TS Magnus at 50
Cadet unit to celebrate historic milestone

CREW: The first CO of TS Magnus, LEUT Pat Fleming (seated, centre), with some of the earliest members of the unit.

Training Ship Magnus, based at the Anglican Church Grammar School, East Brisbane, will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary at the school on September 16. The unit was founded in 1954 with its first appearance on Anzac Day.

Its first CO was Col. P.V.O (“Pat”) Fleming (seen at right with his office in Navy LEUT’s rig with LCDR E.N. Neilson RNVR and SBLT Boyd Kleinschmidt).

TS Magnus began as the “Sea Cadets” and then became the “Naval Reserve Cadets”.

It is now known as the “Australian Naval Cadets”.

Although they were jocularly referred to as “Pat’s Pirates” at the outset, TS Magnus has trained many young men in the ways of the sea - and many have gone on to serve in both the RAN and the Merchant Marine.

As the second Naval Cadet unit in Queensland and the first school unit, the ship, on the banks of Norman Creek, was (until recently) the only unit with Cadet Officers and today has one of the few Midshipmen in the State.