www.ran-skilledhands.org
https://ran-skilledhands.org/phpBB3/

VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Jan'67
https://ran-skilledhands.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2656
Page 1 of 1

Author:  Hippy Chippy [ Sat Aug 31, 2019 9:01 pm ]
Post subject:  VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Jan'67

:-k From a post by former CPO Graeme Pocknee on the 'Retired RAN Personnel' Facebook page... :evil3:
:type: https://www.facebook.com/groups/navyvet ... 305248854/

Image

Graeme Pocknee‎: "On the last Friday in August 1979, 40 years ago tomorrow CPO Rodney Jackson was lost from HMAS Kimbla. We were leaving Melbourne, came round to port to pass through The Rip and hit 3 massive standing waves. I was cable party, on the quarter deck due to a Kedge Anchor and was suddenly up to my waist in sea water and surrounded by floating oil drums and 100 lb gas cylinders. That was inside the aft bathrooms, that were off the AX.

The A/C trunking was channelling sea water into the lower decks. Jacko came up to close down the mushroom vents.

We went to work recovering the situation, and limiting damage. ABRP Max Leeson was up a ladder warning when we needed to hold on for another swell coming through. I slid between a fire locker and the screen amidships, lost my footing bounced to the AX and grabbed the awning frapping line. Someone held "where's Jacko". Max and LSQMG Johnny Atkinson saw him face down in the water, surrounded by blood. He was not seen again.

I wore a gas cylinder across the forehead, fire main hand wheel to the abdomen and groin and was scared shitless as I bounced. In the Capt'ns Cabin CPOCOXN Tubby Watkins stitched up my forehead, with the words, I've never done this on a real person before. That was a great comfort in sea state 6 or 7... not.

The skipper couldn't alter course because of the risk of capsize. Once we cleared the Rip the skipper came into his cabin and cried, after he had released he returned to the job at hand on the bridge. A tough gig.

Chief Tiff Jacko was a Tasmanian, he hadn't seen his wife for 6 months, and in 4 days he would have been going home on leave.
Whenever remains have been found in that area the media goes straight to whether its Harold Holt.

Jacko was OOD before we sailed, he was on the gangway in his blues uniform with white socks, and I thought: "that's typical Jacko".

R.I.P Jacko. Never forgotten." [-o<

From some of the 106 subsequent posts/ comments, I learned who CPO Rodney Kim Jackson was...

Gary Clues: "RIP Jacko. A MOBI from Jan 67, (22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy,) always remembered by his intake."

Trevor Hill: "RIP Jacko. He was a good bloke. He, me and about 20 other first term sprogs were in the same hut at Nirimba."

Graeme Pocknee‎: "Chief Tiff Jacko was a Tasmanian, he hadn't seen his wife for 6 months, and in 4 days he would have been going home on leave."

Jeff Howell: "A great mate. Knew him since Sea Cadet days as kids, and joined up together. I was Chief Tiff at Huon that day. All the Rockies knew him well. Sadly we all miss him. RIP Rodney Kim Jackson."

Glenn Askew: "Jacko yelled at me to wake up and start bucketing up the flooding floor. He then said, 'I'm going up to close the vents.' I was the last person to speak to him. RIP."

Fred Crawford: "I was boats party at Cerberus. We took two work boats to meet Kimbla at Flinders to enable medevac of injured sailors. Took us two hours from Cerberus it was pretty rough in Westernport, let alone how rough it was at sea."

Richard Grimsey: "RIP Jacko, fellow MOBI from my intake. I remember in later years, when as the Master on a merchant ship, giving instructions to a bosun about securing the anchors before the Lonsdale Rip. I explained that I had lost a mate overboard from a Naval vessel and he turned around and said, "Was that Jacko? My father was the Captain on the HMAS Kimbla..!"

Author:  BC [ Sun Sep 01, 2019 7:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Ja

Image

Jacko was well liked by his term mates, especially the tiffies. This shot of young Rodney, was taken on Xmas Day '72, in Vampire.

RIP Jacko :salute1:

Author:  Graeme Rhodes [ Sun Sep 01, 2019 10:46 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Ja

I was on the Buccaneer at the time and was "steaming" into Melbourne and passed the mighty Snail on her way out. Not long after, we were told to reverse course to assist in the search for Jacko.
Typical day in Bass Strait, bloody rough! However unfortunately no sign could be found of him.
RIP Jacko.

Author:  Hippy Chippy [ Sun Sep 01, 2019 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Ja

Thanks for posting the photo of 'Jacko', BC, and for your comments Smiley and BC... :happy: I confess, like many others, I wasn't aware of the incident... :tear:
BTW, your PB got mentioned on FB, Smiley, :down: they just didn't know which PB it was... :captain:

David Toal: "We came in just behind, Can’t remember the boat but Attack class, very scary day. Had to turn and go back out through the Rip. Searched for 2 days to no avail. RIP"

Graeme Pocknee > David Toal: "I had forgotten about that. If I remember correctly you lost the FX guard rails and sheered the locking bolt in the 40/60."

Author:  Graeme Rhodes [ Mon Sep 02, 2019 11:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VALE: CPO Rodney Kim Jackson - 22nd MOBI Intake Tiffy Ja

Some of the roughest stuff I had ever experienced!!
Took us quite a while to untangle the anchor chain as well. Fx guardrail stanchions jury rigged to at least provide some safety. I wanted to ditch the bofor over the side (mainly useless, unreliable piece off shite).
What a night!!!

Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC + 10 hours [ DST ]
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/