable amount of work had to occur behind the scenes for her to deploy on time.

Nearly every element of the MCD FEG and HMAS Waterhen organisation, from FIMA-W to AUSCDTONE, (who loaned three divers to create a unique maritime EOD/IED within the Solomon Islands AO) pitched in to ready the ship .

Hawkesbury sailed initially for Gladstone and immediately commenced an intensive work up period assisted by Minor War Vessel Sea Training Group and Small Arms training staff.

This training would take Hawkesbury into the uncharted realm of Maritime Interception Operations.

Now on patrol in the Solomon Islands and possibly revisiting waters patrolled by the original Hawkesbury, the ship’s company has swollen to 50 with the inclusion of two Federal Police and four soldiers from 2RAR.

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