I just received a very sad e-mail stating that our old mate Nigel from the 12th MOBI Intake and fellow Skilled Hands member, (Mobi524), passed over the bar at 0620 this morning.
Nigel has been fighting a cruel battle against illness for some time now and finally succumbed.

Rest in peace old buddy, we will remember the good times we had together and the stirring you dished out when we were in first term. We will also remember your intense and humorous posts over the years.

Farewell old mate.

_________________

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.

Nigel was the chief greenie on Moresby when we first base ported to Fremantle. Lots of happy memories from that time and humorous stories, a lot from Nigel. I recall that be he took great pride in fine tuning the number of "travellers" that were consumed on the daily drive home from Freeo to Mandurah in his Torana SLR 5000 when we were in port.

Real straight shooter and top bloke taken far too soon.

Rest your oars Nigel and may you 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.

Vale Nigel, may you have sunshine and calm seas on your journey. My condolences to your family and friends.

_________________

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!

I met Nigel when he was at W.N.D and at that stage he had an XU1 Torana. a fairly rare 1973 Bathurst version, not that he knew what he had. It was an XU1 that was the main thing.

A really funny guy that will long be remembered. I am saddened to hear of his death.

Sail on Nigel.

_________________
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

Shit, shit, shit!!
NBO taken way, way to soon. A real nice bloke and a wicked sense of humour.
Sadly missed
Rest easy ol' mate, rest easy.

_________________
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.

Terrible news
Vale Nigel may you have smooth seas and following winds on your new draft RIP
Viv

_________________
Viv MacLeod
R65148
Morran(March 66)
ME(D)-DENS-WOMTH4
1966 to 1986
Cerberus,Duchess,Waterhen,Hawk,Nirimba, Melbourne,Torrens,Perth, Leeuwin,Stalwart,Stirling,Kutabul

To say I'm shocked is an understatement.

It was good catching up with Nigel at the WA skilled hands function in Freo.

RIP Nigel.

_________________
Trevor A Davies
R43007
Ex CPOETW3
18th Mobi Intake Jan 65
10th Jan 65 to Jan 77
Nirimba, Sydney, Vendetta, Melbourne, Waterhen, Cairns, Stalwart.

Totally shocked to hear the news, another shipmate from Stirling (after Wedgehead Wray) crossed the bar far too soon.

Rest easy mate your work is done.

_________________
Norm Noack
R43049
Ex-WOETW4
18th MOBI Intake
Jan 65 to Jan 86
HMAS Nirimba (4yrs), HMAS Hobart (5yrs), RANTAU (2yrs), HMAS Stalwart (2yrs), HMAS Perth (2yrs), HMAS Stirling (2yrs), Navy Office (3yrs), HMAS Stirling (1yr). Civilian Engineering and construction (24yrs), Pensioner since 2010.

Turret T S Testing communications how do you hear me? T S Turret, too effin loud and too effin often, and so began my and Nigel's days on the Derwent. When we met in later years we always started our conversations off like that and then had a good laugh. We had many great runs ashore "up top" and I feel absolutely devastated that he is no longer with us. R.I.P. Nige old mate I will never forget those years on the Derwent, and my condolences to your family and friends.
Tim.

_________________
Tim Baker.
R42579.
Ex CPOETS4.
13th. MOBI intake.
July 1962 to Sept 1983.
Nirimba,Cerberus,Derwent,Lonsdale,Waratah(USA),Hobart,Navy Office,Stalwart,Perth,Navy Office.

I have heard that Nigel's funeral is on Wednesday in Bunbury.

Unfortunately I'm not back into Aust, so won't be able to attend.

_________________
Trevor A Davies
R43007
Ex CPOETW3
18th Mobi Intake Jan 65
10th Jan 65 to Jan 77
Nirimba, Sydney, Vendetta, Melbourne, Waterhen, Cairns, Stalwart.