Ahoy All, Bob Emery (for SAOC West) advises that the Submariners Association of Canada West current on-line Newsletter is now up-loaded for your perusal ...

WA Member Mike Shepherd has put forward a suggestion that we have a hat for all association members to wear. What is the best way around this one??  Does anyone have a suggestion?  I am NOT wearing a poofy beret or straw boater!!!!

Your fortnightly online copy of Navy News, the sailors' paper, is now available. Featured in this edition: Fleet concentration period; Capital support for Navy; Java Sea battle marked. Follow the link to read the latest edition.

A young sailor married a beautiful woman who had previously divorced 10 husbands. On their wedding night, she told her new husband to "Please be gentle; I'm still a virgin".  "What?" said the puzzled groom. "How can that be if you've been married ten times.?"
"Well, husband #1 was a Sales Representative; he kept telling me how great it was going to be.
"Husband # 2 was in Software Services; he was never really sure how it was suppose to function; but he said he'd look into it and get back with me.
"Husband # 3 was from Field Services; he said that everything checked out diagnostically but he just couldn't get the system up.
"Husband # 4 was in Telemarketing; even though he knew he had the order, he didn't know when he would be able to deliver.
"Husband # 5 was an Engineer, he understood the basic process but he wanted three years to research, implement, and design a new state of the-art method.
"Husband #6 was from Administration; he thought he knew how but he wasn't sure whether it was his job or not.
"Husband # 7 was in Marketing; although he had a product, he was never sure how to position it.
"Husband # 8 was a Psychiatrist; all he did was talk about it.
"Husband # 9 was a Gynecologist; all he did was look at it.
"Husband # 10 was a Stamp Collector; all he ever did was........ God I miss him.
"But now that I've married you, I'm so excited".
"Wonderful", said the husband, "but why?
"You're with the "GOVERNMENT".. This time I KNOW I'M gonna get SCREWED."

Visitor to the log MaryAnn Uechtritz asks "You have on your website in the Jan 08 issue of In Depth, an article about the submarine E35 sinking the German U-boat U 154. (Submarine History) At the end of the article under "For the Record" it states that U 154 had 5 captains of British Merchant ships aboard as prisoners. Can you direct me to the source of that information and do you have any idea if it's possible to find out what the names of those officers were.  Also, as a matter of curiosity - What would the Navy protocol have been (in 1918) with regard to the sinking of boats with known allied prisoners on board?  I would very much appreciate any assistance you can provide."  I have passed to Peter Smith to respond, but if anyone else out there can help, please let MaryAnn know.

In response to MaryAnn's request Peter replied "MaryAnne,  my main mention of the facts came from Paul Kemp's book "U-Boats Destroyed - German Submarine Losses in the World Wars" ISBN 1 85409 321 5, the mention of the fact that 5 Merchant Captains were on board came from another book, the title escapes me at the moment when you have a library close to 900 books on submarine facts it gets a little difficult to place my hands on it.

With the the sinking of ships and submarines and U-boats, no one in war time especially the commanding officers of warships/submarines would not know who was on board unless they were picked up as survivors. After both world wars the Allies checked the registers of the Axis nations to confirm that their ships and submarines etc were confirmed as missing, it would have been at this time that the Allies found out that there were Merchant Captains in the U-boats as prisoners. The German U-boat skippers liked to take back sea captains to Germany for two reasons (1) confirm the sinking of the merchant ship and (2) put the Captains into POW camps so as they could not aid the Merchant fleets. The U-boat Flotilla would have been notified by radio that the Captains were on board.

I have no real idea where to find the names of the officers taken prisoner. You could try the U-Boat Archive in Cuxhaven, Germany. The Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport UK, Lloyds of London. You may be able to trace the ships that U-154 sunk in April/May 1918 and that way find out who the Masters were. If the officers came from ships that were in a convoy there should/could be a list some where in the a Museum library in England/Germany. There are some good information books out there, but I have yet to come across a book that lists all ships sunk in both world wars and who their Masters were or who sunk the ships.  I'm sorry that I cannot supply more information, Regards Peter Smith."

Easter Greetings
May I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Easter. Terry Hall, Hon. Secretary, Submariners Association (Derbyshire).

Wherever you are. we hope the Easter Bunny finds you and we hope that you have a great Easter. Happy Easter, Les Dwyer, National President, Naval Association of Australia

Eternal Patrol
Lt. Frank Anthony Barber RN (Rtd) has “Crossed the Bar on his Last Patrol”. Lt. Barber joined HMS Dolphin for Submarine Training on 20.5.1965 and joined the submarine HMS Finwhale for continuation training in October 1965. He then served on the following boats: HMS Oracle, HMS Ambush and HMS Onslaught. He took the Commanding Officers Qualifying Course "Perisher" in 1973 and then commanded HMS Olympus.

A man with a gun goes into a bank and demands their money. Once he is given the money, he turns to a customer and asks, "Did you see me rob this bank?"   The man replied, "Yes sir, I did." The robber then shot him in the temple, killing him instantly.   He then turned to a couple standing next and asked the man, "Did you see me rob this bank?"   The man replied, "No sir, I didn't, but my wife did."

Collins class submarine replacement project
The Collins class submarine replacement project is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) effort to replace the Navy's six Collins class submarines with a new design from 2025. At an estimated cost of up to $A25 billion, the project may be the most expensive defence acquisition ever undertaken by the Australian Government.

In December 2007, the Australian Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, authorized the RAN to begin planning the project. The Australian Government and Australian Defence Force (ADF) believe that the Royal Australian Navy's submarine service forms a vital component of the ADF and may grow in importance as countries in Australia's region expand or establish their own submarine forces. The role of the new submarines will be to collect intelligence, attack ships, submarines and land targets with missiles and torpedoes and land special forces teams. The submarines' capabilities will also act as a deterrent against military attacks on Australia.

Due to the project's complexity it is expected that it will take 17 years to design the submarines, gain government approval for the project and complete the first boat in the class. The timeline for the project calls for research into the submarines begin in late 2007 or early 2008 and be completed by 2011 when the Federal Cabinet will give initial approval to the design. After the design is developed further it is planned that Cabinet will give final approval for the project in 2014 or 2015 after which contracts for the submarines will be signed and construction will begin. The sea trials for the first new submarine have been tentatively scheduled for 2024 so that the boat is ready to replace the first Collins class submarine which is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2025.

The new class of submarines is expected to be a unique Australian design rather than a variant of an existing foreign design.[2] While the Navy's study will consider all submarine options, including the acquisition of nuclear powered submarines, it is expected that the final design will be a larger, quieter, faster and better armed version of the Collins class. It is also expected that the submarines will be built by ASC (formerly the Australian Submarine Corporation) in Adelaide, South Australia. ASC built all of the Collins class boats and operates the only submarine construction facility in Australia. Building the boats in Australia may increase their cost, however.

It is not currently known how many submarines will be built and this will be determined by the Navy's research and budget constraints. Former defence minister Kim Beazley has proposed that Australia's submarine force be doubled to 12 boats to keep pace with the increased number of submarines in Australia's region. However, Australian Strategic Policy Institute defence analyst Mark Thompson has warned that Australia might not be able to afford to replace the Navy's ships on a one-for-one basis due to the rapidly increasing costs of military equipment. The Kokoda Foundation, which is an independent Australian defence think tank, has estimated that cost of building replacements for the Collins class and arming and supporting the new submarines may be as high as A$25 billion. If this estimate is correct it would make the project the most expensive defence acquisition ever undertaken by the Australian Government.

Proposed design features
While the submarines' design will not be finalised until after 2011, a range of features have been suggested. Nuclear propulsion is likely to be ruled out because of cost and the lack of nuclear-power infrastructure. It is expected that the submarines will have an air-independent propulsion system that will allow them to remain underwater much longer than the Collins-class boats. The submarines will also have state-of-the-art batteries and sophisticated communications.

The new submarines are expected to be better armed than the Collins class, armed with long-range cruise missiles, which are not currently carried by the Collins class, as well as shorter ranged missiles and torpedoes. The new submarines may also carry midget submarines which will be used to collect intelligence or land special forces troops.

Cook's Corner
Here is a chicken recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing - imagine that! When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who are just never sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly cooked, but not dried out. Give this a try.

BAKED STUFFED CHICKEN
6-7 lb. baking chicken
1 cup melted butter
1 cup stuffing
1 cup uncooked popcorn
Salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush chicken well with melted butter, salt, and pepper. Fill cavity with stuffing and popcorn (mixed together. Place in baking pan with the neck end toward the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the chicken's arse blows the oven door open and the chicken flies across the room, it is done.  And you thought I couldn't cook.

Two Aboriginals were driving their old Ford Falcon in the outback one day, when off in the distance they saw a police booze bus. One of them thinks "this is great" and heads straight for it.
As they pulled up, the driver winds his window down and says "Two cans of Emu Export thanks mate!"
The copper looks at him and says "You must be drunk! Get out of the car and blow into this tube for me."
The driver got out of the car and said "Sorry boss, I can't blow in that. I got a letter from the doc saying I'm asthmatic and I'll pass out if I blow in that."
The cop looks at him and with a bemused look and says "OK In these cases we require you to give a blood sample."
"Nah nah sorry boss. Can't be doin' that. I got a letter from the Red Cross saying I'm a Hemophiliac and I could bleed to death. Sorry boss, can't do that," said the driver.
By now the copper is getting fairly irate and finally demands a urine sample for testing. The driver looks at him and says "Sorry boss, can't do that either."
The copper says "Surely you can't have a letter for that!!!"
"Bloody oath mate." says the driver, "It's from Kevin's government. Says that you whites can't take the piss out of us blackfellas no more."

Notorious German Third Reich U-boat base Valentin for sale to serious bidder
Dank and dark, built by slave labourers, the vast concrete complex known as Valentin on the north German coast is not exactly a des res. Germany's notorious submarine factory is, however, up for sale to anyone interested in a building with 7m-thick walls, the largest surviving bunker from the Third Reich.

The asking price is vague but government officials say that they could be accommodating for any serious bidder. The place has become a millstone, its upkeep swallowing up to €800,000 (£630,000) a year from the Defence Ministry budget. “And that's just the absolutely essential investments needed to stop the place crumbling,” says commandant Wolfgang zu Putlitz, who is in charge of guarding and maintaining the site.

Hitler, concerned that Germany was losing the edge in the war for the sea lanes, ordered the construction of the factory near Bremen with the aim of producing a new U-boat, the sophisticated XXI model, every 56 hours. Germany had wreaked havoc on Allied shipping at the beginning of the war with a fleet of only 57 submarines. By June 1943 the tide was turning: the Allies had developed accurate detection devices that could outwit and trap the expanded U-boat force.

The factory, codenamed Valentin, was Hitler's last chance to stop the Allies ferrying supplies and reinforcements by sea. It was to be shielded from bombing raids by a bunker with a thick pre-stressed concrete roof.  The result was a silo with the dimensions of a cathedral: 426m (1,400ft) long, 97m wide, 25m high. At one end was a diving basin for the last tests on the U-boats before they would slide into the Weser river and head for the North Sea.  In the event, no submarine left the factory. By March 1945 the factory, begun 18 months earlier, was 80 per cent complete. Then a British Bomber Command raid succeeded in penetrating the roof. Barely a month later, before repairs were complete, the war was over.

The initial idea after the war was to blow up Valentin but that would have required at least 500 tonnes of explosives and the blast would have wiped out most of the neighbourhood. So it was taken over by the German Army, which has been using part of it as a storehouse. Blowing it up is now out of the question because it has been officially listed: research in Eastern European archives has shown that at least 4,000 slave labourers, many of them from Poland and Russia, died building Valentin. Most were undernourished. Some were beaten to death by guards trying to enforce a breakneck speed of construction.

“This bunker should not be sold,” the Mayor of Bremen, Jens Böhrnsen, says, “for both financial and moral reasons.” The new owner would have to commit himself to making at least part of the site into a memorial centre for Nazi slave labour. At least 12,000 concentration camp inmates, forced labourers and prisoners of war were involved in the almost pharaonic project: a million tonnes of gravel and sand had to be dug up and 1,232,000 tonnes of cement was mixed.

A British war crimes unit investigated conditions in the nearby work camp at Bremen-Farge and painted a horrific picture of life there: crammed sleeping quarters, back-breaking shifts, sadistic overseers, rations that would barely feed a child.  In 1947 12 German guards were charged in a Hamburg court with crimes against humanity committed at Valentin.

Franz Josef Jung, the German Defence Minister, has said that he is aware of the historical significance of the U-boat factory but added: “It is not the task of the German Army to maintain memorials”.

Related Links

• Nostalgia breaks down taboo over Third Reich

• Toxic timebomb surfaces 60 years after U-boat lost duel to the death

• U-boat discovery solves wartime mystery

France Adds Nuclear Sub and Vows to Cut Warheads
Dedicating France’s fourth nuclear-armed submarine, President Nicolas Sarkozy on Friday defended his country’s arsenal as vital to deter a range of new threats, including the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran with intercontinental missiles.  His mood was somber, as he inaugurated a new generation of nuclear submarine of the “Triomphant” class, this one named Le Terrible, which could be best translated as The Fearsome. It will be equipped with a new, nuclear-tipped missile, the M-51, whose range is secret but is understood, according to Le Monde, to be some 4,970 miles, able to reach Asia.

Clearly trying to balance nuclear modernization with gestures toward a European population more interested in eliminating nuclear weapons than improving them, Mr. Sarkozy said France would continue to reduce the number of warheads on airplanes, bringing its total nuclear force to fewer than 300 warheads, half the number during the cold war.  The actual number of warheads France possesses is secret. This year, the Federation of American Scientists, which tracks nuclear arsenals, said France had 348 warheads — 288 on submarines, 50 on air-launched cruise missiles and 10 bombs.

Britain also has nuclear weapons, the main reason that Britain and France remain permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Neither country has been willing to cede its seat to the European Union. The United States provides most of Europe’s nuclear deterrence through NATO and its doctrine of collective defense.

UK Nuclear submarine staff in navy con
A firm hired to upgrade a nuclear submarine repair centre conned the Navy out of £424,923 with an army of ghost workers, a court heard yesterday. For 15 months 58 fake staff "clocked on" at the Devonport base. A judge at Southwark told conspirators James McLaughlin, 58, Robert Burns, 30, and Rebekah Hart, 28, of Ayrshire, and Chris Ackerman, 33, of Plymouth, they face jail.

New Vessel Prepared to Rescue Submariners Lost in the Deep
A new submarine rescue system, owned jointly by France, Norway and the UK, has successfully completed trials off the coast of Norway. When it comes into service it promises to offer a complete rescue package for trapped submariners, should the unthinkable happen on their submarine, anywhere in the world. The new submersible vehicle will be complement the new US Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System based in San Diego. Both are due in service this year, are capable of worldwide deployment and will be available to all submarine-operating nations.

The three countries will also support the new vehicle through its 30 life expectancy at a cost of £157 million. The project is managed by the MOD's Defence Equipment & Support team on behalf of the three nations. When in service it will based at Faslane on the Clyde and managed by In Service Submarines Integrated Project Team and the existing LR5 rescue submersible and Scorpio remotely operated vehicle will leave operational service.

Designed and built by Perry Slingsby Systems ltd of Kirkbymoorside, the rescue submarine will have a crew of two pilots and an attendant. It is designed to rescue 15 people at a time and will normally operate a four-hour cycle. The vehicle consists of a free-swimming rescue vehicle with an A-frame portable launch and recovery system, a transfer under pressure facility to safely decompress personnel from a pressurized submarine, and an intervention system for survey and rescue preparation. It is powered by advanced sodium nickel batteries with higher power-to-weight/space ratio than traditional lead acid batteries used in current rescue vehicles. Designed to provide time to first rescue target of 72 hours the submarine is designed for air mobility and will be maintained in high readiness status, the submarine will be able to mobilize at a 12 hours' notice, transported by road and air to a mother-ship destined to operate where a submarine has been sunk. The mother-ship supports the underwater rescue operation by monitoring and guiding the crew through fiber-optic umbilical providing video, communications and data link to the command team on the mother ship.

It will be able to rescue a crew from depths of 40 to 610m, at angles of up to 60 degrees and with internal pressures as high as 6 bar. The vessel is designed to operate at rough sea conditions, and will operate in sea state 6 (5m high waves) and remain on station in 10m high seas. The free-swimming rescue vehicle concluded a successful 'mate' with the Norwegian submarine Uredd at a depth of 87 meters in Husnes Fjord, just south of Bergen, last month.

Initial Trials Verify Basic Submarine Performance
"The NATO submarine rescue system is nearing the end of a complex period which has combined design, development, manufacture and demonstration," said Commander Dickie Burston, leader of Defence Equipment & Support's NATO Submarine Rescue System team. "It will now move forward and provide the nations with a world class capability." Last month's trials were supported by the Harstad, a Norwegian coastguard vessel acting as mother ship. On its deepest dive the rescue vehicle, which has previously been pressure tested to depths of 840 meters, went down in 100m steps to just over 600m with full system checks at each depth. While not all the deep water acceptance trials were completed in full, there were enough key events for the trials to be declared a success. Trials to include testing hatch operations at depth, angled 'mating' up to 60 degrees and the ability to recover the vehicle from rough seas will take place soon.

According to Cdr Burston, "Tom Heron, the senior pilot and one of the most experienced submarine rescue operators in the world was delighted with the trial, commenting on the stability, maneuverability and power available and how solid she felt at 610m, with none of the usual creaks and groans heard at great depths."  Further trials are planned over the next six months. Deployment next month from the MV Argonaute provided by the French Navy will include a two-day medical exercise to test the transfer under pressure facility and develop casualty handling and co-ordination of rescuees. Air portability trials, training and more exercises will continue in the summer and there may be full participation in NATO's exercise 'Bold Monarch' off Norway in late May and early June 2008.

"As a former submarine commander I do not expect submarines to sink, but it is not possible to guard against all eventualities and completely eradicate equipment failure, human error and just plain accidents." said Cdr Burston, "Submarines still hit uncharted sea-bed pinnacles or have major fires on board and, while the crews manage to get them safely back to port on almost every occasion, if a submarine should sink and some of the crew remain alive on board, it is fundamental that the navies are able to effect rescue. "The submarine rescue system will give us and any other nation that wishes to be associated an outstanding cost-effective solution to the accident that we hope will never happen again." Burston concluded.

My grandmother died in the 90s, but her birthday is coming up, and that always causes me to reminisce. The long walks we used to take to the country store on Crawford Road, the pocket money she gave me for meaningless jobs like pulling weeds or washing the car... Those gems were all good, but the one I remember most, the jewel in the crown of grandmotherly advice, occurred when I was only about 13.

We were sitting in a park having just finished collecting some 40 soda bottles for the deposit money on a beautiful spring day. She told me that one day, I would find a wonderful woman and start my own family. 'And always remember this' she said. 'Be sure you marry a woman with small hands.'

'How come, Grandma?' I asked her. She answered in her lovely soft voice.  'Makes your dick look bigger.'

Kinda brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it?

Come on Boof, lets go fishing...  Happy Easter everyone..

Sunday, 16^th MARCH 2008

Nothing gets past Darren Thompson who wrote "Hi Norm, I know we are behind the rest of Australia over here in WA, but I think you may have gained a day somewhere over there in Sunny QLD. That is to say your last two log entries are a day out with the date for March. You have the 3rd and 10th of March as Sundays when in fact they are Monday. Not trying to be a smartass, but didn't want you losing a day of your retirement." One loses track of time contemplating ones navel while waiting for the concretor to arrive..... Have fixed.

Other than the above from Darren and an email from some jetsetters, there has been little correspondence of note, making it hard to put the Log together.  Come on guys, spill the dirt on your oppos, give me the buzzes so that we can all be informed.

Concreters turned up for three days this week, it rained each time.  However, we now have three quarters of a driveway (about 130m²), only the remaining driveway, pool area and paths to be poured.  It is all being sprayed with Covercrete (a spray on cement finish) which means that it will be at least two weeks before I can use the garage again.  At least there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It is surprising the number of ex service personnel that live around here, getting to meet someone with only one head.  An ex Colonel owns the Bauple Plantation and has also taken over the shop.  A big improvement, the range and quality of products has improved considerably.  It is run by his wife and daughters, but he does rounds daily.  It now sells espresso coffee and I have one with the Colonel each morning during my daily walk.  Boof and Sheila get browned off, they get nothing.

Fred my neighbour is getting on a bit and asked me if I could take him into Maryborough so that he could get a prescription filled. We arrived at the Chemists and he asked for a prescription of Viagra to be filled, but asked the chemist if he could cut the tablets into quarters.   I can cut them for you" said the chemist, "but a quarter tablet will not give you a full erection." " I am 96 "said my neigbour." I don't want an erection . I just want it sticking out far enough so I don't pee on me slippers. " I thought, a sign of things to come for me.

On the way back to Bauple Fred and I called in to have a beer with one of his mates, a farmer.  When we got there the farmer was yelling at a lawyer that had been hunting and he had shot and dropped a bird, but it fell into a farmer's field on the other side of a fence. As the lawyer climbed over the fence the farmer asked him what he was doing. The litigator responded, "I shot a duck and now I'm going to retrieve it."  The farmer replied, "This is my property, and you are not coming over here."

The indignant lawyer said, "I am one of the best lawyers in Maryborough and, if you don't let me get that duck, I'll sue you and take everything you own."  The old farmer smiled and said, "Apparently, you don't know how we settle disputes in Bauple. We settle small disagreements like this with the 'Three Kick Rule.'  The lawyer asked, "What is the 'Three Kick Rule'?"

The Farmer replied, "Well, because the dispute occurs on my land, I get to go first. I kick you three times and then you kick me three times and so on back and forth until someone gives up."  The lawyer quickly thought about the proposed contest and decided that he could easily take the old codger. He agreed to abide by the local custom.

The old farmer slowly climbed down from the tractor and walked up to the attorney. His first kick planted the toe of his heavy steel toed work boot into the lawyer's groin and dropped him to his knees!   His second kick to the midriff sent the lawyer's last meal gushing from his mouth. The lawyer was on all fours when the farmer's third kick to his rear end, sent him face-first into a fresh cow pie.

Summoning every bit of his will and remaining strength the lawyer very slowly managed to get to his feet. Wiping his face with the arm of his jacket, he said, "Okay, you old fart. Now it's my turn."  The old farmer smiled and said, "Nah, I give up. You can have the duck."

Around the Traps

President's Update
Last month I sent a letter to Brigadier Bill Rolfe (Rtd), the Repatriation Commissioner at the Department of Veteran Affairs, on the recommendations made on page 90 of the Final Report of the Oberon Submarine Health Project (dated the 16th February 2006). We were seeking information on the remaining five recommendations that are awaiting further investigation. I requested, on behalf of the SAA, assistance and advice as to how these recommendations could be achieved.  

A response has been received from Brigadier Rolf (Rtd) who advises that the first recommendation has been put in place and that the remaining recommendations were matters for Defence to address.

He advised that Defence had been advised of our request and that a detailed response has been asked for.  This will be provided to the Association when it is received by the Brigadier.

All Members are reminded that nominations for National Office are to be with Peter Smith, the National Secretary, by the 28th of March.  It is in the interest of the Association that nominations for all positions are received.

SA Branch News
Members are reminded that the AGM for the SA branch is programmed for Sunday 25 May 2008 at the Port Adelaide Naval Association rooms in Quebec Street at 1300.

Walk for Kids
John Hogg (Ex POSN) who admits "I might not be real handsome but I can count and lift heavy weights" spends many hours forwarding information of interest to veteran's groups and as a result Tug's campaign has a new recruit, Craig Fothergill (a bloody skimmer with heart). In an email to John he said  "I would never have known about this walk, and a plethora of other events etc. without your tireless work to keep us all informed. As a result of an email from Stew (also a tireless ambassador) earlier this week, I have now committed myself as a crusty old Attack Class patrol boat man, to walk from Coolangatta to Coffs. I have also commenced looking for sponsorship in my central Burnett town of Gayndah (Qld) so in your indirect way, you have raised more money for, as you said, a cause very dear to your heart.  Keep up the good work!!"  Carol Wilson commented "Craig certainly has registered to walk and the Submarine Institute of Australia has come up with a generous donation. This week we are up to $12,200.95 so we are gathering momentum. 

Just received an email from Dave Luck, he has just been told his local, the Merimbula Bowling Club, have approved a $100.00 donation for Tug's charity.

If for some reason you cannot walk, surely a small donation wouldn't hurt for the kids. Please go to www.walkforkidswithcancer.com to register to walk and/or register your donation. Bank details on website.

The beer coasters that we have bought as a fundraiser are available from the Slops Van, I still have 20,000 to sell. So get in quick before they are all gone.

Logistic Support Organization-Tug’s Walk for Kids with Cancer 

The persons that Tug had lined up to organize the Logistic Support for his walk to Canberra, are now unable to assist due to work constraints and university study requirements.  Carol Wilson has sent a Message/SOS to Rob Woolrych, Secretary SAA Qld Inc and the website seeking support in finding a Member of the ex-Submarine fraternity to undertake these support duties.

Much of the ground work for the walk to Canberra has already been completed and is falling into place. Carol has been hard at work liaising with the necessary authorities and now she just needs someone to be her right hand person and take over some of the work she and Tug have been doing and pull all the strings together.

There are members of SAA Qld Inc who are willing to assist but what she needs is someone with the time to assist them both by taking over some of the duties and to act as the Logistic Coordinator for this task.

What we need is a person who would be able organise the walk as set out below. Bob's aim is to walk 40kms a day with 10 walkers walking 5kms each in rotation so that no one has to burst a boiler.  What we would require of the logistical person would be to organise the walk in 40kms stages (I guess this would be like organising a road convoy from major city to major city with stops in between only it would be walkers not vehicles). We would need to liaise with stop over places for some sort of accommodation (i.e. show grounds or camping grounds) where the permanent walkers would be able to sleep and have showers etc. We have not been able to get corporate sponsorship in this area.

The walk is to start at Coolangatta on 4th May and end in Canberra at the War Memorial on Friday 6th June to coincide with Subcon08. There are places such as Ballina, (Rod Fayle) Grafton, (Col Ryan) Coffs Harbour (Kevin Heyton) Port Macquarie (my niece Sonia Fingleton) and Newcastle (my niece Karen Spencer). We would arrive in these places and stay two nights. We are planning to go from Coolangatta to Byron Bay along the highway with a detour and stop at Murwillumbah then to Byron Bay along the highway. Byron Bay to Ballina via Lennox Head. Ballina - Yamba - Grafton via highway. Grafton - Coffs Harbour via highway. Coffs - Kempsey via highway. Kempsey - Port Macquarie via highway. Port to Newcastle via highway. Into Newcastle from Hexham Bridge to city and out via main road to Swansea. Swansea to Westfield Shoppingtown turnoff via highway then in through Wyong Road to main road that takes you to Gosford (I think that would be the old Pacific Highway). Gosford to Sydney (Wahroonga) via freeway. Wahroonga to Westmead via highway and Pennant Hills Road to hospital in Hawkesbury Road. Back out along Hawkesbury Road to Great Western Highway to Wentworthville onto Cumberland Highway to Liverpool. Liverpool to Campbelltown via Hume Highway through Campbelltown back onto highway to Mittagong (not Bowral). Through Mittagong back onto highway then follow highway to Marulan, Goulburn then onto Federal Highway to Canberra. Most of the Sydney walk would be on the footpath.

We know there are some big roadwork's along the way and on the F3 into Sydney. where we could not walk This is why we now need some expertise.

IF YOU ARE THAT PERSON PEASE CONTACT CAROL WILSON (07) 3200 8016 OR EMAIL or contact Rob Woolrych, Secretary SAA Qld Inc, (07) 5442 1991.  

One reason the Military Services have trouble operating jointly is that they don't speak the same language. For example, if you told Navy personnel to "secure a building," they would turn off the lights and lock the doors. The Army would occupy the building so no one could enter. The SAS would assault the building, capture it, and defend it with suppressive fire and close combat. The Air Force, on the other hand, would take out a three-year lease with an option to buy.

Grant (Ned) and Emma Kelly have just returned from a jolly to Japan.  He writes "Thanks to you passing on Carl Smiths details in Japan, I found the up top legend twice, once in Kyoto and again for a few beers in Osaka. The trip went well considering the misses is up the duff and due in August. I managed to go skiing for 6 gays in Sapporo while poor Emma read books and found somewhere for us to eat each night (not one whale was consumed). After my fun was over and Emma was ready to kill me for telling her how much fun I was having, we moved on to Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Kyoto and then to Hiroshima.

Highlights of the trip were bullet trains, I set a record I think of 9 cans on the train using vending machines and a bar wench (not Emma), between Tokyo and Kyoto first can 0935. you can take the boy out of boats but you cannot take the boat out of the boy. I found myself at the temples (mainly because all the Buddha's looked a bit like me) and then it was of to Hiroshima, very interesting and worth the trip for anyone.

Carl Smith of course on the last day managed to find a new Aussie Pub and have a VB before I left. It was great to catch up and a reminder that no matter how long it is between drinks, we still pick up where we left off and get along just the same as we did before. I guess that is where after all the deployments, patrols and many mind numbing night during work ups we learn what mates are about.

It was a great Jolly, apart from Jet Star, it would be good to let the members know that it is not worth the few $ that you can save. Stick with the big guns and enjoy your trip. without going into too much detail they suck."

Jonathan Jackson (LSUCSM) asked me to send him some dolphins to Denmark and in response to my "What the..." he replied "To answer you question about what I'm doing over here. I'm married, 3 sons, no cats or dogs and I work for a construction company as an engineer (HVAS). You know norm, we sailed together on the same boat, I just can't remember if it was Ovens or Oxley or even Otway, all of which I served twice on between 82-89."  It was Ovens that we served on, I would have been the Chief Stoker at the time. Jonathon has promised to send some photos. He added "I have some of Titch's (the UW) drawings (cartoons) from Oxley when Bradford RN and McLean CAF were CO, but I can not find them, I'll try and find them for you."

Skimmer Rod (Grumbles)Groombridge needs help. "I was a Killick Stoker on Vampire with little Percy Jones (when he was one) who turned to the dark side and became not only a submariner but a cook also. I was told by one of your members Craig Cope that you would know how to get in contact with him. I believe he is working on oil rigs off the WA coast.  Can you help, if so let me know.

A dog is truly a man's best friend.  If you don't believe it, just try this experiment. Put your dog and your wife in the boot of the car for an hour. When you open the boot, who is really happy to see you.

Health Matters
Peter Smith writes "The response to my section on Health Matters has been very good, judging by the correspondence and conversations with members. However, I have not stepped down off my soap-box when it comes to prostrate cancer, as too many of our members have been affected in one way or another by this insidio