Volume 49, No. 20, November 02, 2006
By PO Mary Rose Chapman
“OOW, lookout!”
“OOW.”
“Contact at red-one-five, distance far. It’s right on the horizon.”
“Roger,” a brief pause, then, “Yes, I have it”. It was a dreary morning when the lookout reported a contact on the horizon. After a couple of minutes, it transpired that the vessel in question was painted a familiar shade of grey.
Immediately, the ship’s communicator, ABCIS MJ (Jack) Rowles was piped to the bridge to receive the news that the contact was a Naval unit.
This caused great excitement and pleasure on the bridge, for during her recent AMP, HMAS Mermaid (LCDR M. Pounder) was fitted with two 10” signal lanterns and the ship’s company were itching to see them flashed in anger.
As AB Rowles readied the port lantern for use, many members of the ship’s company gathered on the bridge wing and along the waist to watch.
It required little effort for AB Rowles (and his assistants) to challenge and identify the vessel as being HMAS Norman (LCDR T.J. Watson).
Being the junior ship, Mermaid requested permission to carry on in accordance with previous orders, and the permission was given.
In the past, as with all SMLs, Mermaid had only been fitted with 5” Aldis Lanterns, an adequate tool for the task, but long since a source of frustration when unable to be seen by other, bigger vessels from any real distance.
It was suggested by a previous commanding officer almost 14 years ago that 10” lanterns would be more effective, but none were available and the suggestion went no further. Until now.
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