Copied this from another site!

"I found this notice on the guest book.

Monday October 2, 2006 - 06:09pm
Regret to inform you all of the death of Bruce Swain (Delta). He died last Friday 29/09/06 after a long battle with cancer. Lest We Forget. Paul Harris (AUS2) HMS Ark Royal 1972/73

Rest in Peace Bruce.

_________________
Geoff (flash) Jordan
Ex LME(D) ExLSMTPD3* R66224 Mar 1967- Nov 1979 "

Can anyone confirm if this is correct

If so

VALE

Smooth seas Bruce

RIP

_________________
Charlie (Chuckles) Britt JP TPI
Welfare Pensions Officer
R95712
Ex-LME(D) LSMTP2
17th Intake JR's, 23rd MOBI Intake .
Oct 66 - Nov 74
Leeuwin, Nirimba, Cerberus, Stalwart, Cerberus, Waterhen, Penguin, Carpentaria, Dolphin, Penguin, Sydney, Albatross, Leeuwin, Acute, Leeuwin, Cerberus, Stalwart, Waterhen, Attack, Leeuwin, DEE.

Rest in peace, Bruce.

_________________
Fred Russell

Enlisted USMC 3 March 1972 on delayed entry. Active duty 17 June 1972. Due to a Reduction In Force as the Vietnam War wound down, discharged for a minor medical problem , 23 July 1972.

I never met Detla personally but it is sad to hear that after his many victories against insidious cancers, he has lost this final battle.

RIP

_________________
Brian Carney
R43371
Ex-WOMTP5
22nd Mobi Intake
Jan 67 - Jan 89
RANATE, Sydney, Swan, Creswell, Stalwart (FMU), Cerberus, Derwent, Nirimba, Parramatta, Nirimba, FHQ (FMMO).

Had a lot respect with Delta with all his various post he made on here. He used to talk about his victory over the big C but this time

Delta will be sadly missed RIP mate, in the big ship in the sky.

_________________
Ron Preddy (spud),
S114945
Ex POMTP3
July 73, 3rd Muppet, 35th Nirimba
1973 to 1985,
Nirimba, Melbourne, Albatross (MT compound), Kuttabul (FMP), Derwent, Leeuwin (Broken leg/boats W/Shop), Derwent, Torrens and Darwin Naval Base (main machine shop).

That's my Ford FPV Cobra GT

BRUCE SWAIN

Bruce Swain was born and raised in Newcastle, New South Wales. After graduating from the Royal Australian Naval College, Jervis Bay, in 1963, he served in the Royal Australian Navy for 23 years in HMA Ships Melbourne, Sydney, Vampire, Derwent, Duchess, Stalwart, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Bruce left the RAN in 1980 with the rank of Lieutenant Commander but continued with his maritime career, firstly in the Bass Strait offshore oil industry, then in the RAN Emergency Reserve and with the Principal Naval Representative, liaising with ADI on refits and maintenance of RAN ships at Garden Island.

His early interest in naval history has grown and encouraged him to broaden his study to cover all three Services and particularly their participation in World War II. He now lives in Hervey Bay, Queensland, with his wife and two beagles.

What are you reading now?
At this moment, The Power Curve by Richard Herman (fiction).
I read anything I can find on present-day warfare - i.e., imaginary conflicts that have a ring of possible truth to them.

What was your favourite book as a child?
As a very young child, Tootle - a Little Golden Book.
Later I enjoyed Biggles, Fatty Finn and such.

What is your favourite book of all time?
I can't really say - but Tom Clancy's Red Storm Rising would have to be close.

When did you start writing and why?
I started writing when I was around 10 years old, for school magazines - articles on Australian naval history. My first "serious" writing was in 1980, when I wrote an article for the Sydney Sun newspaper on the 25th anniversary of the commissioning of HMAS Melbourne into the RAN.
In 1981 I wrote an article for The Navy magazine titled "Right Idea - Wrong Ship" on the proposed acquisition of HMS Invincible for the RAN, and later the same year wrote an article headed "Our Unarmed Forces" for Australian Penthouse magazine.
Writing on Australian military history of World War 2 started in 1995, as part of "Australia Remembers" - I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper ("This Week In The War") out of which evolved Chronology.

What was your first job?
I joined the Royal Australian Naval College in 1960, straight from 4th year at high school.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to join the navy.

What units did you serve with on active service?
I served in HMA Ships Melbourne (aircraft-carrier), Sydney (troop transport/training ship), Stalwart (maintenance ship), Brisbane (guided missile destroyer), Vampire and Duchess (destroyers), Derwent (destroyer-escort), and Swan (training frigate); at Navy Office in Canberra; at HMAS Watson, Fleet Headquarters and Garden Island Dockyard in Sydney; in HMS Ark Royal (aircraft carrier) and at the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, U.K.

What was your most enjoyable posting and why?
Definitely to HMS Ark Royal, in 1972-73. I was controlling Royal Navy Phantom F-4K interceptors, and during one major exercise we spent most of the time intercepting Russian "shadowers".

What have you learnt most about being in the armed forces?
Mostly, that we need them! And that as far as Australia is concerned, they are frighteningly inadequate!

When you're not writing what else do you do?
Housework!

Who would you most like to meet?
Unfortunately, the people I would like to meet most are dead - John Denver, Brigadier Arnold Potts, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ralph Honner. I would also like to meet Lieutenant-General Peter Cosgrove - who was in the right place at the right time and made the most of it.

Who has been the biggest influence on your career?
Nobody that I can think of.

What's the best thing and the worst thing about writing a book?
The best thing is definitely the pride and satisfaction in having it published.
The worst thing is waiting for the decision to be made whether or not it is going to be published!

What are you currently working on?
Amending Tobruk Diary, the first draft of which I have already submitted to A&U. Completing Kokoda Diary - but I really need to 'Trek the Track', and have submitted an application for a grant from the Army History Research Grants Scheme for the necessary funds.

Found this interview with Bruce it briefly sums up Bruce's goals and achievements and as the last paragraph shows he wanted to do the track Im so glad he made it

Rest In Peace Bruce
I will miss your posts on SH

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

VALE BRUCE



Whilst I’d never actually met Bruce, such is the nature of our Forum/ Website that we were all able to feel we knew him well, sharing his joys and his challenges. Viv’s post gives us some insight into Bruce’s Naval and post-Naval careers, to most of us he was simply ‘Delta’…

Bruce was an acclaimed author, and as ‘Delta’ had been a prolific poster on RAN Skilled Hands since 13th April 2004, knowledgeable on all things NAVY, always up for a debate, yet never pushing himself onto anyone uninvited.

Bruce’s contributions to RAN SH are still evident in his 169 remaining posts that are currently spread out over a wide span of Topics, and that’s AFTER SeeJay’s recent pruning…

Knowing of Bruce’s long and valiant battle with cancer, we suspected something might be amiss when we hadn’t seen a post from him for some time… Bruce’s last post was was over a month ago, dated Thursday 24th August 2006 at 7:59PM and was in the Topic he created on General (Naval) Knowledge Quiz…

Farewell Delta, thank you for adding to our lives with your contributions on RAN Skilled Hands, you will be missed…

_________________

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

Yes, I had a bit of a feeling that he had suffered a further relapse of his malady.

I saw Bruce when he was up here transiting through Cairns for the Kokoda trip.

He was buzzing with excitement before he left, but drained of all energy and very, very thin. I had serious doubts he would return on his own two feet, but the bugger did, and was agog about what he had seen and the sadness of having visited the War Cemetery on the trail.

We went to the RSL for lunch and a beer before he flew home, and he couldn't finish a quarter of his sandwich. The beers were demolished quick enough, though.

Rick asked me to take a few photos of Bruce to have on the site, but in deference to Bruce and his obviously frail condition that he was a bit self-conscious about, I conveniently forgot. I don't regret that 'oversight' at all.

Seeya Delta. May you have fair winds, a following sea, and the warm sun on your face.

_________________

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!

Vale Delta.

I never had the honour of meeting you, but I wish I had had you as a DO instead of some of the d*ckheads the Navy served up!

Fair Winds & Smooth Seas!

_________________
Steve Johns
R110510
Ex POETS
31st MOBI Intake
July 71 to July 81
Nirimba, Kuttabul, WRE, Kuttabul, WRE, Kuttabul, Parramatta, WRE, Yarra, Stalwart, Derwent.
_______________________________________

Delta,
You fought the brave fight, and will be sadly missed.
My only regret is that I did not call you on the phone more than the odd call we had together before the last valiant battle you had.
LEST WE FORGET.

ColN

_________________
Col Nash, R45380
Ex Mech1 (CPO)
1958/59 Mech's Cse (FND Eng School)
June 1951/Dec 1963 Ships. "Australia" II, "Tobruk I", "Sydney III", "Anzac II", "Yarra III".............Depots. "Cerberus"x2, "Tarangau", "Penguin", "Lonsdale".

Smooth sailing Delta.

Hope it's easier for you on the other side. If Peter stops you at the gates, I'm confident you'll successfully argue your way in.

RIP Bruce.

_________________
Robin (Bob) King
R105234
Ex-WOETS4
25th MOBI Intake
July 68 - June 88
Nirimba, Waratah (Dam Neck), Brisbane, Waratah (Mare Is & LBNSY), Harman (CDSC), Waratah (Mare Is), Brisbane, Harman (Navy Office & CDSC), Waratah (Dam Neck & Mare Is), Harman (CDSC)

Wisdom comes with age, sometimes age comes alone.