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CO
of Stuart, CMDR Phil Spedding receives a big hug from one
of his daughters after returning to Garden Island.
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Photo:
ABPH Brenton Freind
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HMAS
Stuart’s Ships Company fallen in for entering the harbour.
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LSCIS
Michael Hayes brought home a tiger for his wife after spending
six months in The Gulf.
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Photos: ABPH Brenton Freind
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By
Graham Davis
Hmas
Stuart arrives
(MPEG video 3.01 MB)
More than 500 people including a visiting US admiral gave HMAS
Stuart, the 3,400 tonne Anzac Class frigate, dubbed the Tartan
Terror, an emotional highland welcome when she returned home to
Fleet Base East from six months off Iraq on September 10.
Scores of adults and children wore Stuart Clan tartans, a lone
piper played from the bridge and the Sydney detachment of the
RAN Band played “Isn’t She Wonderful?”
After magnificent work in The Gulf protecting Iraq’s primary oil
terminals and source revenue, all 160 personnel are heroes.
One in particular is LS Ben Sime, a crewman of the warship’s Seahawk
helicopter.
On the evening of April 24 a terrorist detonated an explosive
filled dhow beside a RHIB carrying seven members of the crew of
the USS Firebolt, as it headed towards one of the two oil terminals.
The blast threw the seven into the water. “Stuart’s Seahawk was
doing a search patrol and was overhead quickly,” CMDR Spedding
said.
“The crew lowered a strop to a sailor in the water. He was too
badly injured to get into it.
“A crewman from the helicopter (LS Sime) jumped into the water
to support him until a boat came.
“It was one of seven rescues done by Stuart.” The injured US sailor
later died.
The final toll was three US sailors deceased, four injured and
five terrorists (four from two smaller boats had tried to attack
the second terminal but were destroyed by machine guns on the
terminals) killed.
Family members and friends had arrived at Fleet Base East from
an early hour. Some had come from Adelaide and Brisbane.
Very excited to see their “Daddy” were the Spedding children,
who with their mother, had come from Illawarra.
The children and mum dressed for the occasion with Stuart tartan
ribbons highly visible.
One family who has served their country well had come from Brisbane
and the Blue Mountains. Michael “Tex” Bryson had done two tours
of duty to Vietnam with the RAAF while son-in-law RAAF Corporal
Sean Carwardine has just returned from Iraq.
He had earlier deployed with the RAAF to Afghanistan and East
Timor.
They were on the wharf to welcome LSCSO Matt Bryson home.
PO Michael Logan’s wife held her daughter whom she described as
a “Tartan Angel” because of her outfit, high, so her husband could
get his first glimpse of her in six months.
On board LSCIS Michael Hayes had a huge toy tiger ready to present
to his wife.
As the warship nosed around the tip of Garden Island with an 817
Squadron Sea King carrying a huge White Ensign, as escort, there
was a loud cheer from the crowd. Flags were waved feverishly.
With a strong NSW and Naval Police escort, including members of
the NSW Water Police marine response group in their new RHIB,
Stuart inched towards the West Wall.
The band struck up playing number of well-known Australian melodies.
With lines secured and the signal “crew” dismissed, there were
loud cheers from the crowd on the wharf and the ship’s company.
The CO was formally greeted on the wharf by Chief of Navy, VADM
Chris Ritchie, Maritime Commander, RADM Rowan Moffitt, Defence
Minister Senator Hill, the Shadow Defence Minister Kim Beasley
and the commanding officer of the US navy’s fleet of submarine,
RADM Paul Sullivan.
VADM Ritchie was the first to formally welcome the ship home declaring
“You have done us proud. Welcome home.”
RADM Sullivan said he was “very privileged to be present and welcome
Stuart home.”
He thanked the ship’s company for their efforts with rescuing
the seven US sailors from the Firebolt.
“This is people taking care of people. Thank you and well done.”
The Tartan Terror was home.
