A Farewell to those with whom we served...

Honest Tad · **Posted:** Tue Nov 22, 2016 6:51 pm

I have just found out Tony Roser, ex JR, greenie and Rugby man passed away last Sunday (20th Nov). Tony had been fighting cancer for a while and finally gave way on Sunday.

I didn't know Tony that well as I met him through mutual friends.

RIP mate.

Robert W Moult · **Posted:** Tue Nov 22, 2016 7:36 pm

Sad to hear of the passing of Tony Roser, a great rugby player and a really amiable fella, he has gone up to join a very good Navy rugby side, one which I at least hope to get onto the reserves bench when I "kick the bucket". :kenoath:

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:38 pm

From: Michael Storrs
Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2016 11:47 AM
Subject: OBIT CDRE PETER McKAY RAN

Please find attached an Obituary to Peter published in the quarterly publication "Omnibus" of our old school Toowoomba Grammar. It was largely written by
his widow Lesley & edited to fit the space available but reckon we've done him proud.

Cheers,

Mick

VALE COMMODORE PETER DUNCAN MCKAY RAN (Ret’d) – TGS (Toowoomba Grammar School) 1951-53

Born in Cairns in 1936, Peter McKay was the youngest son of Ronald and Dorothy McKay. He and his brother Donald enjoyed a happy childhood in Queensland when they were evacuated from Brisbane to live with their Palmer family cousins in Chinchilla as Queensland was under threat of attack by the Japanese.

After the war, the family settled in Toowoomba and Peter’s friends from school days at Toowoomba Grammar School remained life-long friends. Keith Denton (1951-52) and Peter entered the Royal Australian Naval College together in 1953; shared a flat in Sydney together as bachelors while on sea-going postings; and until Keith’s recent death, telephoned regularly whenever the Reds played the Brumbies.

Lifelong friend David Stanton (1951-54) and his wife, Elizabeth were among the first to call to offer their condolences after Peter died. Elizabeth and Peter sat next to each other at Toowoomba North State School.

Much later, while living in retirement in Canberra, Peter renewed his friendship with Dick Honor, who had taught him at TGS prior to eventually teaching also at the Royal Australian Naval College at Flinders in Victoria. Dick and Peter derived much pleasure from reminiscing over their shared TGS and RAN experiences.

After graduating as dux at the Royal Australian Naval College in 1955, Peter proceeded to the United Kingdom for further training in HMS Triumph and at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. His many appointments during his 39 years in the RAN included two and a half years’ sea-going service with the Royal Malaysian Navy during the period of Indonesia’s Confrontation with Malaysia in the early 1960s, and two and a half years as the Executive Officer of HMAS Duchess. In 1973, as a junior Commander, he was posted in command of HMAS Tarangau (the RAN’s patrol boat base on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea) and to oversee the Base’s orderly transfer to the PNG Defence Force prior to independence in 1975.

Peter commanded the RAN Fleet Tanker HMAS Supply and the Recruit Training establishment HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia in the 1980s. Early in 1983 he undertook a secondment to the UNHCR in Geneva and Bangkok to audit the operational and organisational performance and funding adequacy of a UN sponsored south-east Asian anti-piracy programme for the Gulf of Thailand and South China Sea. Other appointments as Captain and Commodore included two years with Defence’s Strategic and International Policy Division and three years as Director-General, Naval Equipment Projects, which involved the management oversight of major acquisitions such as Harpoon missiles and Seahawk helicopters. At retirement in 1992, Peter was the Commandant of the Australian Joint Services Staff College in Canberra. As a Commodore (Brigadier equivalent), Peter was the most senior Naval old boy of the seaman branch to have served in the RAN & is recognized on the school's Wall of Achievement.

In 1970 in Geelong, Victoria, Peter married Lesley, the sister of friend and naval colleague Hamish MacGowan, with whom he had had served in Malaysia. Their eldest son Alexander was born in Canberra in 1971. James was born in January, 1973 just 3 weeks after they arrived on Manus Island.

Peter was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 1993 but he still managed to follow the Brumbies and Wallabies.

After suffering a stroke in December 2014, Peter lived at Sir Leslie Morshead Manor, an RSL residential aged care facility at Lyneham, ACT, and received wonderful care until he passed away on 10 September 2016.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:04 pm

From: Paul Nicholas
Sent: Wednesday, 21 December 2016 6:52 AM
To: Bob Mummery
Subject: Captain W. H. Money

G,day Bob,

Dave Snow passes on your emails to me and I thought you may be interested in
the death notice in this mornings Gold Coast Bulletin of the passing of Bill Money
here on the coast on the 11th December. Bill was the Commander (E) on Hobart's
first deployment to Vietnam in 1967. Bill lived at Nerang on the Gold Coast after
he retired from the Navy. He was 88.
A sad passing, he was a good bloke and great to serve under.

Regards

Paul Nicholas

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:56 pm

I have now been able to confirm some sad news that I picked up from :type:

Facebook :read1:

a few minutes ago, that Michele
Butcher, lovely wife of our buddy and 13th MOBI Intake Subs Tiffy (WO) Fred Butcher has passed away. :omg1:

Fred tells me it was all quiet sudden, after Michele retired with a severe migraine, later passing away peacefully in her sleep...

I'd like to offer my sincere condolences to Fred and to son Nicholas. [-o<

tafmo · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2017 7:53 pm

That's very sad news. Worked with Fred for many years in the ILS Dept of ASC when we were building the COLLINS Class. I think the last time I caught up with him and Michele was in Tanunda at your last reunion.

My condolences to Fred and his family for their loss of a lovely lady.

Hippy Chippy · **Posted:** Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:22 pm

Yes, Bob, I remember hooking you and Rhonda and Fred and Michele up over lunch at our 13th MOBI Intake 50th Reunion in Tanunda... Very sad indeed... [-(

tafmo · **Posted:** Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:42 pm

Fred was in fact ASC employee number 1 back in the old days when we prepared to build the COLLINS Class. :supz:

Pony · **Posted:** Sun Mar 26, 2017 10:33 pm

Seems another RAN rugby stalwart Ken "Fatty" McMiles OAM crossed the bar last month (24th Feb) at the age of 75. Ken coached many service ship/establishment teams along with navy inter service rep teams and I think he also coached a combined services rep team. Lots of good memories of Ken and he will be a sad loss to his family and the Camden rugby club where he also coached. Vale Ken may you have fair seas and following winds.

piquet · **Posted:** Thu Apr 27, 2017 4:53 pm

For those that know him and the others who know him by reputation I saw today the LCDR "Ike" Levy passed away last Friday. He was the XO at Lonsdale in the mid 1970's.
He may have been aGunnery Office but was in the same mould as WOCOXN Tim Collins. Really tuff but fair at the same time
Ike was a veteran of WW2, Korea, Malaya and Vietnam.
I had seen him at many Anzac parades over the years. He had change little over the years. I asked about him this year and no one knew. Then the news came out today.
Ike was aged 94 so he had an innings and a half

RIP Sir. You have done your nation proud.

A Farewell to those with whom we served...

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