Bali – a book of sadness

CHAP Richard Thompson addresses the mourners in Bali.

CHAP Richard Thompson ponders his ‘book of sadness’. Photos: CPL Darren Hilder (main) and Phil Barling.

By Graham Davis

When senior RAN chaplain Richard Thompson was asked to dash to Denpasar to help survivors and families of victims of the October 12, 2002 Bali bombing, he slipped a small notebook into his pocket before boarding his flight.

With him on the special Qantas jet bound for Bali were about 40 victims’ family members, a number of police and government officials.

He recalled how relatives clutched envelopes holding photographs of missing loved ones, along with tooth and hair brushes ready to give to forensic specialists for DNA matching.

It was not long into the flight that a steward asked Richard, then the Navy chaplain posted to HMAS Albatross, to see if he could help a woman showing distress.

He left his seat immediately, went to the relative and talked gently with her. He also took her details which became the first entry in his notebook.

Today, his “notebook of sadness” is well used and contains hundreds of entries.
They tell of his experiences of the 20 days he spent in Bali, of what has occurred since then and about Richard, a 46-year-old Catholic priest.

Richard’s arrival in Bali began with a consulate briefing.

“I next found myself at a covered carpark beside the morgue,” he said.

“I had a consular official with me. We had to help with victim identification. I placed an Australian flag on the wall behind our section to signify who we were.

“We used empty coffins to make screens to provide a ‘quiet’ area.”

Later the quiet area was used by Indonesian Red Cross volunteers as a place to sleep while they awaited their next task.

Richard worked long hours in hot steamy conditions, helping the victim identification teams and talking with family members who came in seeking information.

When Richard was not working at the morgue he would visit the local hospital and comfort the survivors. But as he told Navy News, “life goes on around you”.

He returned to his job at HMAS Albatross after two and a half weeks only to find his services were sorely needed.
“Albatross was under attack from bushfires. I had more counselling to do,” he explained.

“Then a call came asking me to go to Canberra where lives had been lost and homes destroyed.”

Since Bali Richard has kept in contact with many of the families he encountered on the flight over and those he met at the morgue. He calls on his ‘notebook of sadness” regularly.

Earlier this year the Government asked him to return to Bali and lead the memorial service held there on October 12.

Since then the Australian Government has acknowledged Richard’s outstanding efforts in Bali and has honoured him with the Conspicuous Service Medal.

He will formally receive the award from the NSW Governor, Professor Marie Bashir at an investiture ceremony at Government House on December 13.

For some this soil is home; for others, a haven; for others, a burial ground - but we acknowledge that we have freely come to this place, for one purpose, at this time: “A time to weep; a time for mourning, a time for healing; a time for building; a time for peace.” Hope gives us freedom. We must not be like people who are lost or, like people who have lost. We are free. “Indonesia Raya, Merdeka, Merdeka” “Indonesia, the Great, independent and free” “Semua warga Australia mari beremdira karena kita muda dan merdeka” “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free”. I believe this is God’s desire for us at this time, so that we can ‘have first place among all his creatures’. Richard Thompson Senior Chaplain, RAN 12 Oct 03 (excerpt from Bali speech)

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