I just received my lastest newsletter "The Ferryman" from the HMAS Sydney & VLSVA and I noticed this article.

Many will remember Jack especially the Chippies.





Fair winds and smooth sailing Jack.

_________________
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).

Time to put up the sail, relax and enjoy the voyage Jack. Farewell.

_________________

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 remember Jack quite well, it is always sad when a name from the past comes up in this forum.

Farewell old fella, no more pipes to unblock ..... rest in peace.

_________________

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.

Jack showed me just how to burn out urinal drains on the 'Ferry' when the wind was "just right"

Many a pleading visit from the Middie of the watch from the bridge!

Fair winds good friend

_________________
Jak Cuttle
R42531
Ex-CPOMTH
12th MOBI Intake
Jan '62 - Jan '82
Nirimba, Sydney & Melbourne, (flattops, not the later plastic fantastics) Kuttabul, (FMP & FIMA) Rushcutter (HMAS and RANTAU), Waterhen, Co-dock-PNO, Stalwart-FMU, Platypus, not necessarily in that order and some two/three times. Nirimba Jan '82 to close-civ instr, training dev, closure staff '93

I served with Jack at FMU Kuttabul I was a lonely A/NS2 and Jack was the "Chief Plumber" he was a great minder a real honest person to work with I always remember Jack He used to start work looking like a Commodore and by standeasy he looked more like a stevedore he sure new how to dig in and get the job done
Rest easy Pal your work here is done
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

Around September 1966, as a pair of rookie NS3's fresh out of Bonehead College, Barrie Robinson and I were on a pontoon lashed up against the side of HMAS Melbourne (the Carrier), tasked with unblocking the clacker valves on some of head outlets...

Conscious of the potential for a huge 'head' of sh*t that may have built up in the pipe from three decks above, Barrie and I were very gingerly jabbing at the encrusted mass around a valve with a 1/8" welding rod when we heard a bellowing from the uppers...

"What the f*ck do you pair of Chippie wankers think you're playing at...??? Put some ooomph into it...!"

"Sorry Chief, but it's stuck fast, completely seized, won't budge...!"

With that Chief Plumber Jack Tilden heaved his stocky frame over the guardrail and proceeded down the jacob's ladder to join us on the pontoon...

"Bloody MOBIs... get outa my way... give me that f*cking boat-hook..." and Jack, standing directly in front of the offending blocked sh*t chute, proceeded to ram that boat-hook as hard as he could into the scupper valve...

Eventually, a trickle appeared on the scupper lip, immediately followed by a strange gurgling noise...
...then a huge explosion of vintage excremement, hitting Jack square in the face, covering him from head to toe in putrified sh*t...

Jack didn't bat an eyelid, (or if he did we couldn't see it for the sh*t,) he just turned to us two wide-eyed MOBIs and said... "Now THAT'S how you unblock a scupper...!" and calmly climbed back up the ladder and disappeared onto the flight deck...


I think it was right about then that I started really questioning my career choice...

And wasn't it Jack that was credited with the expression...
"F*cking MOBIs, they break your tools and break your heart...!"

Ah Jack, there'll not be another like you.... ...Rest on your 'plumbers mate' Jacko...

_________________

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