By
SBLT Daniel Lord
From April 4 to May 13, HMAS Whyalla (LCDR Mitch Edwards)
undertook her second last patrol before she decommissions
in early September.
As always Whyalla proved her worth, effecting the apprehension
of eight FFVs, and providing assistance to one wayward yacht.
Whyalla embarked agents from Customs, AQIS, and Australian
Fisheries to participate in a combined operation with Coastwatch
codenamed Operation Clear Water.
The aim of the operation was to detain as many illegal Foreign
Fishing Vessels (FFV) as possible operating in the south of
the Gulf of Carpentaria and to clear the area north of the
Wessel Islands of concentrations of ‘Ice Boats’.
From Cairns to Weipa, and then into the very heart of the
Gulf of Carpentaria near Mornington Island was the focus of
the first half of the Operation.
Sailing this far south in the Gulf was a first for many of
the Ship’s Company, but the land seemed as desolate as much
of the rest of the Australian coastline. But this was not
to be long lived, for within a week we were steaming three
apprehended ‘Shark Boats’, and well motivated to catch more.
Mid patrol saw a combined operation between HMA Ships Whyalla,
Bunbury (LCDR Tony Quinn) and Warrnambool (LCDR Mick Gulyas)
reap a total of ten of the larger and better equipped ‘Ice
Boats’, which provided Whyalla and Bunbury with their haul
of five large FFVs the opportunity for a snappy set of seven
ship Officer of the Watch Manoeuvres during the entry into
Darwin as we formed up the little flotilla for the ever present
media coverage.
The last few days of the patrol period were reminiscent of
the Ship’s recent workup with a series of exciting events
occurring one after the other.
On one such day we sailed at 0200 to conduct a search and
rescue for the yacht Matilda who required urgent assistance
some 200 miles to the northeast of Darwin.
After locating the stricken sailors at noon the next day and
providing both medical and navigational assistance Whyalla
proceeded east to locate FFVs reported to be operating in
the vicinity of Oxley Island. Before sunset we had apprehended
another two FFVs and with steaming parties embarked, we were
on our way back to Darwin yet again.
And so after departing for patrol at the beginning of April,
Whyalla returned home to Cairns for some well deserved rest,
ready for her last patrol in just four weeks time.
Thrust Ahead!
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Baby
turtles saved
By
SBLT B. Thompson
With the catchcry “being grey doesn’t mean you can’t be green”
the crew of HMAS Geelong recently pulled off the daring rescue
of two sea turtles while patrolling the northern waters of
Australia.
Upon discovering this, HMAS Geelong, launched a mission of
a different kind last week in an effort to rescue two Sea
Turtles which were found adrift caught in netting.
Upon discovery of the increasingly rare species, HMAS Geelong
quickly manoeuvred and launched her sea-boat to effect a daring
rescue of the trapped sea creatures, one of which measured
approximately one and a half meters in diameter.
The second turtle was only a baby.
The two esteemed volunteers, LSBM Barth Tiro and ABMT Liam
Norman, expertly came alongside the creatures and cut them
free. Both were last seen diving happily under the Ship.
LS Tiro was heard to say that “being grey doesn’t mean you
can’t be green!”
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Landings
remembered after visit to Apple Isle
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COASTAL
BEAUTY: HMAS Bendigo rounds Tasman Island at sunrise.
She was there to participate in commemorations for the
90th anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli.
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Photo:
POB Adrian Profke
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HMAS
Bendigo (LCDR A.M. Campbell) conducted a visit to Hobart on
April 22 to 27 as part of her East Coast and South West Pacific
Deployment.
The focus of the visit was the commemorations for the 90th
Anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli. Members of the ship’s
company attended the dawn service held in the eerie light
of a full moon over Mount Wellington.
After the service, the offer of a traditional gunfire breakfast
at the Naval Association was warmly received and the crew
took the opportunity to peruse the significant amount of Naval
memorabilia that the club posses. LS Stuart Tinker noticed
the absence of any pictures of a Fremantle Class patrol boat
on the walls, a situation that was rectified before the ship
departed by the ship’s freelance photographer PO Adrian Profke.
Later in the day the ship’s company marched through the streets
as part of the Anzac parade, which finished at the Hobart
cenotaph.
During the visit Bendigo hosted tours on board for the local
unit of Army cadets, officer and recruit candidates, as well
as an open day for less than 300 members of the local public.
Other highlights included the mandatory trips to the Cadbury
factory, Cascade Brewery and sunrise in the vicinity of the
spectacular Tasman Island on the way in.
Overall the visit was highly successful and many members Bendigo
commented that it had been one of the better Anzac Days that
they had participated in.
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