Vale - Nils Bernard Blyth

I received this sad news today via the grapevine.

Nils was in the 15th MOBI intake and I remember Nils as a kind gentle man, who will be greatly missed.

Rest on your oars mate.


Gents

It is with great sadness and regret that I write to inform you that our esteemed Mobi mate Nils Blyth passed away last night after a sudden stroke.

Nils joined Nirimba from Gympie in July 1963. After completing his Shipwrights apprenticeship, he served on Melbourne, Sydney, Harman, Tarangau, Stalwart, Torrent, Hobart, Navy Office and possibly Albatross.

He was a regular attendee at the Anzac day march in Bungendore, where I last saw him (and foolishly tried to keep up with him at the bar).

His family have indicated that his funeral will probably be held on tuesday, further details will be posted when known.

Could you all please let your email network know of his passing, as I have lost many of my contacts.

A larger than life character.

Fair winds and smooth sailing big fella.

Ron Hourigan

_________________
Gordon Robertson
ex-CPOETC
R42793
15th MOBI Intake
July63 to March74
Nirimba, Sydney III, Collingwood(UK), WSTG(UK), Lonsdale, Swan, Cerberus, Kuttabul, Harman, Kuttabul(RANTAU)

Very sad to hear about Nils, a charachter and a gentle giant, well liked by all, gone far, far too soon...

Rest on your oars 'Bobo' your journey's complete...

Also received the following from Ian 'Fritz' Hansen tonight..

Rick,
It was sad news indeed about "Bobo". He was a great mate and has left us way to soon. I served on Sydney, Tarangau and Stalwart with him, he was always a willing sparing partner and a general all round good hand.
With sadness
Fritz .

_________________

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

Spent a year at Creswell with Nils and found he was a gentle giant with a heart of gold.

One of my favourite memories was Nils riding up Benson Road on his little minibike and forgetting to throttle back when he changed up to second gear. With the automatic clutch it near threw him off the bike backwards!

Then came Christmas Day '71 and he put a cold keg of beer in the back of his Falcon wagon and went visiting the marriedies in the patch for the rest of the day, spreading lots of Christmas cheer!

It was a pleasure to know you, Nils. May you have calm seas and gentle breezes on your voyage.

....and when you get there, could you tell the big fella to lay off the Mobis for a while? We've lost far too many of late.

_________________

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!

Fond memories of Nils ("BoBo") from nirimba. He really was a gentle giant.
Far too soon to be taken.

Rest easy Nils, you will now have fair winds and following seas.

_________________
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.

Farewell Bobo you were a good bloke!!

_________________
Steve Shepherd
R43062
Ex-CPOMTH3
18th MOBI Intake
Jan 65 to Jan 78
Nirimba,Sydney,Vampire,Tarangau,Albatross, Stalwart,Creswell.

Never knew Nils on a personal level but certainly remember him as a big larger than life gentle bloke when at Nirimba.
Sad day indeed, rest easy 'Bobo' job well done.

_________________
Graeme 'Smiley' Rhodes
R94714
Ex-CPOMTP(D)5
Jan'65 Leeuwin Intake (10th) - Jan'66 Nirimba Intake (20th)
Jan'65 to Mar '88
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Stalwart, Samarai, Lae, Penguin, Curlew, Buccaneer, Navy Office, Barbette, Cairns, RANTTU (based in Port Moresby), Stirling, Bunbury.

Note from Tony Rumble_



I'm having some trouble finding the address of St Raphael's Church and have sent a note to Ron for details.

I have spoken to several from our term and Nils passing is hitting us all a bit hard. Nils was a rock.
He has been looking after Kathy, his wife, who has been not well for some time now and we are concerned for her welfare.

_________________
Gordon Robertson
ex-CPOETC
R42793
15th MOBI Intake
July63 to March74
Nirimba, Sydney III, Collingwood(UK), WSTG(UK), Lonsdale, Swan, Cerberus, Kuttabul, Harman, Kuttabul(RANTAU)

I agree with all the posts above, Nils was one of those gentle giant type of blokes that everybody loved.

Chris mentioned a Christmas married patch run with a keg in the back of the car at Creswell in the seventies, I was with Nils on one or two of those runs and I can remember the good cheer that was spread. He was single at the time and I was married, consequently he got me in the shit something fierce as we ended up quite pissed by the end of the day.

I haven't seen him in latter years, but I remember the wonderful times we had at Creswell and on the Sydney.

Rest easy big fella.

_________________

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.