D38 Perth D39 Hobart D41 Brisbane (Photo RAN)
Dear Reader,
On the 24th of November 2001, with the scuttling of the Perth an interest was re- awakened of my old ship the Perth. My brother Richard and I began collecting details of her past, both photographic and written. However, it soon became apparent that in covering the life of the Perth, that we were also covering a period of the Vietnam War, and the Royal Australian Naval ships involved in combat operations, mainly the Hobart, Perth, Brisbane and Vendetta. The initial thought of just concentrating on the lives of the DDG’s still prevails, so presented here from keel laying to scuttling is a small part of the history of these proud ships. The Brisbane, the third decommissioned DDG still awaits her fate, while tied alongside in BRISBANE being prepared for scuttling.
This ‘Dossier” will hopefully put a couple of jigsaw bit’s into the puzzle for you as it has me, I have found that being able to move back and forward in history pictorially, read about what happened before an event, where the event occurred, and what followed, has helped me to fill in the what, when, where, why and how blanks.
From this gathering of information a “Vietnam Service Dossier” for nearly all the Australian ships that saw service in Vietnam is developing. As I go thru and update, I’m constantly reminded that the words and pictures can only hint at the co-operation, and level of professionalism that was exercised by the Officers and Ship’s Company’s involved for their ships to function efficiently.
The first chapter /section of this dossier deals with the early 60’ and shows the pictured above ships Perth, Hobart and Brisbane being built, commissioned and brought into service. But then, instead of spending years in exercises and peacetime naval deployments, these three top of the line, state of the art ships, went to War.
Within the centre section, consisting of 9 chapters, at present a bare bones outline of each of the nine deployments exists; Vendetta deployment is entered in detail, also the Hobart’s first deployments. The Perth’s 1st deployment under Captain P.H. DOYLE is being worked on at present.
Nine Captains’s commanded the four Australian gun line ships deployed to Vietnam between March 1967 and October 1971, and between them, they set and maintained a standard that was highly regarded by their USN counterparts, and their own superior’s.
Another chapter covers the post Vietnam period. When with the re-deployment of Australian ships at the end of the Vietnam conflict, the DDGs, which had proven themselves more than capable of holding their own in an American run theater of war, returned to a peace-time role, a role of a somewhat new and different pace. The on-going step in this project is the entering of detailed information from the ROP’s, supplemented by charts and actual cruise pictures. Why? Because I believe pictorial information enables the reader to get a better feel of what was going on.
The scuttling is cover next to last, followed by an area which needs sorting, badly.
Since meeting some of you only too briefly at DDG re-union’s, letters airports and on e-mail my hopes have been lifted a little that some pictures, etc, may still survive from all the deployments. Would you do me a favor, after you have had a look through the research draft, also of seeing if you have any detail or photo that can improve this dossier? Which it seems is starting to turn into something interesting even at this early stage. With your help, with that photo you took, we can put the pictorial timeline together.
A bit about the compiler
I was fortunate to be one of the Junior Recruit’s in the last intake at HMAS Cerberus, Flinders Naval Depot in 1964, after twelve months schooling and training we were posted off to courses and ships. Several of us went to HMAS Rushcutter, to do the ORD CD’s (Clearance Diver’s) course. The ORD CD’s course was two weeks longer than the ships divers course, gave you an insight into the role of the RAN’s elite and on qualifying allowed you to proudly wear the “ships divers” cuff rate.
Most of our band of ”64flindersjr’s” now OD’s posted to HMASs Sydney and Duchess, and the 27th of May 1965 saw many of us starting on the “VUNG TAU Ferry’s first run.” Just two months before it had been my 17th birthday.
Of my first trip to VIETNAM, apart from ship’s seamanship and the diving duties of a ship’s diver, all I remember is the fire fight ashore which we watched from the flight deck of HMAS Sydney at VUNG TAU, that first night, we could have sold tickets to the show, the reality was hard hitting when it hit home. On return to Sydney, and posting to an Able Seaman’s (AB) CD’s course which I dropped out off. Why? It was because of a difference of opinion between the course 2IC and me, I was sent to a change of rate course, to become a Steward, but retaining my Ships Divers qualification.
I entering a profession into a very polished, very British atmosphere, but one with quite the touch of Australian humor as I began my training in HMAS Cerberus’s Wardroom A posting then followed in time that placed me
In 1967-68 onboard HMAS Perth, under the command of then Captain P.H. DOYLE, where we took the “Weight” from our sister ship HMAS Hobart (Captain G.R. GRIFFITHS). The Hobart had just completed the 1ST Deployment of an Australian DDG to the Vietnam War. This was to be HMAS Perth’s first deployment into the same Naval Theater.
I remember working in the magazines almost as much as working in the scullery.
Again in 1968-69 onboard HMAS Perth, now commanded by then Captain D.W. LEACH, I was part of the up to 50% of the crew that returned with Perth for her second deployment.
We all carried a lot of shell and a lot of powder.
I remember very little other than an incident or two onboard.
Perhaps the Dossier will help you to see the different layers, I only learnt the word “Layers “the other day, and was quite amazed to see what was developing regarding the political, the Vietnamese, and the USN operations during our deployments. I find the Dossier to be a Primer, something to point the way to more information. The photos from us all are so you the reader will remember some thing of that part of the lives of the ships and men who served in that, the least remembered war.
As to my personal Journey, little question, could be a big answer.
I never actually thought of it that hard, but for myself, I want to know what was happening around us, politically and in an operational way, also in the back of my mind I believe it might just trigger the event or events that has caused me to not remember the details of Service on the 1st Trip on the HMAS Sydney to VUNG TAU, Vietnam, or the following two deployments on the HMAS Perth.
My mate’s recon I might be a little mad in wanting to reconstruct the time period and details that I can’t quite remember. But I'm finding out a lot and by passing it back to shipmates not only of the Perth, but the other ships that served, perhaps their own questions can be answered and they also will have a record of that forgotten era.
The Books “RAN in Vietnam” and “UP TOP” is I believe as close as you will get to what was happening at the time. This compilation of the Dossier hopefully enhances the collective knowledge and helps to preserve memories of that time.
Apart from that, yes I would love to be able to travel to the Capitals and again meet the remaining Commanding Officers of the Perth, meet other shipmates, so I can add their personal comment to the facts, catch them while they are still alive, but funds, the long distance, the dust, flies, and camel trains, all, require funds, funds that I don’t have. So I will be almost content with the mail and email.
My research and compiling on the DDG Perth is not yet complete as you will see in the Dossier, I still need another 5 years to bring the outline up to date and then include all the material that comes in.
I would suggest that the CD draft “Vietnam Service Dossier “which I have sent you, will in the least be of interest to you. Yes that’s all I’ve done so far. Research, compile, and place those photos, long task, great fun, lots of work.
After the highlighted date on the Starboard side
1956 to 1967 And ‘Vietnam’
The highlighted date is the index, text colored ships side grey is wet paint, just placed there while I try double check the facts, so remember the date is the index. Time permitting, as I get to each ships deployment, I hope to place before the reader, what happened from the time of departure from Australia, throughout its deployment, to the ships return to home.
I hope to place before the reader the ROP’s, the (Report of Proceedings).
I would ask you the reader to note, as was pointed out to me that these (ROPs) are the words and thoughts of the Commanding Officer describing in detail the ship’s deployment on a day to day basis.
I have chosen to quote the ROPs so that you, the reader, can make up your own mind as to what happened during the deployment, and not read my interpretation of the facts.
In addition, I have used ‘The Vietnam War’ day by day editored by John S Bowman, for reference to the Sea and Ground War situation around our vessels. The publication. ‘Royal Australian Navy in Vietnam’ by Denis Fairfax.
Australian Government Printing Service Canberra 1980, was written to be a useful reference for students of naval history, the preface is signed by Denis FAIRFAX. Instructor Lieutenant Commander RAN, HMAS Leeuwin July 1974.
I have turned to use the work of Denis Fairfax, as a major reference to extend the knowledge of events and the situation at hand during those years that the RAN was involved in Vietnam.
In 2001 when I started this project I was not aware of the publication, and had obtained most of the Chronology from web sites, close to Anzac Day in 2004, my brother surfaced a copy of of the RAN in Vietnam, and I must admit on first reading I was somewhat taken aback by what was contained in this publication. There it all was in all detail and in many cases exceeded the scope of my own work. You can imagine my excitement and disapointment, excited at seeing so much detail and disapointment at finding out that someone else had all ready taken the trouble to write up the history of the RAN’s deployments to VIETNAM. It took me a little while to realise that this was indeed a blessing, I only hope that I can locate Denis FAIRFAX so I can discuss his work and how my efforts at this later date can compliment the purpose of his work.
It would be amiss of me not to mention the other Australian ships deployed during the timeline. In the out-lining stage of the project, I found in passage thru out the VIETNAM conflict the presence of HMAS Sydney in the vital role of troop transport and logistic support vessel. Her story and that of her escorts, is well covered in the book ‘The Vung Tau Ferry and Escort Ships” by Rodney NOTT & Noel PAYNE.
In endeverering to produce a pictorial timeline of the DDGs, a Vietnam Service Dossier for nearly all the Australian ships that saw service in Vietnam has evolved. Thank you to the many whose work and photographs I have used to put the basic research timeline down. Please be aware that I lost a lot of files, in a drive failure hopefully I have credited you all properly, if I have not credited you correctly or if you are agreeved.
Please email me at
jmarek@iinet.net.au
or write to John Marek, 54 Nyunda Drive.
Wannaroo. Perth, Western Australia. 6065. It’s an amazing, but humbling feeling to put a slice of history togeather, it’s even more amazing to realise one was actually there as some of it happened. This dossier continues to grow as a detailed pictorial timeline, aided by research from fellow shipmates, friends of friends and new contacts. My brother Richard and I would like to thank you all for being generous with your photographs, leads, constructive critisim and details.
Yours aye,
John MAREK. R63274 & Richard MAREK R110928 Re-vision last date Wednesday 25th of June 2005
The concept of the ‘Vietnam Service Dossier’ is copyright. I have compiled the facts from the public domain, released files from the Australian War Memorial, and highlighted the text with original photos from shipmates.
Where ever possible all submitted material is suitably credited and acknowledged.