Hi All,

Ray's funeral will be held at 1330, Monday 27 July at St Aidans Anglican Church at Eureka, Cnr Whian Rd and Federal Dr.

It will be a Poppy Service.

Regards

John (Simmonds)

_________________

Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Melbourne - HMAS Cerberus - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Lonsdale - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Brisbane

Rest in peace Ray Speight.

I served with Ray on two occasions, firstly on the Sydney when I was fresh out of Nirimba and at my most adventurous, causing Ray untold problems, and secondly at Creswell after I had settled down. I always found him to be a great boss and straight down the line, which is all a man can ask.

We must all eventually cross the bar, but I was really sad to read that Ray had passed away.

_________________

John Kelly (WEBMASTER)
R42620
Ex-WOMTH
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'83
Nirimba x3 - Rushcutter - Sydney x2 (Carrier) - Melbourne (Carrier) - Penguin - Kuttabul - Creswell x3 - Stalwart x2 - Brisbane.

Had the privilege of working with him on a couple of postings and as others have mentioned he was a genuine straight shooter who would do all he could to assist where possible.

Vale Ray, may you have fair seas and following winds, it was a pleasure serving with you. RIP Ray.

_________________
Mike (Pony) Moore
O42860
Ex-LT GLEN(ME)
16th MOBI intake
Jan 64 - Jul 88.
Anzac, Nirimba, Stalwart, Moresby, Creswell, Waterhen, Penguin, Vampire, GMGID (PJP), Coonawarra, Attack, Ardent, Cook, Kuttabull, Cerberus.

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.

Wasn't Ray the Officer that went to Darwin ready to hang the chippy running the Synchro lift when the Patrol Boat fell over?

Only to be the best defence witness at the court masrshall when he stated that there was no training in running such an intricate piece of Mechanical engineeering and no training in the subtlties of docking and undocking boats and ships.

Then the dockmasters course came into being. I did that course and it was a great course.

_________________
Peter Sneddon
R95971
Ex CPOMTH4
18th JR Intake
23rd MOBI Intake
Jan 67 to July 91
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Sydney, Perth, FMP-W, Stuart, Penguin/Ships Divers course, Stuart, Lonsdale, Melbourne, Kuttabul, Cerberus, Stuart, Swan, Nirimba/ Q course, Cerberus, CPSO-M

I cannot really remember Ray but PK's words tell me he was a very well respected man who stood up for his troops!

Smooth seas Ray and RIP.

_________________
Peter Ferris
R65102
Ex-WOMTP5
Direct Entry
Mar 1966 to July 1987
Cerberus X 3,Waterhen x 4,Supply, Gull,Ibis, Paluma, Lonsdale, Flinders x 2,Curlew, Snipe, Carpentaria, Nirimba, Adelaide, FHQ (DEE)

RIP Ray. I was his assistant at FHQ from 1980-83 when he was the Fleet Shipwright Officer. Ray was a dedicated officer who was thorough and professional in the way he required hull surveys to be carried out. Following on from Peter Sneddon's post above, immediately following my stint at FHQ I was posted to DNB, did the dockmaster's course and was involved in docking patrol boats. A much easier task after the construction of sidearms for use on the synchrolift cradle which I believe Ray was, in large part, responsible for introducing.

_________________
Peter Ellis
R105410
ex CPOMTH4
26th MOBI Intake
Jan 69 to Aug 1990
Nirimba, Sydney (troop transport), Stalwart, Parramatta, Stuart, Kuttabul x 2 (FMP, FHQ), Coonawarra x 2 (reconstruction team, DNB), Creswell (JBRF)

An e-mail from Bob Mummery tonight announced the sad passing of another of 'The Black Hole Gang'... Ex CERA Bob Woodland...

.......................................

Another passed to the Great Engine Room in the Sky.

I did not know Bob Woodland but many of you may have.

Yours aye

Bob Mummery

.....................................

Ex CERA Bob Woodland

Bob,

Some of your mailing list members may remember Bob Woodland, ex-RN and later RAN Chief ERA.

I understand he served in MELBOURNE and at NIRIMBA during his time in the RAN.

Bob passed away last night after a very brief illness with multiple cancers.

Regards,

Peter Plumridge

_________________

Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Melbourne - HMAS Cerberus - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Lonsdale - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Brisbane

Bob was an instructor at Nirimba and I met him briefly when I was also on the instructional staff. Didn't know him well but in all my dealings with him he came across as an easy to get on with nice guy. Rest your oars Bob, may you have fair winds and following seas. RIP.

_________________
Mike (Pony) Moore
O42860
Ex-LT GLEN(ME)
16th MOBI intake
Jan 64 - Jul 88.
Anzac, Nirimba, Stalwart, Moresby, Creswell, Waterhen, Penguin, Vampire, GMGID (PJP), Coonawarra, Attack, Ardent, Cook, Kuttabull, Cerberus.

May your walls know joy; May every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.

Dear All,

Many of you will have known the late Rear Admiral J.D. Stevens RAN ret., who passed away on Thursday 30th July after a short illness. The funeral notice is in today’s Sydney Morning Herald.
A Farewell service will be held at the Camellia Chapel, Macquarie Park Crematorium, cnr Dehli and Plassey Roads, North Ryde, at 10:30 am, Wednesday 5th August.

Yours aye

Bob Mummery

_________________

Rick Pengilly
WEBMASTER
Ex-CPOMTH3
R42630
13th MOBI Intake
July'62 to July'74
HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Melbourne - HMAS Cerberus - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Lonsdale - HMAS Tarangau - HMAS Nirimba - HMAS Brisbane

I have been advised that in today's Courier Mail is the funeral notice for:

Chief Petty Officer MTP3 Brian Charles Wood, aged 68, from Minden.

RIP Brian, finished with main engines, may you enjoy peaceful seas and warm breezes on your journey forward.

_________________

Chris O'Keefe
R43136
Ex WO Chippy
19th MOBI Intake
July 65 to July 85
HMAS Nirimba X 4 -Penguin-Sydney-Queenborough - Creswell - Moreton - Stalwart - Platypus - Coonawarra Reconstruction Team 76 - Platypus - Hobart - Cerberus - FHQ - Coonawarra.

Anyone can be ordinary. Shipwrights choose to be extraordinary!