Anzac’s historic global

Kids thrilled by seahawk
Spectacle of white draws mass crowds
Voyage gets underway

WELL INFORMED: POPH Damian Pawlenko (Left) and LEUT Rachel Irving are the ships attached Public Relations Officer/Journalist. Both will be sending regular updates to Navy News during Anzac’s historic voyage.

Anecdotes

Miles from anywhere, that’s us – literally, though by the time this edition hits the streets I hope to be on an Indian beach, cold drink in hand.

Everyone is itching to get to India – step closer to reaching Gallipoli for Anzac Day.

On Sunday we had round one of the sporting challenge on the Flight Deck - dodge ball, based on the game in the movie of the same name.

If you have seen Dodge Ball you will be able to picture the scenario but for those of you who haven’t, let me explain.

Two teams line up facing each other with a row of balls in the middle.

On the whistle, competitors run for the balls (or for us rolls of taped-up toilet paper) and throw it at the opposition.

Should it land on one of them, that person is out.

Should they catch the ‘ball’, the thrower is out.

This continues till one team is wiped out (get it!).

Tomorrow night the PTI, LS Shane Murphy, is hosting round one of Anzac Idol auditions and the talent (?) has been busy rehearsing.

On Friday we have the Northern Trident Race Carnival including the Anzac Cup.

OCEAN VIEWS (Far right): HMAS Anzac sails into Albany for a three-day visit. The photo was taken from Mt Clarence, showing the lighthorseman statue in the foreground at the Desert Mounted Corps Memorial.

The races will be held at the Royal Flight Deck Race Course and it is tipped to be a great day.
A steel deck BBQ and Flight Deck movie will round the day off nicely.

The ship has also been conducting whole ship training and damage control exercises, first aid and flight deck training, as well as medical, equity and diversity and Safe Spirit briefs.

Morale and spirits are high, though the people we have left behind are never far from our thoughts.

And as the days get longer the further from home we go, we will live by the ship’s motto, “United we Stand” Till next time.

–LEUT Rachel Irving

 

 

 

 

Kids thrilled by seahawk

 

ALL ABOARD (Top right): During the open day on HMAS Anzac SMNET Aaron Tarbotton helps people onboard.

PARKING SPACE (Above): HMAS Anzac berthed alongside during her Albany visit.

GUNS BLAZING (Right): SMNBM Gordon McCrory (left) demonstrates for family and friends how to fire a machine gun.

Photos: POPH Damian Pawlenko

By LEUT Rachel Irving

The smile on a child’s face can say it all and that’s the way it was for two Albany youngsters this week when they got the chance to fly in HMAS Anzac’s Seahawk helicopter.

With their carers by their sides, 16-year-old Anne-Marie Garvey and seven-year-old David Jones, both cancer sufferers, were taken for a flight from Albany airport, over the local region and along the surrounding coastline.

Afterwards, both described the experience as excellent but it was the saucer-like eyes of David that said how much more exciting and special it was.

Pilot LEUT Luke Mien described the flight as especially rewarding.

“We conduct a lot of flights for people but none are as rewarding as those you do for kids, especially those who are ill.

It might only be half an hour out of our day but it’s an experience for them they will never forget.”

Both Anne-Marie and David are part of the Albany Cancer Care Group, HMAS Anzac’s chosen charity.

The third child the group is currently working with, four year old James Barker was too young to fly on the helo but was given the opportunity later in the week to have a personal tour of the helicopter at Albany airport.

On Thursday night, March 10, the ship raised $500 for the Cancer Care Group at a quiz night hosted by LSPT Shane Murphy.

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Spectacle of draws mass crowds

MUSICAL WELCOME (Centre right): Members of the Navy Band (Sydney attachment ) travelled to Albany for Anzac’s visit, playing on the wharf as the ship pulled in.

Photos: POPH Damian Pawlenko

By LEUT Rachel Irving

Hundreds of people lined York Street in Albany to watch HMAS Anzac march through the city during this week’s Freedom of Entry.

Challenged outside Council Chambers by WA Assistant Police Commissioner Murray Lampard, the ship’s company exercised their right and privilege to enter the city ‘with swords drawn, drums beating, band playing and colours flying’.

Receiving the salute was Maritime Commander RADM Rowan Moffitt, along with Mayor of the City of Albany, Her Worship Ms Alison Goode.

The crowd cheered as two platoons of ship’s company marched towards the waterfront, joined by cadets from TS Vancouver, the local Albany cadet unit.

The RAN Band joined the ship’s eight-piece band and the guard to lead the spectacle of white.

At Anzac Park, the end point for the Freedom of Entry march, a wreath laying ceremony was held to remember those who left these shores in 1914 and never returned.

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voyage gets underway
Crew says goodbye as HMAS Anzac leaves Albany’s shores

REFLECTION: SMNBM Ben Herpich stands on the forecastle as HMAS Anzac sails out of Albany. Anzac re-tracing the sailing route of WWI convoys.

Photo: POPH Damian Pawlenko

By LEUT Rachel Irving

With a mix of sadness and great anticipation HMAS Anzac has farewelled Australian shores for the first leg of her six-month Northern Trident deployment.

Leaving Albany on March 11, Anzac is re-tracing the historic sailing route of the World War I convoys that also departed from Albany, the first in November 1914.

For many of those who sailed then, it would be the last time they ever saw Australia.

For HMAS Anzac III, she is sailing not into conflict as they did, but rather on a goodwill tour which will see her anchor in Anzac Cove for Anzac Day 90th anniversary commemorations.

The Mayor of Albany, Her Worship Ms Alison Goode, presented Anzac’s Commanding Officer CAPT Richard Menhinick with a time capsule filled with messages of peace and hope the ship will carry to present to the Mayor of Gallipoli.

The ship is also carrying an empty capsule (both are empty 5-inch cartridges), which will be filled with messages of peace and hope by the Turks to be transported back to the people of Albany.

The capsules are to be opened on Anzac Day 2015. Anzac arrived in Albany on March 8 after a 24-hour transit from HMAS Stirling, during which she carried families, media and members of Albany cadet unit TS Vancouver.

The next four days were filled with activities, which built on the relationship between Anzac and her hometown, the public rallying behind everything the ship was involved in.

Upon arrival, the flight deck was transformed for a cocktail party for 100 guests with the Anzac Band entertaining the crowd. The RAN Band Sydney detachment and singer ABMUSN Tracey Burke, along with the Anzac Guard, closed the evening with Beat to Quarters and Ceremonial Sunset.

On Wednesday, ship’s company conducted a Freedom of Entry march along York Street and a wreath laying ceremony at Anzac Park (see separate story). Later that day Anzac hosted some 700 people during an Open Ship, with the band a popular attraction on the flight deck.

On Thursday, games of cricket, Aussie Rules football and netball were played against local schools and clubs with resounding losses in each for the Anzac teams, but a big win was had later that night with $500 raised for the ship’s charity, the Cancer Care Group at a quiz night hosted by LSPT Shane Murphy.

And so as final goodbyes were exchanged and the reality of the significance of the journey dawned on all those present, the band played and the lines were heaved in as Anzac said goodbye to Australia, for now.

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