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MOVING ON: HMA Ships Bendigo (above) and HMAS Launceston (right) were both decommissioned in separate ceremonies in Cairns and Darwin earlier this month.
Photos: ABPH David McMahon & LSPH Oliver Garside |
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Volume 49, No. 17 , September 21, 2006
By Hugh McKenzie
A few days of frenetic activity for HMAS Coonawarra and HMAS Cairns and the staff of MHQ has culminated in the decommissioning of HMAS Bendigo and HMAS Launceston.
Large audiences of veterans and guests for both ceremonies were pleasing for the officers and crews of both patrol boats.
“The huge turnout today provides a measure of how loved Bendigo is,” Bendigo’s CO, LCDR Taylor said.
At HMAS Launceston’s decommissioning, her Commissioning Lady, Jocelyn Newman, a former Senator and Minister of the Crown attended. She had been Commissioning Lady 24 years earlier and brought with her a gift, given on that occasion, by the patrol boat; a dinner gong made up of brass shell casings, to be returned to the boat. MCAUST RADM Davyd Thomas accepted the gift, to be held in safekeeping, until NUSHIP Launceston commissions next year.
As part of the ceremony, CN VADM Russ Shalders AO, CSC, RAN, presented his gold commendation to ABBM James Dufficy, “for outstanding courage and exemplary leadership during operations in the Timor Sea”. MCAUST followed CN with two bronze commendations, the first to the XO LEUT Stan Terupo, “for exemplary leadership and outstanding seamanship”, and the second to POMT Andrew Copeland, “for exemplary leadership and outstanding engineering knowledge”.
HMAS Bendigo decommissioned in the boat shed at HMAS Cairns. Mrs Mona Lynam, her Commissioning and Decommissioning Lady attending, with her husband RADM (Ret’d) Lynam accompanying her.
LCDR Taylor said the day was a celebration of the life of Bendigo.
“To those of us who know better, a ship seems like a living, breathing thing,” he said.
“For 23 years and under 17 different commanding officers, Bendigo has served the nation well.”
