Sydney looked for uranium

By Graham Davis

With security tight around her Sydney begins her final leg of a long lourney home. Photo by David Karonidis

L-R Suzy Carson, Chris Bohan, Sophie Barlow, AB Dave Bohan, HMAS Sydney and Kelly Oodendyk, all members of Dave’s Monkey Club

SMNBM Luke Ashford gets a welcome home from his girlfriend Amber Romes. Photos by ABPH Yuri Ramsey

PO Damian Liberale with his wife Belinda and his daughters.

Boarding parties from HMAS Sydney spent two days scouring two oil rig tenders for uranium reported missing from Iraq, the frigate’s commanding officer CMDR Michael Van Balen, revealed on the return of his ship, late last month.

“The US had intelligence that some uranium was missing from Iraq,” he said.

“Along with a US warship, we were called to check on two ships in the top end of The Gulf. They were oil rig tenders of about 3,000 tons.

“They were rafted together and stopped. Our boarding parties went on board and for 48 hours we searched every nook and cranny,” he said.

The search for the uranium was just part of the tasks undertaken by the ship during its near 100 days in The Gulf. Checking for weapons of mass destruction was also on the list, CMDR Van Balen said.

More than 500 family members and friends welcomed Sydney to her home port on Thursday August 28.

Earlier a dozen cruisers from the Royal Motor Yacht Clubs escorted the FFG from Middle Head to Fort Denison.

Most of the small craft carried a banner: “Welcome our returning heroes, HMAS Sydney.”

Not wanting a repeat of the incidents when Sydney departed, a cable laid by demonstrators ahead of the ship and two demonstrators attaching themselves to the bow and stern, there was a very strong security screen drawn around the arriving warship.

Thirteen police and Waterways patrol boats brought her from three kilometres off the coast to the Oil Wharf at Garden Island.

A recently supplied RHIB carrying four wet-suited NSW police sat in under the warship’s stern during the entry. No demonstrators were seen.

On the Oil Wharf there were demonstrations of a different kind. Cardboard and bed sheet signs told, “ HMAS Sydney. Good onya Goldy”, “Welcome Home Uncle Adam” “Welcome Home Wayde” and “Welcome Back HMAS Sydney.” Some carried flowers for their arriving loved-ones.

Joining the welcoming crowd was the Deputy Chief of Navy, RADM Rowan Moffitt, acting Maritime Commander CDRE Nigel Perry and COMFLOT CDRE Matt Tripovich.

RADM Moffitt welcomed the ship back to Australia after five and a half months absence.

“It is great to have you back. You held Australia’s flag high in The Gulf.
“You showed flexibility in getting the tough dirty and often dangerous jobs done.
“Walk tall,walk proud,” he said.

CMDR Van Balen praised his ship’s company telling of the change of roles from supervisory to assisting Iraq.

“The Iraqi forces flexed their muscles...and we had to keep an eye out for the Iranians. There were very cordial exchanges,” CMDR Van Balen said.

He commended Sydney’s boarding parties (the ship did 82 boardings during her deployment as part of Op Catalyst).

“They did four hour patrols often in 44 degree temperatures and 98 degree humidity,” he said.

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