WOW, what a great weekend at Bundaberg. Over 60 people at the XE Craft
Memorial Service on Saturday and 26 members at our General Meeting on
Sunday .
The weekend got underway with the early birds gathering at the motel on Friday to catch up over a few
beers while the watchkeepers (Rob & Graeme) headed off to Burnett Heads to check out the OPEX
area for the next day’s memorial service and to make sure that the beer was cold at the Lighthouse
Hotel in preparation for the after-function gathering. Later on some headed off to Uncle Chan’s
Chinese Restaurant while others braved the gastronomic delights of the Bundaberg RSL for dinner
and a few laughs.
Early (well, not so early really) on Saturday morning the hands were called and promptly at 1130 the
ships company, partners, guests and visitors cleared lower deck to be addressed by Don “Duck
Run” Currell, President of SAA Queensland Inc., who welcomed Councillor Danny Rowleson
(Bundaberg City Council), Doc Watson (NAA Bundaberg), John O’Callagan (NAA Coral Coast), Tom
Lucas (Bundaberg RSL) ,Garry Allen Parks and memorial trust?? and Rev Robert Perry (Honorary
Chaplain N.A.A. Coral Coast Section), members, partners and guests. Don explained that we had
gathered to commemorate and remember all submariners who have lost their lives at sea and to pay
special tribute to the British Submarine Service with whom we have very strong links as a Nation
regarding their traditions and training that we still uphold today.
Don reminded us that that the memorial at which we stood was in memory of Lt Bruce Enzer and Lt
David Carey who lost their lives just off the shore here 64 years ago whilst training to carry out secret
missions during WW2. Wreaths were then layed by Ken Briggs / Don Currell, Cr Danny Rowleson,
Doc Watson, John O'Callagan and Garry Allen.
To the haunting sounds of the Last Post and Reveille, prayers were led by Rev. Robert Perry ( from
Gayndah) following which our Guest of Honour SBLT Ken Briggs DSC RANR (Rtd), who was one of
the original XE4 Craft crew who undertook training in the Burnett Heads region before going on to
wreak havoc with Japanese communications by undertaking heroic actions in Saigon Harbour during
WW2 (click here for more information about Ken), he told the assembly the story of how the XE Craft
came to Australia and how Lt. Carey and Lt. Enzer lost their lives during training ( for a full account of
the daring actions of the XE Craft crews check out the website at http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/navy/xe-
craft.htm ).
Following the very moving memorial service ( click here to see the report of the ceremony in the local
newspaper ) the ships company, partners and guests moved across the road to the Lighthouse
Messdeck where the mainbrace was well and truly spliced.
.
Not to be put off by the blazing sun, the intrepid crew and camp followers headed for the Bundaberg
Rum Distillery to spent a very pleasant couple of hours touring the home of the famous Bundy Polar
Bear and his delicious tipple along with purchasing substantial quantities of Bundy’s best. Later that
afternoon we were invited to TS Bundaberg inspection to witness a ceremonial sunset and Naval
Cadets parade.
A very pleasant dinner was held at Les Chef’s restaurant before our President and Immediate Past
President took their ladies off for a night of dancing at the Brothers Club while the rest of the crew
headed for their bunks.
Sunday morning saw a somewhat relaxed group having breakfast around the motel before heading
back to the Lighthouse Hotel at Burnett Heads for the General Meeting.
A great turnout of 26 members attended the October General Meeting, including a number from the
local area including Dick Culey, Rusco Clarke, new member Wayne Smith plus a couple of others
who for the life of me I can't remember and to whom I humbly apologise, who sometimes find it
difficult to get to the Brisbane meetings and our newest “life member” Able Seaman Read. For those
who might not know who Able Seaman Read is (or was), Rob Woolrych provided the following
explanation:
Just after WW2 Sculptures were made of three individuals and these three were kept in their home in
Westminster Abbey in London. The model for the sculpture of the sailor was a submariner taken from
HMS DOLPHIN. My source is Leo Roberts and if anyone has any issue with that don’t contact me. –
contact Leo!!!.
What follows is the unexpurgated version of what Leo gave me
In reply to your esteemed communication regarding the subject rating, please find hereunder a CV
covering
the salient points of his career in the service:
HMS/M Sealion 1940-42
“ Seadog 42-43
“ Varagian 43-44
“ Uther 44-45
“ Storm 1945 – VE
Lower deck was cleared in Blockhouse in 1947, and the noted artist Gilbert Ledward RA walked the
ranks until he chose LTO Reg Read as the model for his sculpture of the typical Submariner, one of
three statues representing “Special Forces”, the other two being a Commando and an Airborne. This
memorial was erected in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey and unveiled by Winston Churchill on
May 21st 1948.
The above brief resume is largely sourced from the Submarine Museum and my memory of day they
cleared lower deck, obviously I would have been a strong contender for the job!!? (had I been a
proper submariner instead of a lowly AB under training in HMS Titania, a delightful coalburning relic
which had seen better days tied up alongside)
An LTO (leading torpedo operator) was king of the Motor Room in submarines and had nothing to do
with torpedoes, that being the domain of the TGM (Torpedo Gunners Mate) usually a petty officer or
Chief PO and his merry band of fore-endsmen.
Our Patron Capt G.E. Hunt DSO*, DSC* RANEM Ret’d, wanted to donate a figurine of AB Read to the
SAA Qld Inc. After many weeks of hunting for the figurine (which incidentally is not available these
days) a query was sent to one Jim Perowne (ADM Sir James Perowne KCB RN Ret’d ex Flag Officer
Submarines UK) and quick as a flash he came back saying that he had 2 and he would be honoured
to give it to give his second one to George for presentation to SAA Qld Inc.
The presentation was made in early September this year at the home of Anne Woods in Brisbane
and “He” was accepted on behalf of our Association by our President Don Currell.
Able Seaman Read is now a life member of SAA Qld Inc and has just attended his first Meeting and
he attended the “Seafarers Memorial Service” in Brisbane last month and our memorial service held
this last weekend in Bundaberg.
Following the “formal” Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports, Vice President Rob Woolrych informed
the meeting of the latest development in the ongoing DFRDB/DFRB saga and said that the Defence
Force Welfare Association (of which Rob is a member) were like “rabid dogs” and were not giving up
their efforts to get justice for service pensioners. A group of MPs have sent a letter to Lindsay Tanner
supporting us and the President reminded the meeting to keep up the pressure.
“Huck” Finn reported that the Brisbane ANZAC Day March Committee had wanted to put all remaining
WW2 veterans together at the start of next year’s march, but that he had won the right for our Patron
George Hunt to “march” with us and the NAA had supported this and had guaranteed that a “buggy”
would be provided for him.
The meeting decided that the Christmas function should be at TS Caloundra again this year and that
the committee should contact “Peewee” Petherick to identify the most suitable date.
Discussion about where to hold next year’s October “away” meeting resulted in the committee being
asked to find out whether we could arrange to have a “Murder She Wrote” event at Mount
Tambourine, along with a winery tour and market shopping.
The meeting decided that in future the minutes of the previous meeting should be emailed to
members 7 days before each meeting to give time for people to absorb them and to raise any items
for the forthcoming agenda.
Possum thanked the committee for the weekend and for keeping the members informed about what
is going on.
Rob Woolrych informed the meeting that he had recently given a speech to the Bataan Association
about the search for AE1 and that there are moved underway to attempt to carry out another search for
her in Papua New Guinea.
Graeme Caesar updated the meeting on the work being done to preserve and protect AE2 and
advised that a centenary service is being planned as part of the 2015 ANZAC Day celebrations in
Turkey.
The mainbrace was then spliced AGAIN and the merry crew set sail for home after making a
complete mess of the smally eats.