Rad, David Ex POWTR Retired in 1996 after 20 yrs.

Radig, Karin
Joined the RAN in 1981 as a GE Wtr and transferred to the naval reserve as WOWTR 2003.Her first sea posting was as a POWTR  and lasted three years. Firstly on Moresby and then later she joined the Sea Training Group for a further three years. In 1999 she was posted as CPOWTR at Naval Support Office Tasmania.   She was awarded  the Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) in 1998.

Raffell, R (Alf)
Ex CPOWTR. Deceased 09/01/1910

Raymount, Bob 'Joffa'
Scribe from June 1976 to June 1986 - Harman DSP 1977, Stalwart 1978, Albatross 1981, Cerberus 1982, Perth 1983.

Rettalick, Elaine
(Nee Worral)  I was in from 1967 to 1972 and paid off a POWRWTR from Navy Office. 

Reed, George Percival
PM 319   DOB 10/7/1921. Joined 28/11/1940. Lonsdale 28/11/1940 – 28/2/1941. Cerberus 01/3/1941 – 4/11/1941. Sydney 5/11/1941 – 20/11/1941. He went down with the Sydney.

Rice,
R59624 Served 11jan63-10Jan72. Discharged LSWTR.

Richards, John
I spent 7 years of my life as a scribe from 1987 to 1994.  Joined up initially as an apprentice ETC at Nirimba in 1985 but took my optional discharge 7 months later.  I rejoined as a scribe in July 1987 and was on Initial Writers 22A with Spider Tatnell as instructor.  First posting was to DSP at Navy Office where Ken Sinnamon was my Chief.  From there I was posted to Stalwart in March 1989 with Knocker White as my PO and Smack Cocayney (later Cohayney) as LS.  Was on Stalwart until she was decommissioned in early 1990.  I ended up back in Canberra at HQADF in a few places before being posted down to Albatross in April 1993.  Discharged in July 1994.

Rickard, Dave 
Ex POWTR R64027. Joined RAN from Adelaide 16/1/1965.  Served in Ships Vampire, (twice, as OrdSmn & PO), Melbourne, Queenborough and Swan and at Cerberus, Albatross, Kuttabul II (with Naval Police) and Harman (NO).  Categorized as Ord ME, but very quickly saw the benefits of the Writer Branch over the Stokers’ world.  Was serving on Vampire in the FESR when the ship was called upon to assist in escort of Sydney on her first of many voyages to Vietnam.  Met LWRWTR Pauline Haydon while serving in Navy Office and married her shortly after leaving Pussers.  Paid off in January, 1977, and settled back in Adelaide.  Joined RANR and served as rocky for 30 years as at 2007, completing several periods of FTS.  Wrote three nautical books in retirement, one a light-hearted look at life in the RAN and another about Australian naval history. 

Rickard, Pauline (nee Haydon)
Ex LWRWTR W115128. Joined RAN from Adelaide 21/5/1973. Served at  Cerberus, Kuttabul (Recruiting), Harman(NO) and Encounter. In February '74, was posted for recruiting duties in Sydney Recruiting Office, then in February '76 joined the staff of DWRANS, serving under the Director at the time, the well respected Captain Barbara McLeod. Completed service in the Adelaide Recruiting Office and married ex POWTR Dave Rickard in 1977.  

Ritchie, Malcom
Joined the Navy as a Junior Recruit at Leeuwin in January 1963. After Leeuwin I was posted to Vampire as an ORDSMN (WTR) before going to Cerberus in July 1965 for my WTR's course. Transferred to the new Naval Police Branch 1974, paying off in 1984 as a Sergeant Naval Police (CPO) after 21 years service.

Served in Vampire, Melbourne, Sydney, Kuttabul (EDP), Lonsdale, Penguin, Rushcutter. After paying off,  spent the next 9 years or so with the Naval Reserve including Commanding Officer of TS SYDNEY (SpectacleIsland) for 5 years

Rix, Gordon Robert
P/N 23128, Although he joined 2nd May 1939 he did not ‘sign up’ until 13 January 1940 when he became 18 yrs.  He joined exactly on his eighteenth birthday. His career started at Cerberus until 30 September 1939 when he was posted to Hobart (a modified Leander class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II) and was promoted LS whilst serving in Hobart 15/5/1941.  Other postings were Penguin, Rushcutter where he was promoted PO 1/7/1942 and then Platypus.
From 8th May 1944 until 22 August 1944 he served at Kuranda which was a WWII RAN establishment at Cairns.  After that he moved between Penguin and Albatross on a regular basis until his discharge. Promoted CPO 1/1/1949. He died 29th September 2002.

Rix, P C Deceased 01/06/2005

Roberts. Les

Left - 2006 right 1960's as a LSWTR.
Joined from Melbourne in May 1963 AT 17 years as an Adult Recruit (Official Number R62151).  Writers Course included Denis Benfield, Vic Venaglia, Graham Parry, Jeff Fuller, Gus de Bakker and Mike (Mandy) Rice, instructed by CPOWTR Frank Shugg and LEUT Keith Denton.  Posted to Cerberus Accounts Office after course and then to Lonsdale for Naval Health Benefits in Dec 1964.  To Parramatta in Sep 1965 and then Lonsdale as A/LWTR in Mar 1967.  POWTRs course in 1968 included Woggie Watson, Beachball Sharman, Crash Kennedy and Marty Grogan.  Fleet Wtr Team in FHQ in Mar 1969 as POWTR and then to Nirimba in Jan 1971.  Posted Lonsdale (third time) for NOIC VIC as Secretary to NOIC VIC on commissioning as A/SBLT SDSU W in Mar 1971.

Creswell as SO (Cash) in Jun 1974, followed by FOICEA as Assistant to the CSYO in Jun 1976.  Melbourne as DSO in Jan 1978.  CAIRNS as BSO in Dec 1979.  DGSUP-N as LCDR in Jun 1981.  SO Torrens in May 1982.  A highlight was being presented to the Queen and Prince Philip when Torrens was escort to HMY BRITANNIA for the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane and tour of the SW Pacific.  Harman in Jan 1984 as SO.  

Stalwart in May 1986 on promotion to CMDR.  Highlights included cyclone relief in the Solomons; being in Suva very shortly after the first Fiji coup and the 75th Anniversary of the RAN celebrations.  Directorate Navy Service Conditions in October 1987, followed by Directorate Naval Logistics Policy in Jan 1992 and then Director Logistics Services – Navy in mid 1992.  Navy Facilities in 1996.  Directorate Naval Manpower Planning in 1997.  Reached retiring age for rank in May 2000, but transferred to the Reserve and continued to serve on CFTS until paying off in March 2004 after 40 years, 10 months and 1 week unbroken service.  Lured back in July 2004 to set up the Navy Establishment Validation Team (reincarnation of the old Complements Committee) and paid off again in March 2006.  Living in Canberra.

Roberts, Monica Jean
Jeannie) Joined the WRANS in January 1975 and after training was posted to Albatross. Next posting was to Coonawarra in Darwin where she met and married her first husband, Allan (Ferret) Brennan, a POCK. One of the first WRANS to return from maternity leave in 1977 was posted to Cerberus and worked in the Pay and Personnel areas under CPOWTR Sid Nolan, WOWTR Peter Davies and CPOWTR Banjo Patison.

Joined Penguin in 1979 as a LWRWTR and worked for CPOWTR John Bignell in the pay office. Other Writers at Penguin around that time included Angi Hillis, Coral McLean, Julie Mudry, Andy Siegman, and (now deceased) Ron Lindsay and Terry Standen. After promotion to PO, went to the Supply School for over 3 years to mould the minds of the baby scribes. Fellow instructors included Mick Scully, Trevor Plymin, Sid Hoggett, Nobby Clark, Norm Leaney, Steve Salmon, Andy Thomas, Bob Walton, Polly Perkins, Jim Tester and Barry Howe. Enjoyed that time and since, meeting "Brennan Trained Writers" years later. Married Peter Roberts, ex CPOETC, in 1987. Paid off in 1997 as a WOWTR from HMAS Creswell. Just completed over three years CFTS reserve time in Darwin working with the Patrol Boat Group assisting with the introduction of the Armidale Class Patrol Boats.

Robertson, David (“Robbo”)
ex-POWTR R93575.  Signed up from Adelaide and joined JRTE (Leeuwin) in the 4th intake of JR’s, January 1962. Did all the usual things that JR’s did during the 12 months I was there and at the end of it, I got a big surprise when I was selected in the first group of Topmen to undertake further educational studies as a prelude to possible officer selection and training. As I remember there were about 9 or 10 of us – some ex-JR’s and some ex-Apprentices from Nirimba. That went OK for a few months, but somewhere along the way I realised that this wasn’t for me. Not long after that I was sprung writing my own leave passes and that was the end of that.  Removed from the course and sent to Cerberus to do my Writer course in August 1963. 

On completion of that was posted to Harman, where I stayed until April 1964 before joining Stuart – then in refit at Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney. At that time Stuart was engaged in Ikara trials and when we did get back to sea we had a full complement of boffins on board to evaluate and maintain the Ikara systems.  Known as the “grey ghost of the east coast” the ship was up and down the east coast of Australia, calling in to places as exotic as Eden and the mouth of the Hawkesbury, and a host of other places where the last thing the locals would expect to see in their bay was a warship.

We eventually had to actually test the missile so off to Fairfax Island Queensland we sailed. After some firings and shock and vibration trials headed back to Sydney for a period of maintenance, and my next posting – Fleet Headquarters on Garden Island. What a place that was!  Old building at the end of the island, people crammed in where-ever there was space to spare.  I remember the communications room was in the basement, and could only be accessed by leaving the building by the back door and re-entering via the basement door.  The troops’ locker room was down there too.

After about 2 and ½ years there I was posted to Penguin for about 6 months before joining Melbourne ship’s company in late 1968.

After Melbourne, was posted to Albatross for several weeks to fill in time before attending the EDP course in Canberra in mid 1970. From there of course the next step was the Garden Island EDP terminal, with Andy Hamilton, Russ Leavy, Alan Axford, Gary Cheney, Al Fraser, et al. LEUT Harry Watson, a communicator, was the Area EDP Officer at that time.  Come the end of 1972, was posted to Leeuwin for my last year in the RAN, and joined there in late January 1973.  Paid off there at the end of 1973.

Robertson, Harold Nelson (“Robbie”)
ex-CPOWTR R17414. Robbie enlisted in the RAN in 1926 figuring that since the “Great War” was over he would be a peace-time sailor and it would be a good career. Previously a farm hand in northern NSW, he enlisted from Nambucca Heads where his family was established. (His mother was a member of a prominent Nambucca Heads family).

Completing his initial training at Cerberus he completed 6 months training as an ORDWTR in Melbourne before returning to Cerberus where he was duly promoted to Writer in June 1927.

Posted to the RAN College he was promoted LWTR in December 1929 before taking up his posting in Australia in mid 1930, after which he was returned to Cerberus before being promoted POWTR in April 1935.

He served in Ships Yarra and Sydney prior to returning to shore at Penguin. In February 1939 he was standing by Australia and joined the ship in August 1939, where he stayed until September 1939 – being posted ashore on his promotion to CPOWTR.

He then transferred to Darwin.  He was there until April 1942, surviving the Japanese bombing of the port town and the general chaos which followed it.

After almost a year at Lonsdale he took passage to the UK to stand by Shropshire, soon to be commissioned into the RAN to replace the lost Canberra. He served in Shropshire until June 1944, leaving the ship in a maintenance period in Sydney after her active service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian Ocean areas, and then in the South Pacific with Task Force 77 in the northern New Guinea and New Britain operations, including the seizure of the Admiralty Islands.

After service in various shore establishments he was posted to Torrens in Port Adelaide, serving in the depot itself and then in the Adelaide recruiting office, from where he paid off in August 1956.

After his naval service he settled in Adelaide and entered employment with the Bank of Adelaide (now a part of the ANZ Banking group), and retired from there some15 years later.  Robbie died in Adelaide in August 1986

Robertson, Phil
Joined 17 September 1984 and still serving.  My first posting was HARMAN. A great little base and a highlight of my career. I then moved into NOPO and being one of the busiest pay offices, I learnt heaps about pay and accounts. After NOPO, I posted to STALWART and worked for Leonard 'Knocker' White and STALWART became the Flag Ship and lost the tag of building 215. Back then sea time was a lot less restrictive and probably more fun.

I was promoted to Kellick and posted to Fleet Headquarters as the Admirals LSWTR. From there, I was selected for a posting to CAIRNS, but having my old POWTR from STALWART as the poster probably helped. CAIRNS was excellent and I was promoted to POWTR up there. After CAIRNS, I posted to another Admiral's staff in ACMAT-N. After three years there, I joined DSCM as promotions PO for Seaman and Communications.

There I got to choose my next sea posting and I took up a posting to NEWCASTLE.  NEWCASTLE became CTG and I was fortunate to be promoted to CPOWTR and remain posted there. After NEWCASTLE, I was the Writers Career Manager at DSCM and had 95% of Writers happy with there postings but unfortunately the 5% made this posting not one of my best.

From DSCM, I went to Command Legal for 8 months before going over to Baghdad for 6 months. For a Sailor to be in the middle of a desert and being shot at is quite strange, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  From Baghdad, I posted to SUCCESS for a couple of years and again Enjoyed the sea time. Now after 23 years, I am at a crossroads of whether to stay in or get out. Time will only tell. (September 2007)

Robinson, Gordon Neil. 
Deceased 28/03/2007. (Pic l-2006 r- 1970’s)

Ex POWTR Served Jan 1961 to Feb 1974. Joined CRESWELL 31/01/1961 as Cadet Midshipman.  Departed 15/12/1961.  He quoted ‘a difference of opinion’.  Neil enlisted 9/02/1962 as Recruit Writer. Commenced Trade Training 16/04/1963.

Posted NIRIMBA 8/08/1963, VENDETTA 9/03/1964.  Armaments Office Writer and Pay Office. Tour of Far East during confrontation. To TARANGAU 3/02/1965 as Engineer Officer’s WTR.  KUTTABUL as LWTR 18/12/1965 and PENGUIN 17/04/1967.

Promoted POWTR 12/05/67 and posted to PLATYPUS 8/08/1967.  Trips on OXLEY and OTWAY.  Forced to sleep in bunk over mess fridge in CPO Mess on OTWAY and therefore forced to get out of bed on each occasion fridge had to be opened.  Posted Harman(NO) 19/11/1968, including SGCE Course at LEEUWIN 13/07/1969 to 1/12/1969.  Promoted CPOWTR 14/08/1970. Joined SWAN 14/12/1970 when SWAN was escort to SYDNEY to Vung Tau. Joined Harman(NO) 1/05/1972 until late 1973 and then MORETON 8/02/1974 pending DEE.

Gordon went to NQ and ran a trucking business, joined the Army Reserve and retired from the Army Reserve as a Captain in the 1990s  That's where he met his wife, Kerri in 1982 - she was Recruiting Sergeant at 3RNSWR Canberra and he turned up as her boss.

Robl, Ted
R115484. Joined the RAN via Leeuwin in 1970 - Howden Division. Entered the Officer Candidates School but had to back out. Went to Cerberus, did a writers course. Served at Harman, Kuttabul, Supply. Discharged 1980.

Rocke, Bruce Deceased 23/09/2004

Rodwell, Rosemary
(nee Ferazzo)was well known to seniors officers and sailors. Rosemary  joined the Navy in 1953. She spent more than 20 years in the RAN and the Naval Reserves and was awarded the British Empire Medal in 1982. Her many postings included secretary to the Chief of Naval Staff and as a core member of the RAN’s Bicentennial Committee. She died in April 1987 following a car accident and her family established a trust fund  called the “Rosemary Rodwell Memorial Prize”in her memory with a prize to be awarded to the member whose picture is judged the best contribution to Navy photography each year.

Rogers, Guy
Ex WTR and LEUT.  I was a Junior Recruit at Leeuwin in the 24th Collins Division of 1968 and 1969.  I did my Scribes course at Cerberus in 1970 and then went onto the SDSL Education Course back at Leeuwin in early 1971.  I was commissioned as an SL ‘Pusser’ midshipman in August 1971.  I was a Lieutenant SL SU from 1971 to 1983, then  paid off and came directly out to New Zealand, where I have been ever since.

While in Pussers, I married a third officer WRANS, Jeannette Elischer.  Suffice to say, we didn’t stay married.  I recall Bryan Parke, in Sydney in 1969.  He went on to the Naval Police.  While on FOCEA staff as Command EDP Officer, I more often than not got lead astray by the NP Officers in the wardroom.  I recall Campbell, he paid off while I was there, and Hoare and Martin Toohey.  These two, I think, went on to be Directors at Navy Office.

My time in the outfit was rather ‘disjointed’.  As a midshipman, I spent more than half my two years in training, working in a warehouse in Sydney and learning the USN Supply System, then headed off to look after ships in refit at Williamstown.  We would destore to warehouses in Port Melbourne and inventory the onboard support material etc.  Then onto Platypus and Sec to COMAUSSUBRON ONE, and later SO Cash.  Next came a posting to Command EDP from 1976 to 1979, with a brief interlude at Penguin hospital with a breakdown.  1979 to 1981 was the best time in the outfit, installing minicomputer systems and a new integrated supply support software package interfacing with the central processor in Canberra and the wholesale depots in Sydney.  This had me all around the country with installations at RANAS, Creswell,Stirling, Leeuwin, Cerberus,Nirimba, and preparatory work for the main processors at the dockyard for the surrounding establishments with prep work done at Platypus, Waterhen, Watson, and Kuttabul.  Then I joined Jervis Bay for a six month sea ride.  Once again, my health broke down, I came ashore as DSO Harman and within a few months I re-affirmed a desire to remain in the computer field.  I could see back in the early 80s, the rapid technology developments.  Finally, I was the Honeywell to Univac Conversion [Navy Representative] Training Officer for the AUSDIMPS system.  This was our materiel supply support software focus in the greater Supply Systems Redevelopment Project. I resigned in 1983.

Rogan, William E (Bill)
I joined the RAN in January 1990 and went through Cat School under the tutelage of CPOWTR Al Hardie, POWTR Wayne Lanham and POWRWTR Chris Lindsay.  I was posted to Creswell along with my classmate Stuey O'Brien. As there was a backlog of WTRs to get to sea I managed to spin my Creswell time out to about 2 1/2 years.  During my time there I worked for Frank DeKoning in the Pay Office and Brad Clements in the Personnel Office.  I still remember the morning when the buzz spread around the base that Frank, as OOD the previous day, was the new OIC of an amphibious bongo van.  Seems that a wet slipway, no handbrake and a sprinting PO DeKoning adds up to 1 x submerged bongo van.

I was then posted to Flinders for two years as the sole scribe and had the good fortune to enjoy some of her more exotic ports of call such as Weipa, Gove and Port Moresby, though going to Norfolk Island was a highlight.  I was promoted to LSWTR and posted to Cairns for the next 12 months.  I worked for / with Chris Legg and Al Dummett in the Personnel and Pay Offices respectively.

I was then posted to Harman (DSCM) and looked after transfers of category, working for CPOWTR Jo Jordan.  About 12 months later I was 'lucky' enough to get my commission and went over the hill to the School of Knowledge (ADFA) for a few years.  After that I spent time in Brisbane and Coonawarra as the Supply Officer Tenders.

I transferred to the Reserves in 2003 after 13 great years.  I don't regret a single minute of it and some days long to be back in 'rig' or having a run ashore somewhere.

Rose, Athol
Joined the RAN after having twice passed his Leaving Certificate from Sydney High. Three Writers joined and five Stores Assistants from NSW and a similar number from Victoria.  From 31/05/1933 to 16/08/1933 they were posted to FND to complete their Recruit Cse. He completed service in ships Canberra, Australia and Stuart. During the pre war period it gave him an opportunity to pass for Leading Writer, PO Writer and the Writer element of Paymaster Sub Lt by 1936.

He was promoted to Acting Provisional Probationary Sub Lt from Leading Writer in 1937 and joined Sydney. Later in 1939 he was material officer in Canberra.

He was Duty Officer on the 03/09/1939 and after deciphering the war declaration message, he recalled FOCAF, the Captain’s and ships companies to their ships. Later he typed and roneod the more than 130 pages of the instructions to all authorities for the first big convey of soldiers from New Zealand and Australia to the Far East.

His career was mainly in Supply – looking after 100 ships pay, stores etc in all theatres of war from Penguin, Ladava (Milne Bay), Tarangau(Finschaven).  He says he never served in Navy Office!

The carriers Sydney and Vengance also were his home for many years.  He was Fleet Supply Officer and then Acting Captain in Cerberus from 1958-1963.He retired from Kuttabul in November 1964.

Rose, Ronda
Nee Neilson. Ex POWTR / CPOWTR (Reserve) W117727. Full time service 1974 to 1986. Did Writers course with Nola Wallington and Sue Theodore and advanced course with Andy Hobbs and co. (Updated June 2003)

Rotherham, Mark
R122955 Joined as a JR on 11/07/1977 (Collins). Completed Writers Course at Cerberus with POWTR ‘Stuey’ Stewart and after a small period at Cerberus Personnel Office posted to Harman (NO–DSP). Next posting to Penguin and worked under CPOWTR ‘Crash’ Kennedy and CPOWTR Terry Standen (Mark says "Terry was a bad influence as I finished up doing a few hours in the Kings Cross lockup and the Penguin Cells" ).   Posted to Nirimba then Melbourne (see photo 1980 of Melbourne 3 PAPA PORT MESS) where he had the pleasure of working with Marty Grogan whom saved his butt on several occasions.  Posted to Harman(NO) (Directorate of Underwater Weapons) and met a great man, Capt I.D.G McDougall (later Admiral), who gave him great inspiration.  Moved from Navy Office to Albatross (Pay Office) then on to Supply (Refit).   He was lucky to swap from Supply to Sydney, where, compliments of DSO LEUT Daniel Leonard Jackson, he got reduced from LSWTR to ABWTR.   Was sent to Harman(NO) – DNMP) where he worked with Charlie Emmerson, then DNEP and worked with Stokers and realised his time was up.  DAOR on 10/06/1986

Rouse, James Leslie
Deceased mid 2008. Joined 16/06/1944 as a Writer Probationer II. Official number: S 5932.  Promoted Writer 26/121944. He joined Cerberuson entry and then posted toLadava 22/081944 and Penguin13/11/1945, anddemobilised 04/11/1946. 

Royall, Peter
Ex LWTR who went through Leeuwin in 1965. There were quite a few Writers from my intake and my class including, Tubby Barnes, Allan Axford, and Lindsay Klem. Two others from our class went to the Naval College and ended up as Supply Commanders, these were Bob Allen and Brian Castles. Also did some time at Harman in 1968 at Navy Office, working in the Sailors Posting Section.

Rushton, Hillary (nee Williams)Ex – CPOWTR is now living in NSW. She joined the WRANS on 11/11/1974 and discharged on 09/08/1998. Completed Basis Wran Writers course – 1975, Advanced Writer course – 1980 and was the Basic Writers' Course Instructor - in 1980, 1981, 1985 & 1986.

Ryan, Angela Mary Jane
Scribe 1979 to 1987 - Cerberus, Navy Office Canberra, Harman, Kuttabul, ComAusFleet, ComAusNavSupp,  Huon Recruiting (Launcestonattached)

Known to Dave Speight, Beast Klimeck, Dave Matters, Pete Spalding, John Counsel, Dave Whelan (instructor), Bomber Atkinson (deceased) and others.  Semi-retiring to 'Tree-Change' in North Queensland mid 2008.