Silent Service stays in the black

Net spreads even further” - Navy News article Vol 46 no. 15, Aug 28.
I am writing in response to the abovementioned article which appeared on page seven of that edition.

The article states that “The four arms of the Australian Defence Force, the RAN, Army, RAAF and Defence civilians...a total of 75,000 people... are now “talking to each other”...electronically speaking.”

I wish to point out that it is, in fact, 75,000 minus 200 who are ‘connected’ because the men and women serving in our submarine force are still without any email system.

They have no access, either at sea or alongside, to the DRN, the internet or the SHNIN.
We still rely on snail mail, signals and familygrams.

These people have been left in the dark ages and articles such as this one make us feel that we are the forgotten force.

It is important that the wider Defence community are not mislead by articles such as yours and realise that ‘posting something to the DEFWEB’does not guarantee complete coverage.

Never has the term ‘The Silent Service’ been more applicable.

CDRE Mike Deeks
Commander
Australian Navy Submarine Group

Cadets call for old cap tallies

The Naval Cadets of TS Darwin (LEUT Gill McKay) have recently moved back into their permanent unit located at HMAS Coonawarra.

The unit has been extensively refurbished and is looking very good, however we are lacking in the area of naval memorabilia.

A suggestion has been to establish a cap tally collection for display at the unit.

Therefore we are calling for sailors who are being posted off a ship or have a collection of old cap tallies sculling about that to send them to the unit to help with the collection.

We would like other cadet units to also send their cap tallies to us and we would be happy to reciprocate. Any help you can provide would be appreciated.

CPO Ray Cron
TS Darwin
08 8924 1345

Lost sailor

I was wondering if you would and could help me with any information on a previous RN sailor who transferred to HMAS Melbourne around 1950.

As it has been over fifty years since I had contact, I cannot recall his number, but his name was Stanley Bennett from Leicester, England, Nirimba April 1946. He sailed back to England on the Highland Princess on June 3 1946.

He would be now about 76 years old.

Judy Jennings
Wentworthville NSW

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