Volume 49, No. 11, June 29, 2006
A captive eye
When East Timor’s recent request for assistance triggered the biggest RAN amphibious operation since World War II, photographer ABPH Brenton Freind found himself capturing events as they unfolded before him. He was on HMAS Tobruk for the ship’s South East Asian and South West Pacific deployment. The ship was en-route to Manila when she was retasked. ABPH Freind’s images provide an insight into Navy operations, the camaraderie of a deployed ship’s company and of life at sea.

ALL CLEAR: SGT Mick Kearney clears PTE Gary Richardson’s weapon while ABPH Brenton Freind waits to have his camera cleared after “shooting”.

Chance encounter

Photographer ABPH Brenton Freind can’t escape taking family snaps – even on deployment.

The photographer was on Tobruk for months chronicling the ship’s activities and had a chance catch up with his cousin, Army transport driver PTE Gary Richardson, while in Townsville to embark troops.

ABPH Freind said he was thrilled at the reunion which occurred when PTE Richardson was deployed with 3CSSB and the two spotted each other onboard Tobruk.

 

PARTY ON DOWN: Navy band members perform on Tobruk’s vehicle deck as the ship enjoys its 25th birthday celebrations.

LOAD UP: Soldiers from Townsville’s 3CER board Tobruk in readiness for Operation Astute.

SUPPLIES: An LCM8 brings stores to Tobruk as HMAS Kanimbla lies at anchor in the background.

KEEPING FOCUSED: 3CSSB soldiers conduct physical training alongside the wharf in Townsville.

R AND R: Members from Tobruk and soldiers from 2RAR to enjoy a swim from Tobruk’s stern door. The 2RAR soldiers took advantage of the hotel-like services offered after spending three weeks patrolling Dili.

RAN Band belts tunes for Tobruk

By APPH Brenton Freind

Five members from the Melbourne Detachment and six members from the Sydney Detachment of the RAN Band embarked in HMAS Tobruk for her South-East Asian and South-West Pacific deployment for 2006, visiting Indonesia, Singapore and New Caledonia.

The first challenge for the band, apart from joining the ship’s Damage Control organisation and participating in a Unit Readiness Evaluation, was to provide sound equipment, vocals and instrumental support for Operation Peringaton.
This operation was the Memorial Dedication Service on the first anniversary of the crash of Shark 02 Sea King helicopter at the small village of Tuindrau, Nias Island, Indonesia.

After Nias, the RAN Band was then given the chance to perform in Singapore at the Terror Club in the Sembawang. The band played poolside at the Terror Club to an enthusiastic audience made up from the ships’ companies of Tobruk, USNS Yukon, USNS San Jose and also by the local community of Defence families who frequent the club.

In between port visits, the band spent their time rehearsing their rock, jazz and brass groups either in the hot and echoing environment of Tobruk’s tank deck or on the ship’s vehicle deck in the salty winds.

In New Caledonia, Tobruk participated in a joint and combined amphibious exercise Croix Du Sud that had a scenario of natural disaster requiring the evacuation of people from the island. While the ship was at sea the band was landed to conduct ADF representative activities. While stretching their sea legs ashore they provided the local population of Noumea and the surrounding areas with a display of the wide range of musical talent for which they are so well known.

The band’s first performance was during the Thursday night markets in the Place de la Marne in the city centre of Noumea. They started with the sounding of a bugle, leading in to a drum ruffle from the Drum Corps, and then swinging into their rock group performance. Before too long, the shoppers started to follow the band, dancing through the stalls to the sounds of well known Aussie numbers from Men at Work and Midnight Oil.

During the next eight days, the band was taken to outlying towns such as Bourail and La Foa. Here, once again, one of the venues was the local markets.

It was explained that it is the nature of the local “Kanaks” to be reserved in showing their appreciation, but soon to everyone’s surprise there was applause after each song. The band was told that this was a sign of great appreciation of their music and entertainment.

During the band’s time ashore, they were accommodated as guests of the French Navy base in Noumea and given the use of a room adjoining the base’s social club to conduct their rehearsals and storage of their equipment.

The final gig for the band before returning to Tobruk was to stage an informal concert for 130 of the sailors and families of the French Navy base in appreciation of their hospitality.

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