By
Graham Davis
HMAS
Stuart departs (MPEG video 5.33 MB)
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A
lone piper plays the Naval Hymn as HMAS Stuart prepares
to leave Sydney on her way to replace HMAS Melbourne in
The Gulf.
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Photo:
ABPH Bill Louys
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There
were 300 family members and friends on the Fleet Base East wharf
as the Tartan Terror HMAS Stuart (CMDR Phil Spedding) edged away
on her way to The Gulf.
For a few minutes there was near total silence broken only by
the skirl of a lone piper standing on the bow of the 3,400 tonne
warship rending the Naval Hymn.
It was an eerie and sombre scene, a grey warship beneath a leaden
sky with the occasional drop of rain falling.
It was also the time for realisation by those on the wharf and
the 180 men and women on board that they were sailing into harm’s
way.
It would be six months before they would be together again. However,
the sombre minutes were quickly broken.
From the back of the crowd a small boy called “bye Kevin, bye.”
Then the Sydney detachment of the RAN Band struck up with Waltzing
Matilda. Earlier there had been last minute hugs, kisses and waves
for those departing.
Some family members had driven hundreds of kilometres and many
hours through the night to be there for the 10am, March 10, departure.
Addressing the families and ship’s company from the dockside the
Deputy Maritime Commander, CDRE Nigel Perry, said Stuart will
be replacing HMAS Melbourne (CMDR Vern Dutschke) as part of Australia’s
commitment to Operation Catalyst in the Northern Arabian Gulf.
He said Stuart would be doing similar work to Melbourne, protecting
Iraq’s offshore oil terminals and checking vessels entering and
leaving for illegal cargoes such as oil.
CDRE Perry said smuggled oil deprives the Iraqi people of much
needed income.
He said Melbourne’s ship’s company was doing an average of three
to four boardings daily and had done “hundreds” since it deployed
to the region five months ago.
CDRE Perry said to the families “know they will be in good hands”.
Asked later by the media what dangers Stuart might encounter,
CDRE Perry said: “Not knowing what they might encounter when doing
boarding.”
CMDR Spedding told the families and media that when he took command
of Stuart last November “we were told we would be going to The
Gulf.” He said he had a good, well prepared ship and a good ship’s
company.
“We will serve the country proud,” he said. We know what to expect.”
CMDR Spedding has a number of sailors with him who served in sister
ship HMAS Anzac (CAPT Richard Menhinick) at the height of the
Iraqi conflict last March.
He spent much of 2003 as the Commander Australian Theatre’s liaison
officer with the US Navy Central Command in Bahrain.
On Friday, March 5, six days before he departed, the NSW Governor,
Professor Marie Bashir pinned the Medal of the Order of Australia
on to his uniform for the work he had done in his liaison officer
role in Operation Falconer.
As 153 “turned right” at Sydney Heads, an 816 Squadron Seahawk
prepared to fly to the ship from its Albatross base at Nowra.
