Continuing the legend

PRIZE: The Esther Williams Trophy is still a sought after item between wardrooms.

Following the recent article in Navy News regarding Esther Williams, I thought I’d provide an anecdote from my time at sea.

As an AMEO aboard Arunta in 2000-2001, I was first exposed to Esther when our new DSO, LEUT Andre Clay, escorted her aboard in early 2001.

He had rescued her from the Submarine FEG or some similar place, but being aware that Esther was supposed to be a ‘wardroom trophy’ he had liberated her on completion of his posting there and presented it to the Arunta Wardroom on his arrival.

On the back of the framed picture was a potted history of the trophy, detailing the origin and some of the many ships aboard which she had been a guest.

The picture of Esther was surrounded by a swag of ribbons, submariner’s dolphins and other assorted mementos of her travels. Esther was hung in the Arunta wardroom.

All was well until Fleet Base East (FBE), where we were berthed outboard of a DDG I think it was Brisbane). The cunning DDG officers came aboard at around 6am dressed in green overalls conducting a ‘security check’.

Needless to say, we passed, and it was only at breakfast that the theft of Esther was noted. One of the newest members of the ship’s company, a fresh-faced Midshipman, launched a counter- attack in the dead of the following night.

He climbed over the guardrail and onto the DDG, then made his way to the wardroom (no mean feat considering he was not familiar with the class of ship). Through the wardroom pantry hutch he spied Esther, chained to the wall (not in keeping with the tradition) and located directly above the DMEO who was asleep in the Wardroom ‘on guard’.

The MIDN attempted to enter the Wardroom but found the door locked, so climbed through the hutch to attempt to retrieve the Trophy. On finding it chained to the wall, he returned to Arunta, located some bolt cutters from one of the DC bases and then succeeded in climbing back into the Wardroom, and detaching Esther from the wall without waking the sentry.

However, on his exit from the Wardroom (again through the hutch) he inadvertently knocked over a glass which smashed, waking the sleeping guard who raised the alarm and chased the MIDN around the ship.

The MIDN’s escape was hindered by his unfamiliarity with the platform, but he eventually found his way back on board Arunta and presented Esther to the wardroom the next morning. Needless to say, that act of espionage elevated him to ‘legend’ status on board. After a successful deployment, Arunta returned to FBW mid-year.

Just after our return to FBW, I received a phone call from another officer (Dobbo) with whom I had joined the RAN. He was aboard Newcastle which was alongside FBW’s ammunition wharf prior to sailing the next day.

As he was soon to post off the ship, he had rung to see whether he could arrange a tour for a few of his fellow officers around one of the new-fangled Anzac ships. Being the good friend I was, I sent the ship’s car around to the ammo wharf to pick him and his oppo’s up and bring them down to Arunta.

I then took the six of them for a tour around the ship, finally waving them goodbye after an hour or so.

As I was saluting them off the gangway, the duty AB steward emerged on the flight deck asking me ‘Where’s Esther?’.

My immediate response was ‘in the wardroom’ but realisation dawned as I saw the smiles of the Newcastle officers as they walked down the wharf.

One of them had snuck away from the tour and not only removed Esther, but hung in her place a framed clipping about Newcastle’s ‘spy tactics’ from a recent newspaper article, surrounded by Newcastle stickers The sneaky devils struck Arunta when she was at her most vulnerable, with just one Officer aboard and the crew on a leave period – and I unwittingly assisted her departure by arranging the car to escort her captors to and from the ship! Still, more than six months aboard one ship was a good run in Esther’s history.

LEUT Giles Wilson
Anzac Project
Office Rockingham

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