Naval Tankermen Association

HMCS PROTECTEUR

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HMNZS ENDEAVOUR

HMNZS Otago Association

GUNPLOT

Vietnam Vets

Mururoa Veterans

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Australian War Memorial

HMAS SUPPLY

HMAS WESTRALIA

HMAS SUCCESS

HMAS SIRIUS

US Naval Tankers

Haslar Naval Hospital UK

USS FISKE

Mururoa Atoll

1973

Operation French Fried

Mururoa Veterans Reunion

Napier New Zealand 2008

Reunion News

Click on the above image to view the programme. A new browser window will open

After church parade of Mururoa Veterans Napia NZ

Reunion Cake

I guess I could call it a privilege and honour to serve aboard Supply during those trying times in 1973 and on into 1974. Being a green 'OD' my first sea draft sure was an eye opener. To the many friends I made during my time aboard, I say thanks for the kinship the lasting memories and great fun we had,

I will attempt to do credit to all of our exploits. During 1973, I guess we steamed more miles and were underway for more hours and conducted more RAS's than I would care to remember. But this outstanding achievement did not come easily and it did not happen as a matter of routine, but from dam hard work.

There were of course the good times like trying to keep POQMG Peter Jurd on the straight and level during the Brewery Tour in Mauritius, or sailing back through Sydney Heads after weeks of training at sea off 'JB' or our beloved " Beer Issue "

Such is the reputation of a Tankerman that we were called upon to sail to the South Pacific as support ship for the Royal New Zealand Navy in its endeavours of protesting about the dastardly deeds of the Frogs at Mururoa Atoll who had the bright idea of trying to out do the Chinese, in their attempt to build the best Fireworks in the world.

"Ode' to a Tankerman"

Tankermen are not born, but are certainly unrouled to follow the "T" pattern for its a well know fact that words starting with ' T ' can usually be akined to a tankerman including such words as TOUGH and lets not forget TACTFULL whenever the word "Oil spill" Oil spill" is mentioned.

In the later half of 1973 we received final word from the powers that be, requesting our presence, by our sheep loving mates across the Tasman, so after the crew briefing by our beloved skipper 'Captain Loosli we were asked to volunteer for this deployment to Mururoa Atoll, because of the dangerous nature of the mission whereby most of the crew stayed except for a few married sailors who stepped ashore to cushy drafts. We proceeded to store ship in a big way where we received copious amounts of "Black Oil, Beans and Bullets" But most important of all was the stock of beer for our daily issue as can be seen by the following photo.

I can never forget the time we spent alongside the sponsons at Middle Head Sydney Harbour, three days in all while we topped up our tanks with more Black Oil but quiet apart from Black Oil, Beans and Bullets and the fanatical ravings of the Buffer, we have driven winches during 'RAS' operations in all weather and at any time of the day, even done one at 2am one morning.

Establishing ourselves as

'Tank Muckers-par excellence'

Come sailing time one Monday morning we were guided through the Heads by a lone Albatross floating on the winds that sultry day.

Outward Bound Sydney Heads 1973

To those who were there and cant remember, that dam Albatross stayed with the ship through the whole voyage and no wonder when you take into account all the great fodder it received each night when "LCK Jerry Rowlands" fed him behind No3 Mess. I must admit that the Albatross was adrift from muster for quiet a long time after the bomb was set off, maybe them Albatross's ain't silly after all.

Duty bound we headed off to help our Kiwi mates who we met up with on
June 29th. First to arrive was the sleek greyhound of the seas
HMNZS OTAGO
who we RAS'd with for the first time. The third and final RAS was completed on Tuesday July 3 at 1600 hrs before Otago headed towards the test area.

More familiar to many aboard Supply was the daily visits by that lone Reconnaissance aircraft from the French Maritime Surveillance unit attached to the Mururoa operation. These Frenchies must have thought we were a weird lot as they flew past each morning. They were always on the receiving end of a lot of arm waving profanity and mooning from the crew on deck, to the disgust of the Buffer who threw a fit every time this happened.

Chief Bosun's Mate 'Dusty' Millar

We spent approximately two and a half months steaming around in circles keeping the Kiwi's going and by the end of the deployment we had broken all previous records held for the most amount of Replenishments in one year ( 1972 ), by completing over 270 RAS's during the whole of 1973.

Most of the crew of Supply got to enjoy the sunshine of Rarotonga Is and the hospitality of its people who put on a farewell concert on the RAS deck the morning we sailed for home. Rarotonga is well remembered for a lot of things especially the local passion for 'Orange Beer', a wild and hairy brew not unlike the colour of Fanta but about 100 proof with a faint odour of Kero. Many friends were made and hearts broken, the day we sailed for home.

Last RAS near Mururoa Atoll

HMAS Supply to HMNZS Canterbury

Wednesday 8 August 1973

The frigate Canterbury met the Supply at 1100 today about 200 miles south of Rarotonga.
In rough seas the first attempt to pass the fuel hose was abandoned as both vessels plunged
and rolled heavily and took seas over their bows. The two Captains decided to break off,
turn about and run with 22 knot winds and breaking swells This method of refuelling,
is not normally used because vessels are more difficult to control, worked perfectly
and the Canterbury spent an hour withing 100 yards of the Supply taking on 218 tons of black
oil. It was the last rendezvous between the two ships before they both headed home,
the 26,000 ton Supply to Sydney and the Canterbury to Auckland. The Supply with its
oil tanks half empty refuelled Otago eight times with a total of 1113 tons and the
Canterbury, five times with 1098 tons of oil. The Supply also jackstayed, across to the
frigates, more than 23,000 lbs of provisions, stores and equipment, during the 45 days at
sea. With a parting gift of a framed aerial photograph of the ships transfering fuel taken from Canterbury's helicopter and three cheers from the frigates crew,
the two ships parted and headed for their respective home ports.

=========================================================

After our duties in the South Pacific we headed home with a short stop over at Norfolk Island for a picnic, where the skipper made the mistake of letting half the ships company ashore for rest and recreation, what a stuff up that was, They proceeded to seriously deplete the Island's liquor supplies to the stage where they left only a few cartons of beer for the locals by the time they were herded onto the liberty boat for the ride back to the ship anchored in the bay, and the hair raising job of those left onboard to get all the intoxicated riff-raff aboard without loosing them in the scrambling nets that were dangling over the side for this purpose.

( Rank excluded they were all blind )

Recovering the crew Norfolk Island 1973

By 15:30 that afternoon we were once again underway with Norfolk disappearing slowly over the horizon.

Early the next morning we steamed through Sydney Heads to a rousing welcome from friends and family alike and some well earned leave.

Our safety was a high Priority thanks to the good work of

ABSE 'JD' Woodmansey

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Welcome to the fold gentlemen

The RNZN Mururoa Veterans

Gerry Wright ex: LCDR gerrywright@xtra.co.nz

Henare Hawe ex POEW (SHW) HMNZS Canterbury 1973 secmururoa@yahoo.co.nz

Kevin Corles ex:MID HMNZS Canterbury 1973 kevin.corles@nzdf.mil.nz

Bob Overton ex: ARD HMNZS Canterbury 72-74 ANNE.TAUPOMCC@xtra.co.nz

Anthony 'Stretch' Kennedy ex: T/LEW HMNZS Canterbury antkennedy@xtra.co.nz

Charlie Edgarton ex: HMNZS Canterbury Edgarton7@xtra.co.nz

John Titmus ex: HMNZS Canterbury John.Titmus@dia.govt.nz

Peter Mitchell ex: LSG HMNZS Canterbury peterjmitchell@xtra.co.nz

Wayne Abel ex: ORD RP HMNZS Canterbury honk_abe@westnet.com.au

If anyone can help bring this list up to date please contact the Tankermen Association Secretary as soon as possible.

" Lest We Forget "

This link is dedicated to our Kiwi mates who have 'Crossed the Bar'

CPOMT Rowe receives his NZSSM for service at Mururoa in 1973

Medals Presentation by Commodore Mike Wardlaw 30 August 2002

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No amount of Radiation is considered SAFE!!!

Mururoa Veterans Reunion

Gentlemen here in is an extract from an email received from Henare.

I have available photos from the reunion dinner 197 on a cd made available to us complements of Mr Richard Ngawhika, they are for sale at $15.00 per unit

includes freight to help toward costs of the reunion. Those interested forward me a check or deposit in bank account in particular column state CD and NAME and send me an email to the effect so it can be checked off.

To those who over paid if you like I can deduct the cost of the unit from your refund

Finally I have received notice from the organisers for the SYDNEY all ships reunion, for those interested I can forward to you a newsletter and an application form, the applications close on June 30 2008 so as to give the organisers time to process accommodation and dinner etc reunion dates 9th April ---13 April 2009.

Henare

secmururoa secmururoa@yahoo.co.nz

Who remembers using this stamp while writing home?

Naval Tankermen Association ( Secretary/Treasurer )

108 East Street

Bega NSW 2550 tanker73@bigpond.net.au

Home: 02 64923060
Mobile: 0428 500407

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