Navy members honoured by Iraq exhibit

By Louise Butcher

Former CO of Kanimbla, CAPT David McCourt, by a captured Iraqi mine

Photo: Louise Butcher

By Louise Butcher RAN personnel including former Ship’s COs that participated in the war in Iraq, turned out to see a newly opened exhibition at the Australian War Memorial on March 19.

Called “Australians in Iraq 2003”, the exhibition contains relics, photos and artwork from the conflict with a significant portion of these items donated by the Navy.

Ships including HMAS Kanimbla, Darwin, and Anzac as well as AUSCDT3 donated items including an Australian nuclear/biological/chemical (NBC) warfare suit, clearance diver wetsuit and an Iraqi mine taken from a ship in The Gulf.

Former CO of HMAS Kanimbla, CAPT David McCourt, said that during the war on Iraq the capture of the mine on display was a dangerous moment that had him and his crew on edge.

“We captured two disguised mine laying tugs. One had a barge alongside that contained around 40 mines and the other had on its deck what looked like 40-foot gallon drums, but under them we found a number of mines and mine laying rails.

“All in all there were around 68 mines,” he said.

“We were concerned whether mines had been laid in the water ways where we were operating. Of course when we found the mines on board, that vindicated our concerns.

“Fortunately for us at that point, there weren’t any mines laid where we were operating, but we discovered later on that mines had been laid further up the river, that were discovered by the mine clearance effort later on.

“It was a pretty exciting couple of days there when we captured the mines,” he said. The crew on board HMAS Kanimbla made a tally board to keep track of the number of mines they captured during their involvement in the war.

The tally board, painted by LS Gerard Pratt, SIG Cameron Marr, AB Louise Hillier and AB Alina Green, is also now a major feature in the exhibit.

“I think our tally board up there is probably my favourite exhibit.

It is a good indication of what the ship achieved,” CAPT McCourt said. Other interesting items on show include an Iraqi Army uniform found on a ship and hidden from the RAN after Iraqi soldiers on board tried to unsuccessfully disguise themselves as civilian sailors.

Paintings by Lewis Miller and photos by Dare Parker are also featured as part of the exhibit.

Both spent several weeks with Australian forces capturing the activity on board ships, in Air Force bases and inside Iraq. The exhibit will remain on show in the Special Exhibitions Gallery of the Memorial until 1 August 2004.

Entry is free.

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