WOMTH (Shipwright) Don Cuthbertson... VALE...

Seejay · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:44 pm

Received the following from Neil Hatchman this afternoon:

I noticed in today's Sydney paper a funeral notice for the passing of ex Chief Chippie Don Cuthbertson who passed away at Taree on Monday. He was 68.

I remember carrying his toolbag around onboard Melbourne when I first went to sea after leaving Nirimba.

Neil.

Chippy Ned · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:15 pm

I can't believe what I am reading, I sat down with Don when he was visiting friends in Vincentia about 18 months ago. We had a great chat for a couple of hours and he was telling me about this really nice girl he had met and how they were going to travel around this fantastic country of ours.

We served together in a couple of ships and I feel very sad that he has left us and we will never have the chance to talk about old times again.

Don was a member of our site and his profile reads as below:

Don Cuthbertson
R64825
Ex WOMTH
Direct Entry Chippy
Nov 1965 to Nov 1985
Nirimba, Sydney, Melbourne (2), Derwent, Stalwart, Fleet Hq. Coonawarra, Kuttabul, Cerberus.

I will always think about you old mate, may you rest in peace and always keep that beautiful bald head shining.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Jun 06, 2007 10:45 pm

I first learnt of the sad news of Don's passing in this e-mail from Peter Maher... :evil3:

Rick,

This will be of interest to you.

Rest In Peace Don Cuthbertson.

Peter Maher

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: del heuke <del>
Date: Jun 6, 2007 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: NAVY INFO PLEASE.
To: VETNET-AUSTRALIA@home.ease.lsoft.com

He was Don Cuthbertson, a mate of ours who did exercises with us VVs twice a week. He was also President of our Krambach RSL. Mesothelioma is very quick and not very nice.
As an aside the RSL is folding as now our President has died and Fred & I are about the only ones that can still stand on our own two feet and gawd knows Fred's are a bit shaky.

On 6/6/07, Peter Maher <steelcat41> wrote:
At the time he was in, an NS1 was a Naval Shipwright 1 - not a CPO, but given the privileges of a CPO, NS2 was equivalent to a Petty Officer (Sgt), and NS3 was equivalent to a Leading Seaman (Corporal), which is the rank that would have been held when first going to sea from training at the Apprentices School at NIRIMBA.

Can you b/c me the chaps name Del.

PM

On 6/6/07, del heuke <del> wrote:
We are in the process of organising an RSL funeral for an ex Navy W.O. Marine Tech.
He entered the Navy as General Entry - with a qualification as Coachbuilder for NSW Railways.
He was trained as a Naval Shipwright and listed as NS 1 Is that Naval Seaman level one and is it equivalent to private or airman
He is then listed as NS2 and would that represent Corporal rank?
He then did P.O. Leadership and instructors course - He is listed as CPOMTH what is that?
What is the equivalent rank of a CPO? with Army or RAAF and how does that rank with Warrant Officer Marine Technical Hull?

Where are they?

HMAS Cerberus

HMAS Kuttabul

HMAS Nirimba

Any stories you can give of HMAS Sydney on the Vung Tau Ferry about 1973 or on HMAS Melbourne 1969. or HMAS Derwent 1974.

He paid the ultimate price - Mesothelioma from asbestos.

Thanks to you all. Del.

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:type:

To which I replied:

Thanks for the notification Pete,

Sad news indeed to hear of Don's passing... Like most Direct Entry Naval Shipwrights (DENS) he was very well liked by all he came in contact with...

Don did his Direct Entry Naval Shipwright Course with us in 1965 while I was still an Apprentice at HMAS Nirimba...

A few corrections to the information below...

Don didn't go through the Navy's Apprentice's School as an apprentice, he joined the RAN as a Direct Entry Naval Shipwright, (having a compatible civilian trade qualification as a Coachbuilder,) as a Naval Shipwright 2, (NS2) carrying a rank of Petty Officer.

(Direct Entry Naval Shipwrights, with civilian trade qualifications such as Coachbuilders, Carpenters, Painters, Patternmakers, Welders, Boilermaker Welders, Blacksmiths, Plumbers, Cabinetmakers, Boat Builders, even civilian Shipwrights could join the fleet as Naval Shipwrights, after a short assimilation course at HMAS Nirimba with the Naval Artificer Apprentices. These Direct Entry Tradesmen, or in Don's case DENS, were your original '90-Day-Wonders'...!)

Progressing through the ranks, Don would then have 'picked up his buttons' as a Naval Shipwright 1, which contrary to popular misconception by non-trades ranks, was a fully fledged Chief Petty Officer (just not yet in charge of a branch).

Next Don would have made CNS or a Chief Naval Shipwright, still a Chief Petty Officer, but now in charge of other CPO's, (NS1's,) PO's, (NS2's,) and Naval Artificer Apprentices (NS3's, carrying the rank of Leading Seaman,) graduating from the Royal Australian Navy Apprentice Training Establishment, (RANATE) HMAS Nirimba.

Somewhere along the way, Naval Shipwrights were 'dragged kicking and screaming' to be fully integrated into the Engineering Branch, and were all then known as 'Marine Technical Hull'. However all of the above is a moot point as Don went on to become (and paid off from the Navy as) a Warrant Officer, a WOMTH...

Don will be missed by all of us 'Chippies', as will be observed when the tributes for Don start flowing into our www.RAN-SkilledHands.org Forum/ Website, where Don was a Member...... (Don will have his own topic which can be found by clicking here: http://www.ran-skilledhands.org/phpBB2/ ... php?t=1138 )

Don's profile on RAN Skilled Hands reads:

Don Cuthbertson
R64825
Ex WOMTH
Direct Entry Chippy
Nov 1965 to Nov 1985
Nirimba, Sydney, Melbourne (2), Derwent, Stalwart, Fleet Hq. Coonawarra, Kuttabul, Cerberus.

For reference for Del Heuke:

To 'Warrant Officer Marine Technical', Del needs to add 'Hull' (WOMTH)
Also:
HMAS Nirimba (RANATE) was a Naval Base in Quakers Hill, NSW
HMAS Sydney was our Troop Carrier through the Vietnam era
HMAS Melbourne was our Aircraft Carrier
HMAS Derwent was a Destroyer
HMAS Stalwart was our Fleet Maintenance Ship
Fleet Headquarters is in Sydney (HMAS Kuttabul)
HMAS Coonawarra was the Communication Base in Darwin
HMAS Kuttabul is a Naval Base in Kings Cross (also Fleet HQ)
HMAS Cerberus id now our Principal Training Base in Westernport (Crib Point) Victoria

Hope that answers all the queries...

VALE, DON... [-o<

Steelcat41 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 5:31 am

Be advised that Don's Funeral will take place at 1100AM This Friday 8th June, 2007 at the Catholic Church at Krambach - NSW Mid North Coast.

Krambach can be reached by turning left from the Pacific Highway at Nabiac, and then proceeding for around 7 - 8 km towards Gloucester.

Blue skies and gentle breezes Don, wherever you may roam.

Rest In Peace.

Jak Cuttle · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 10:10 am

Although we only crossed paths briefly on a couple of occasions, Don left an impression.
He was a good friend during those brief times and will be sadly missed by all he touched.

Smooth sailing my friend.

BC · **Posted:** Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:52 pm

Damn, the last time I saw Don he looked okay. We had a chat and he was telling me he was trying to sell his small farm. I just can't believe things can happen so fast.

Served with Don a couple of times and it was only last year that I found out he was living only about 30kms from me.

It's a pity I am unable to attend his funeral and pay my respects, as I'm currently on the Far North Coast until the end of the month.

Don will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

RIP

HenryS · **Posted:** Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:56 am

Served with Don on the Sydney and Kuttabul FMP nice guy very easy to work with he will be missed by all who new him.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:13 am

Received this, forwarded on from Peter Maher this morning... :evil3:

Rick,

FYI - you may wish to post on "Skilled Hands"

Regards,

Peter

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: del heuke <del>
Date: 13-Jun-2007 08:35
Subject: THANKYOU
To: Peter Maher <steelcat41>

Hi Peter,
I spoke to Jacqui Cuthbertson last night and she was very touched by the messages of condolence posted on the RAN web page, the details of which, you sent me. I had given her a copy and she and her daughter were able to access them. Some had moved them to tears. She is contemplating using one on Don's headstone. Please pass on mine & Jacqui's personal thanks to the blokes.

Our sincere condolences go out to Jacqui and her daughter for their sad loss of a much loved Chippy... VALE DON... [-o<

Viv · **Posted:** Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:02 am

I served with Don on the Stalwart, it was a good posting Don was Stalwarts Chief Chippy and I was the Fima Chief we worked really well together we had a lot in common We were both DENS and we were both Coach Builders by trade We were also Number 1 & 2 on the Warrant Officer promotion list we did have little rivalry but we tried to hide the knives most of the time
Ill miss Don he was a good mate

WOMTH (Shipwright) Don Cuthbertson... VALE...

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