Multiple Malta visits

I note that Anzac deservedly gets a prominent position in the recent Navy News (May 19, 2005) and we are all appropriately green with envy, but I am compelled to correct an error.

In LEUT Rachel Irving’s article on the Malta visit, much is made of the ship’s visit being the first of an RAN ship in 43 years including references to a speech by the President of Malta at the cocktail party. Your more senior readers will know that STS Young Endeavour spent a year circling the globe in 1992 including a visit to Malta’s Grand Harbour early in the year.

I was in command at the time but as hazy as the memory now is, I have photos (taken from exactly the same vantage point) of Young Endeavour alongside.

And it’s no good splitting hairs about whether Young Endeavour is a ship of the RAN. She is, by order of the Governor General, although she is not commissioned, but that doesn’t matter. Presidents do change, but I’m sure the President was there at my cocktail party which was unique in my Naval experience.

The Australian High Commissioner at the time requested two cocktail parties.

One for the usual diplomatic set and another more down to earth the next day specially for the younger set (of whom I had plenty).

He was the father-in-law of both Jimmy Barnes and Johnny Diesel and dare I say that party was a blast.

CMDR Colin Jones
Fleet Base West

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