Renee wins outstanding officer’s dirk

By Graham Davis

SBLT Renee Whetton proudly displays her prize. With her, ADI GM Marine Peter Simmons, ADI Director Navy Barry Barnes and MC AUST RADM Raydon Gates.

Photo: LSPH Damian Pawlenko

In 1991 ADI Ltd decided to present an annual award to the most outstanding naval Officer Under Training in the Royal Australian Navy.

The company’s management opted to present a Midshipman’s Dirk to the outstanding officer.

There was a problem, however.

Swordmaker Wilkinson Sword had stopped making dirks after the Royal Navy had abandoned the practice of issuing dirks to its midshipmen in 1939.

Midshipmen had been armed with a dirk for several hundred years because it was the weapon of choice for the young officers when they were called to lead boarding parties on to enemy ships.

After RADM Tony Horton, during a visit to HMAS Nirimba by ADI executives, mentioned he had always wanted a dirk as a memento, ADI struck on the idea of presenting a dirk to the outstanding officer.

The company asked Wilkinson Sword to forge, finish and mount a batch of dirks bearing the seal of Queen Elizabeth II.

The dirk for 2003 went to SBLT Renee Whetton.

Renee is the staff officer to the Deputy Maritime Commander, CDRE Nigel Perry.

Watched proudly by her boyfriend, Army captain Stuart Blackwell and surrounded by her friends and workmates, Renee received the dirk from Mr Barry Barnes, ADI’s Director/Navy and the company’s General Manager/Marine Mr Peter Simmons.

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