Stories

Story Submitted by WOCD Larry Digney OAM (Retired CDT1 Navy):

Clearance Diving Team 1 response to Cyclone Tracy recovery efforts in Darwin, 1974/75

Author. WOCD Larry Digney OAM Retd. Extract from my book ‘Bubbles, Booze, Bombs and Bastards, A Clearance Divers Story’

On the evening of Christmas Eve 1974, the relatively small, approximately 100 kilometre diameter and extremely powerful tropical storm, Cyclone Tracy, struck the Northern Territory capital city of Darwin. Tracy was described as the most powerful storm recorded in Australia up until that time.

With wind speeds estimated by the Bureau of Meteorology at 240 kilometres per hour (only an estimate because the wind speed indicator at Darwin airport failed when the wind reached 217kph at 0305 on Christmas morning), it tore the city apart, totally destroying up to 90% of the 12,000 dwellings and about 70% of larger buildings and infrastructure.

Cyclone Tracy ultimately resulted in the death of 71 people including two RAN personnel who were aboard HMAS Arrow, a 32.5m, 146 Tonne Attack Class Patrol Boat. Arrow had a crew of 3 officers and 16 sailors when it sank after being battered underneath Stokes Hill Wharf. The degree of absolute destruction made it difficult to understand how there was not a whole lot more fatalities.

Late on Christmas Day 1974, the Commonwealth Minister for the Northern Territory in the Whitlam Government, Mr Rex Patterson and the Director-General of the Australian National Disasters Organization, Major General Alan Stretton, were the first to arrive at Darwin Airport to initiate and manage the badly needed relief effort. The population of 42,000 residents could not be sustained in the Darwin region because there was not enough accommodation, services or working infrastructure to support that level of occupancy. It was determined by General Stretton that a maximum of 10,500 people could remain, so the largest evacuation effort ever undertaken in Australia began with commercial and military transport aircraft flying over 25,000 evacuees to various locations around the country. The remaining 10,000 evacuees departed by road.
The only form of communication with Darwin for five days following the cyclone was Morse Code, so receiving information to fully understand the scope of the disaster was difficult at the time. It was determined very early on Christmas Day that one of the urgently required assistance capabilities was a team of RAN Clearance Divers.

I was a member of CDT-1 at the time and was on Christmas leave. I was spending an enjoyable Christmas Day with my wife’s family in Guildford, a suburb in Western Sydney and we were keeping a close watch of events in Darwin but little information was available because of the lack of communication capability. I received a phone call in the early evening and was informed that I was to report to Sydney airport by 0600 on Boxing Day (December 26) to travel to Darwin. Because I was on leave, I was not required to go to our team’s headquarters in Waverton to pack the necessary diving and support equipment, the duty members would do that and they subsequently brought the gear to the airport.

The team comprising LEUT Dave Ramsden, CPOCD Phil Narramore, POCD Colin Mitchell RIP, LSCD Eric McKenzie, LSCD Geoff Bascombe RIP, LSCD Bill Creedon RIP, ABCD Graeme Gray, ABCD Tom Gourley, ABCD Russ Gately, ABCD Graeme Kelly and I assembled at the airport early on Boxing Day. We loaded our equipment into an RAN Hawker Siddeley HS748, a 21m land based electronic warfare, training and transport aircraft. We left Sydney as early as possible en-route to a refueling stop at Mt Isa. The HS748 has a range of 3132km (1946 miles) and the distance to Darwin from Sydney is 3151 km (1958 miles) and with no indication of fuel availability at Darwin, the plane was refueled at Mt Isa so it could return at least back to there and refuel for its flight back to HMAS Albatross, near Nowra in NSW.

As we left Mt Isa and entered Northern Territory air space we could very clearly see the circular (Cyclonic) cloud formation of Tracy still evident to the south of Darwin out of the port side of the aircraft. As it transpired, we were the third aircraft to arrive in Darwin following the arrival of General Stretton. The evening before, another RAN HS748 had arrived before us carrying blood transfusion equipment and Red Cross workers. The carnage left by Cyclone Tracy was very evident when we landed, with 31 aircraft totally destroyed and another 25 severely damaged during the storm. The damaged aircraft were laying in various attitudes strewn around the airport, including many upside down on the runway.

It was self-evident that accommodation in Darwin at that time was at a premium. With most buildings in the city and the surrounding district destroyed or badly damaged, the only available accommodation for us, was a single room for sleeping all of us with attached amenities and a small kitchen in the WRANS quarters, at HMAS Coonawarra at Berrimah. Coonawarra Wireless Transmission Station had been in operation since 1939 and was a global communications hub. It was merged with HMAS Melville in May 1970, with the view of closing Melville, because it was situated on prime city real-estate. The completion of the merging of the two facilities was slow and by December 1974, it had not been completed. As HMAS Melville was destroyed during the cyclone, from December 1974 the entire Naval presence in the NT was centred in HMAS Coonawarra.

Our single room sleeping quarters comprised a dozen stretchers, placed about 450mm (18 inches) apart along the two longest walls. It was cosy to say the least. Our first day on the job saw us in a local sports store that had survived the cyclone and we were permitted to select some suitable ‘tropical’ attire and equipment to enable us to acclimatise to the Darwin weather in December and to do the tasks we were about to undertake. The boss was able to ensure we had suitable boats to undertake initial searches in the harbour, particularly around the wharves where many boats were damaged or had sunk. Our initial priority was to urgently attend to temporary repairs of navy and civilian vessels which were damaged but not sunk.

In keeping with our unofficial motto of ‘Can Do Easy’ we used all manner of patches to arrest the flow of water into vessels, which were barely being kept afloat with available pumps. We used mattresses and rubber sheeting and held them in place with cargo straps wrapped around the vessels until a more suitable permanent solution could be achieved. A couple of reasonably large prawn trawlers required assistance as they were holed and needed repair work, so we assisted them as expediently as possible. To show their gratitude the crew of the vessels provided us with boxes of uncooked tiger and king prawns every day. There was probably 50 pounds of prawns in every box and each evening of our 12 hours work and 12 hours of rest schedule, we cooked and ate prawns whilst consuming copious amounts of beer in our small living space. The crew of the trawlers showed us how to cook the prawns and how to identify when they were correctly cooked and that made them even better.

A retired Clearance Diver who had survived the cyclone and stayed in Darwin to assist in the clean-up was ex POCD George Graham. When he found out we had arrived in Darwin, George came to us and offered his assistance. Because of the work-load placed on us and trying to achieve as much as possible over a wide area, he was welcomed with open arms. He was reinstated as a Navy Reserve Petty Officer and could assist with diving supervision, which was a great asset to our team. Following our mission in Darwin George re-enlisted in the Navy as a leading seaman Clearance Diver and was promoted quite quickly to POCD and Chief, before becoming a Commissioned Officer, where he served with distinction.

There had been four RAN Patrol Boats in Darwin at the time of the cyclone. HMAS Advance and Assail cleared the harbour and rode out the storm, in what must have been horrendous conditions, with some minor damage. HMAS Attack was battered and forced aground in Doctors Gully and HMAS Arrow, after losing engine power was pulverised and sank beneath Stokes Hill Wharf. Petty Officer Leslie Catton and Able Seaman Ian Rennie unfortunately and tragically lost their lives when HMAS Arrow sank. There was also the tragic loss of two navy wives and two children. The RAN, with a working population of 1.5% of the local populace had suffered 12% of the casualties.

It is difficult to explain how dark the water was in Darwin Harbour at that time. If you closed your eyes tight and then covered your closed eyes with your hands, you may be close to having the visibility we had. Everything we achieved was with the use of our other ten eyes, our fingers. Once we located something on the seabed, it was extremely slow work to ascertain just what it was. We used our best endeavours to recognise everything we found. On one occasion I was searching around a sunken fishing trawler which had sunk alongside the wharf by feeling my way around and I came across a life buoy. I didn’t know if there would be a vessel name on the buoy or not, but it was worth taking the chance, so I cut the line holding it in position and it floated to the surface where it was recovered by other members of the dive team. It turned out to have a name on it but was written in Korean. We were fortunate enough to be told by an observer what the name was, so at least we could identify it. That progressed to be quite an embarrassing episode for me, because when I finally surfaced after further searches on the trawler a TV reporter was present on our small dive boat. Whilst I was still in the water, he asked questions about what we were doing and what my current dive entailed. I answered that we were systematically searching along the region of the wharves where vessels had been moored and inside the yacht mooring area and I had just found a sunken Korean trawler. He asked me how I knew it was a Korean trawler and when I explained the circumstances and told him that we had been given the vessels name by a person on the wharf. My embarrassment came when I couldn’t find a suitable description of the person because a good answer simply didn’t come immediately to mind. Eventually, after several “um’s and ah’s”, I was able to stammer out, “that Asian gentleman on the wharf told us”. My brother, Jerry, who was an Infantryman in the Army in Townsville at the time, saw the interview on TV. When he next saw me, he asked what was going through my mind, because I looked like a lost soul who was stuck for words… which I was.

On another occasion I was searching an area near the badly damaged Fort Hill Wharf. Whilst on the bottom and feeling around, I moved up and tried to ascend to the surface, but I ran straight into a large obstruction above my head. I had no idea that I had moved several metres under a large concrete slab that had previously been part of the wharf.

It took several days of intense work for us to complete the immediate urgent requirements to repair vessels in an attempt to prevent them from sinking. We also had to thoroughly search the area around Stokes Hill Wharf and Fort Hill Wharf to the east of Stokes Hill for any vessels which may have sunk and still potentially contained the bodies of deceased people. We also ensured that the berthing sites for the flotilla of soon to arrive large RAN support ships, were clear along the front of Stokes Hill Wharf. After ensuring that a systematic and thorough search had been sufficiently completed and the collected data catalogued, we were reasonably confident that no deceased people had been missed. We were then in a position to shift our focus and undivided attention to surveying and ultimately salvaging the wreckage of HMAS Arrow.

Our initial surveys confirmed that Arrow was settled in about 15m of water in a diagonal direction underneath Stokes Hill Wharf, with the bow protruding on the inside where the yacht moorings were located and the stern was protruding out the western, or Darwin Harbour side. Stokes Hill Wharf had been quite severely damaged where the Arrow had broken about nine pylons off as it smashed its way under the wharf. At least two of the wharf pylons had penetrated the hull of Arrow and had effectively ‘nailed’ her to the seabed under the wharf. This situation made it impossible to simply tow the vessel out from its resting place.

Before heavy traffic could travel on the wharf or before a sustained effort to recover Arrow was undertaken, considerable structural repair work was required to be completed on the Wharf itself. This important and difficult work was mostly carried out by other RAN technical staff who had arrived on the 13 RAN ships which participated in ‘Operation Navy Help Darwin’.

The initial reports from several of our divers, who had inspected the upper deck and superstructure, that Arrow was just a pile of twisted and battered metal, were dispelled when I did a thorough inspection of the hull. It was apparent that the hull was largely still intact, with large areas unbroken but certainly dented and bent, but everything above the main deck had been pulverised and smashed to pieces. The total lack of visibility where even with a torch switched on and pushed against our facemask we couldn’t ascertain if the light was on or off, made it a hazardous task to move around on the main deck. Jagged metal and sharp snag points made it a painstaking effort just to complete and catalogue our survey. We found the entrance to the lower deck and opened a hatch so we could try to ascertain the state of the inside of the vessel, but there were obstructions everywhere below deck. Floating debris, loose mattresses, boxes, clothing, bedding, tables etc. made it dangerous to initially penetrate too far inside Arrow.

There was a large 200 tonne barge that had been blown ashore during the cyclone and the bosses of the team determined that it would be ideal for us to use as buoyancy in a tidal lift attempt situation. The barge was towed back into the water and re-floated. All repairs necessary to maintain its integrity were completed before a number of large winches, which were already on the barge, with wire ropes on their windlasses were reinforced, re-welded to the deck and strengthened for our use. This was completed by navy personnel from HMAS Stalwart. A thick metal pipe was welded to the forward edge of the barge deck, so the wires which were used for our tidal lift attempt, passed over the side and down to the Arrow without being crimped around any sharp or acute edges.

Because Arrow was laying flat on the seabed, we could not get a wire under the hull, so we needed alternative lifting points. We attempted to smash the porthole glass and metal protective covers from the outside, but we could not swing our hammers hard enough. We eventually found our way into the accommodation spaces and opened the port holes. That way we could pass wire strops through the vessel and provide at least one lifting point.

I was searching around the upper deck of the arrow by feel, when I came across a hatch with a large number of bolts or screws holding it in place. When I informed CPO Narramore, we discussed where it might lead to so we went over to HMAS Attack and saw that the hatch was above the engine room and immediately above a walkway, which passed across the space between the starboard engine and gearbox. The deck plate forming the walkway was fixed in place by 16 screws and beneath it was a solid metal stub axle which provided the drive between the engine and the gearbox. After seeing the set-up in Attack, it was determined to be a very strong securing point for one of the lifting wires for our tidal lift attempt. Over a period of several dives, using only my fingers for vision, I was able to remove the deck hatch, enter the engine room, find the deck plate and securing screws, remove the screws and the deck plate and eventually secure a sturdy wire strop to the stub axle.

After we had our securing wires attached, we made a lift attempt using the large Darwin tide and the buoyancy capacity of the barge to achieve it. We used the winches to tighten the wires at low tide and then waited for the tide to do its job. The wires appeared to be bearing equal weight, and the front of the barge began to be dragged down by the weight of Arrow as the tide rose. Within a couple of hours, the front of the barge freeboard had reduced from about 2.5m, to maybe one metre, so the deck of the 30m barge was laying at quite a steep angle. Most of the junior members of the salvage team were sitting in a semi-circle around the entrance to a shipping container which we used to store our equipment over night. I was sitting on the floor of the container with my legs outside on the deck. We were chatting about things young sailors chat about, when there was an enormous bang, and the barge lurched upwards and rocked quite vigorously. In a matter of a second, I found myself flat on my back in the container with footprints of my mates all over me as they all sought the relative safety of the container. I was a mere obstruction to that objective and ultimately just a door mat.

A one metre diameter main cog on one of the winches had not been able to withstand the stresses of lifting a 140-tonne vessel and it imploded, causing the rapid loss of continuity in the lift. The tremendous forces on the remaining lift equipment generated by the initial winch failure caused two other winches to fail as well. There was some considerable remedial word and rethinking of the whole process before we continued, but continue we did. The winches were reassessed, strengthened again and eventually we achieved a successful lift.

It became apparent that the single large barge at the stern of Arrow was not providing enough lift to the vessel overall for us to succeed. Also, the barge was too large to go under the wharf and lift the whole vessel, so a second, smaller barge was procured to supplement the large barge and provide tidal lift to the bow of the vessel.

When we eventually lifted the Arrow off the seabed, we needed to tow it from under the wharf. Before we could do that, a strong tow line needed to be attached, and the best place was determined to be through the propeller ‘A’ frame beneath the stern. There was much discussion about how to attach the line because this was only a few days since the Arrow had rapidly crashed back to the seabed following the failed winch episode. I suggested we get a spear gun and shoot a line through and then pull the tow line through, but that was discounted.

I was, and still am, in full admiration of our boss on that job, Leut Dave Ramsden, because I was there when he said to Chief Narramore, “This is why they pay me the big bucks, Chief, this is my job”. He swam under the suspended Arrow and placed the tow line. When the tow line was attached, the first attempt to tow the Arrow out from the wharf was performed by a small navy tug. But it was simply not large or powerful enough, so we seconded one of the large prawn trawlers which was still operational, and we made another attempt to tow it out from underneath the wharf. As hard as that trawler could pull, it wasn’t enough to budge the Arrow. We still had a major issue; either the Arrow had not been lifted high enough to clear the wharf pylons that penetrated the hull, or the lift had taken one or more pylons up with it.

A third attempt using HMAS Stuart was made because clearly more power was needed. Stuart, a 112m long, 2700 tonne River Class Destroyer Escort with 30,000 horsepower would certainly provide that power. The first attempt by Stuart also failed because the tow line wasn’t strong enough and it parted. However, the subsequent pull-on January 13, 1975, with a stronger tow line, succeeded with the barges and Arrow suspended beneath, moving slowly away from the wharf.

The stern of Stuart really dug in during that second pull and as black as the water was in Darwin Harbour at the time, we could see the grey/brown silt from the seabed being stirred by the powerful Stuart propellers. Even as powerful as Stuart was, looking from the deck of the barge, it felt like Arrow was not coming freely. Then as though a huge weight had been released, the tow line slackened a little and the barges moved more easily through the water. The wharf pylon or pylons which we believed were holding Arrow back had suddenly released their grip on the hull and she slid through the water far more freely.

When she was clear of the general wharf area and moving more freely through the water the tow was transferred to the navy tug and she was towed towards Fanny Bay, several hundred metres away. When the slack came off the lifting lines on the barges, they were released, and Arrow was towed on the harbour bottom into Fanny Bay by the navy tug. The following low tide showed her fully exposed with the clear indication of the severe damage to the superstructure and the 40mm Bofors Gun evident to all.

Captain EE Johnston OBE, RAN was the Naval Officer Commanding North Australia Area (NOCNA) at the time, and he addressed us to convey his thanks and the gratitude of all Northern Territory citizens for our efforts. There were no awards provided for the efforts of the Clearance Divers in Darwin, but I was grateful to be mentioned in Captain Ross Blues book, United and Undaunted, along with CPOCD Phil Narramore and POCD Colin Mitchell where he wrote “CPO Narramore and POCD Mitchell are commended for their professionalism and leadership and LSCD Digney for his courage and determination for diving inside Arrow”.

In July 1986, then Commodore Eric Johnston wrote a statement as part of lecture at the State Reference Library of the Northern Territory in Darwin.

“The diving team had worked tirelessly. They had undertaken general harbour search and surveys; they had cleared the wharves and immediate approach areas, and they had salvaged and raised the wreck of HMAS Arrow. I believe the only time I lost my temper during the whole clear-up operation was when a well-known television commentator, encountering the clearance divers during one of their rest periods, asked them why they were bludging. This man does not know how close he came to joining the other debris in the harbour”.

Personally, I think Captain Johnston was far too kind in his statements about this reporter and commentator. He called him a man, the very best I could call him would be a low life weasel. We worked 12 hours on and 12 hours off, for 22 days straight, in conditions rarely encountered by divers. A TV commentator could not even contemplate the amount of work we did, let alone the conditions in which we operated.

We departed Darwin on 18 January 1975, 23 days after arriving.

Story Submitted by Gordon Lowe (Navy):

After being recalled from leave Christmas Day 1974 to rejoin HMAS Hobart and transiting to Darwin, I was assigned as the Executive Officers (XO’s) Regulating Leading Seaman responsible for the naval shoreside working parties (Nominal Lists) during Operation Navy Help Darwin each day, we commenced work on shore (Darwin) at 0500 and finished at 1500 daily (seven days a week) with only a short 20-minute break for a sandwich meal break delivered from the ship to each work site. Working parties (sailors) were active every day for the entire period that HMAS Hobart was anchored off Darwin – 4 January until 14 January 1975.
HMAS Hobart working parties worked approximately 10 hours each day and that was not included in the sea boat journey to and from the ship daily (30 minutes in each direction) making our days 11 hours, plus our shipboard duties watches when we returned onboard. (15 hours plus days) Saturday’s and Sundays were normal working days.
This year it will be 50 years since Operation Darwin Assist and Operation Navy Help Darwin, urgent support for amendment of the regulations for the National Emergency Medal is requested.
As the convenor, my colleagues Chris Mitchell and Bill Furey it’s our privilege to assist in this worthy cause. BZ to all who are assisting.

Story submitted by Greg Smith (Navy):

I was stationed in HMAS COONAWARRA when Tracy hit…We were having Xmas function when we were told the cyclone we were expecting was going to hit Darwin. Everyone returned to dongas homes etc. I was woken sometime early morning when found my mattress soaked and water entering through deck-head. Tried to leave but door handle was electric. So, with torch overalls got in closet. Sometime later heard sirens so headed to designated meeting area and awaited Tracy arrival…It was thunderous when struck. It lasted for some time then the eye passed over…thought of us with torches and foot coverings were told to go and check as many surrounding buildings in area that we could find people…we’re told as no idea how long to Tracy eye passing over, told to go for approximate 20 25 min or hear whistle to return. We did this returned to area and resumed sitting with backs against whatever window protection was placed over them. Women and children sitting in middle or room. Then Tracy returned with a vengeance. After storm had passed started the job of cleanup.

Story submitted by Janice Banks (Navy):

My maiden name on Navy enlistment was Bale. I was LePage at the time of Cyclone Tracy. I was serving at HMAS HARMAN as a communicator. My husband at that time was on HMAS STUART and he had come down to Canberra to spend Christmas with me. On Christmas Day he was recalled back to Sydney to join the STUART and I was asked to report to the Natural Disaster Centre off Northbourne Avenue in Canberra. This was a tri-service operation. I remember a Colonel Jones (if I remember correctly). I helped with communications and general support in the operations room. We received messages reporting the damage in Darwin and lists of injuries and sadly lists of people who had passed. Some who had been identified and others not known. We worked tirelessly day and night organising supplies to be sent up on our LCH’s. Phone calls from desperate families wanting to know what was happening and how could they get their loved ones back down south. Trying to reassure them that we were doing everything we can to evacuate them down south. Roadblocks were set up to stop family members trying to get into the Northern Territory to rescue their families. Food, fresh water and petrol very scarce, so we didn’t want people going in to rescue them. I didn’t serve in Darwin, but we knew people serving there. It was a privilege to be part of a team all pulling together with one purpose to help the people of Darwin, everyone working together. I don’t have any photos, but I felt their heartache and desperation through reading the messages we received and phone calls from families wanting news of their loved ones.

Story Submitted by Roger Fairbairn (Navy):

I was the Duty Staff Officer for FOCEA from 24 to 28 December 1974.
I took the call on 25 December 1974 at 10:00 from Captain Johnson RAN, Naval Officer Commanding North Australia. He explained to me in detail that Cyclone Tracy had hit the Darwin Area ferociously and that huge damage had been done to most buildings in the city and that the Naval Base had been largely put out of any capability. There was loss of Life, and three Patrol Boats had been badly damaged and were out of service, and one possibly sunk.
He requested that I immediately inform all FOCEA Shore Base Commanders and the Defence Support Facilities and to do my best to coordinate response activities that would be necessary to provide support to Darwin.
There was no protocol for any such activity to be conducted by FOCEA, so it was up to me to get action organised.
All Senior Officers were on Christmas Holidays and my attempts to contact the Admiral, Chiefs of Staff and Shore Base Commanders, were difficult and it took more than a day to inform all what had happened and what I had done in the interim to arrange and organise Logistics Support from Naval Stores Resources. By chance as I was the Secretary to the Chief of Staff Commodore Dollard RAN, I was probably the most knowledgeable Officer on the Staff that knew where the Naval Store Assets were located.

Story submitted by Patrick Watt (Navy)

Below I provide the context of my involvement in responding to Cyclone Tracy:

I was duty Engineering Leading Hand on Christmas Day 1974 on HMAS Hobart. During that day I was involved in readying the ship for immediate sea duty when it became clear we may be required to respond to the emergency in Darwin caused by Cyclone Tracy. On Christmas Day evening, after working all day, I was required to drive to key personnel homes around the Sydney suburban area to inform them to report for duty the next day. I did this until the early hours of Boxing Day morning and returned to the ship at 3am. After a short sleep, I was required to carry out usual morning watch rounds at 0600 and then for the remainder of the day, resumed work to close up boilers and get other engineering services ready for sea. I was permitted to go home to see my wife that night and we sailed for Darwin the next morning.
On Arrival in Darwin, I was part of the first contingent to go ashore to assist with the cleanup and restoration of services. The first few days I was involved in house debris cleanup and disposal of perishable items to limit the protentional of disease. After that, I was redeployed to the Nighcliffe swimming pool which had been badly damaged and had a lot of glass strewn around the area. The intent was to recommission the pool to provide some safe area for R&R for the cleanup crews and remaining locals. The area had to have all debris removed from the pool and surrounds, the buildings made safe, and the broken glass cleared from the grass areas. This was accomplished after a few days with power provided by generators to run the pool equipment and the pool was opened for use to provide some respite from the tropical heat. HMAS Perth would provide cleanup crews for a few weeks until it was required to return to Sydney to prepare for exercises due to take place with the US Navy in Hawaii.

Story submitted by Lee Melville: (Navy):

I was a 19-year-old ABQMG and was the Brisbane ‘s divers’ yeoman when the Brisbane sailed into Darwin Harbour on New Year’s Eve 1974 as part of the Navy Help Darwin operation. The Brisbane remained in Darwin until 31 January 1975. I had been on leave in Queensland with my foster family and Girlfriend (now Wife) when I was recalled from leave and flew to Townsville where I rejoined the Brisbane for the very fast cruise to Darwin. On the trip to Darwin my role was to thoroughly check and prepare all driving equipment to ensure that the drivers on board were ready to commence diving operations as soon as we got alongside stokes hill wharf at Darwin harbour to attach inlet grates etc. to Brisbane’s hull. We were also briefed on the harbour conditions and what to expect while diving in such difficult conditions including very poor visibility all sorts of rubbish and floating debris in the harbour, 40-foot tides, sea snakes, stingers, sharks, crocodiles etc. not very good diving conditions for young divers. With the very high tides we could only safely dive during slack water day or night which made our task even more difficult and dangerous. We were also tasked with inspecting and cleaning the grates twice a day and with also inspecting and cleaning the grates of other RAN Vessels in the Harbour. As the diver’s yeoman I also provided assistance to the CD2 team tasked with recovering the HMAS Arrow which had sunk diagonally under the Darwin wharf during the Cyclone. The Brisbane’s diving team also provided clean up assistance ashore when not required for diving duties. However, as the ships diver’s yeoman the majority of my duties were diving related!

Story submitted by Keith Chay (Navy):

My survival story has been published in Patricia Collins book Rock and Tempest.
I was the CPO in charge of the Naval Motor Transport operating within the Larrakeyah Army Barracks. I was in the final month of my two-year posting to Melville when Tracy hit Darwin. I returned to Darwin on posting to HMAS Coonawarra DNB in 1984 to 1989 when I was discharged. It was good to return to Darwin and caught up with many of my civilian friends who also got through Tracy.

Story Submitted by Lawrence Coomber (Navy)

I was working in Darwin soon after the cyclone, but although I was serving in HMAS Stuart at the time of the cyclone [CPOETW3] I missed the ship sailing from Sydney because I was on Xmas leave and holidaying in a tent at Korny Point SA by myself at the time; spear fishing; lobster catching; and drinking beer, and had no contact with the outside world. So, I must have been one of the few people in Australia who had no idea about what happened in Darwin.
When I finally visited a shop 30 kms away to replenish stocks, I learned about Cyclone Tracy. I immediately contacted Fleet Headquarters and was informed that I had missed my ship sailing. I was ordered to drive straight to Richmond RAAF Base which I did [14 hours] and as soon as I arrived [in civvies and I did not have any uniform clothing] I was put on a Hercules? and flew to Darwin. Well as it turned out of course, I actually beat my ship to Darwin and was seconded out to the Australian Army and put in charge of a 5-soldier squad including an Army truck; and we were tasked with many important tasks including roaming dogs and cats’ “management” as a public health requirement. I was given some Army Clothing to wear until I could rejoin the Stuart on arrival. I have many very memorable stories of that week I spent as a soldier working the suburban streets of Darwin, but they will have to wait until another day. Unbelievably as soon as I walked back onboard Stuart, the Swain [Nippy Prior if I remember correctly]; informed me I had been charged with “Failing to be on board when the ship was under sailing orders”. I fronted the captain’s table and told my story. He dismissed the case but scathingly remined me to always spend Xmas with family and friends. Good advice.

Story Submitted by LSPHOT Tony Fareso (Navy)

I have photographs from Darwin, as I was one of the Navy Photographers on site. Submitted a few already.
Some of my photos are on display in the Darwin Museum under a commander’s name! I was alerted by WA radio station to present myself to nearest naval base urgently, as I was a serving member of HMAS Melbourne. I was flown to Cairns, choppered out to join my ship. Upon arriving in Darwin harbour I was part of the team to photograph the devastation from a “Wessex Helo”, I was also involved in ground parties to control looting, clean out rotting meat from supermarkets and helped in debris clean up.

Story Submitted by Raymond Johnson (Navy)

As an ABRO onboard HMAS Parramatta after the cyclone struck Darwin, I volunteered to assist. I was told to pack a bag and be at the gates of HMAS KUTTABUL by midnight. I did this and then went ashore with a few other volunteers for pre departure drinks. A bus picked us all up at midnight worse for wear and we then joined a TAA flight to Townsville where we were transported to Lavarack barracks and told to get some sleep on steel framed wire beds with no mattresses. After breakfast that morning we were told that we were to join HMAS Brisbane at 1500hrs. when she arrived in Townsville for a quick refuel/re victual and then flat out to Darwin. I managed to sweet talk the Army SGT into letting me and 2 mates, go out and visit my wife’s uncle who was the sextant at the local crematorium for a few hours… on the promise that we would be waiting on the wharf when Brisbane got alongside. After quite a few cleansing ales we did indeed meet the ship on time. On arrival in Darwin, we were formed into teams and immediately went to work in the worst hit suburb of Knightscliffe, it was just like in those American movies where a Twister has ripped the place apart. Corrugated iron sheeting wrapped around the top of remaining power poles and hardly a house still standing. Because of Darwin’s tropical climate most of the houses were high set to allow for cooling breezes to get underneath and lower the temperature, the cyclone loved these houses and very few of them were left with anything above the floor. The work was backbreaking from 0800 – 1600 sorting out muddied remains of stinking animals buried under debris to cataloguing any belongings of value and organising trucks to remove them. I remember a 2 metre long tucker box freezer sitting up all alone on the floor of a house 3 metres off the ground with the caption…” Navy take this, do what you want with it we’ve headed south”. That afternoon when the truck arrived to move it someone had stolen it. My mate Ray K got to work at the brewery, which was also decimated, they set the work teams up a cold keg in a shed, he said he was almost crying when they had to get on the dozers and bury hundreds of pallets of canned beer. My brother Gary J was on HMAS Hobart, he worked in the city, said the department store he worked in was giving everything away, Gary told him we can’t take anything unless you sell it to us and give us a receipt. His wife enjoyed the dozen dresses he paid 10c each for. Oh, how I wished I was working one of those jobs instead of the filthy conditions that we worked in in Knightscliffe. What stuck in my mind though, was the positive attitude of all the locals. Well after 2 weeks of this the NAVY decided to fly me by Hercules back down south to join my new ship HMAS Torrens. Bye Darwin.

Story Submitted by Yvonne Corby (Nee Lowe) (Navy)

I was an 18yo WRAN (Women’s Royal Australian Navy Service) Communicator posted to Darwin, to the old HMAS Coonawarra on the Stuart Hwy, on 9th December 1974. No family, no friends so to speak of, and a “Dear John” letter from my then boyfriend in Canberra was awaiting me when I arrived! I was assigned a communications shift at the old 1RS (Receiving Station) located at HMAS Coonawarra.
I remember vividly Christmas Eve, the day before; the watch supervisor was keeping his eye on the cyclone movements via radio, and he predicted this would be no ordinary cyclone. At 4pm when I finished my shift, I walked back to the WRANS quarters. The sky was literally black with storm clouds.
As the evening progressed, a Christmas Eve function was organised at the Junior Sailor’s Mess. When the bar closed, we were ordered back to our quarters, instead of making the usual trek to the Berrimah hotel.
Around midnight, all cabins were cleared, and we began sheltering in the recreation room which was in the old WRANS quarters. As the winds increased and the door could not be held closed anymore, they moved us into more sheltered rooms where we spent the first part of Tracy.
We could hear the winds howling outside and then a massive crack, the whole top floor had sheered straight off. Some of us had only just been up there moments before to make sure there were no girls up there still. I can still remember one of the girls opening the louvres and saying, “there goes my wardrobe”. Amazingly enough, at one stage the door flew open and there was a family with three children from the marriage patch who had lost their home …. And this was in the first half!
When the winds died down, we were relocated to the Junior Sailor’s Mess and walked the way down the street. I remember holding onto two children’s hands and walking them there. At one stage, there was a crack of lighting which lit up the sky as we passed the captain’s house. You could see straight through the roof to the sky.
The second half was upon us. The captain took charge at the Junior Sailor’s Mess and ordered every adult to have an alcoholic drink …. To this day, I cannot stand the smell of Bundy and Coke ….
Seems like the whole of the depot was there, Sailors, wives, children, dogs, cats …. At one point the roof started to bounce above us. A broom was quickly found, and holes were knocked in the gyprock to release a ton of water. We were sitting under tables at that stage, surrounded by wives’ children, dogs and cats.
At daybreak we could still see the wind howling around us.
When the Captain announced all clear sometime later, we went back to our cabins to clean up the mess.
Everything was topsy turvy! There were buildings strewn all around the street. A boat had wedged itself under a house … the house owner didn’t own a boat ….
I was fortunate to find my cabin was still intact except for daylight through the roof above the wardrobe. Even though I was on the top floor, there was at least a couple of inches of water in the room …. And my camera floating …. The next few days were a blur … dragging corrugated iron to the tennis courts so that it could not fly around should another blow occur. Manning the industrial dryers to get blankets dry for the families, offering cups of tea and assurance to some of the wives who believed they had lost everything.
A few stories that stand out, one fellow woke up on Christmas morning, in his bed …. nothing else around him, roof and walls completely gone. Another rode out the cyclone in the big industrial dryer.
One sad story stands out, “Stevo” was on duty that night. He requested to go home to check on his family, a request that was denied. During the eye, the request was granted. He found his wife and two children had perished, crushed under the bed.
On the bright side, the sailors who regularly hung off the bar were the first to get their hands dirty. The RAN commandeered graders, tractors, and trucks very early in the piece. These lads were not backward in coming forward, using whatever heavy equipment they could to clean up the houses on the marriage patch and the aerial farm. It was not an unfamiliar sightseeing them racing graders and tractors across the aerial farm. We didn’t see them for days and when we did, they were exhausted!
We spent the next couple of days and weeks cleaning up and getting the depot back to fully operational status. It was literally all hands-on deck, from drying blankets to clearing out fridges on the marriage patch, not a pleasant task after two weeks of no power and most fridges full of Christmas fare.
Through all this the unspoken navy “all in this together” and “watch your mate” ethics shone through. Mateships lasting now 50 years have come to the fore and are now stronger and more resilient than ever.
Whilst working for ABC Radio from 1989 to 2007, I became the custodian for the audio recorded at midnight mass in the Christ Church Cathedral, prior to the Cyclone Tracy exhibition being opened at the Museum. I still cannot go into the Cyclone Tracy display.
Personally, I have experienced a few cyclones living in the tropics now, nothing is more terrifying than hearing the sound akin to a freight train off in the distance, a night that will be forever etched in my memory.

Story submitted cy Cecilia Craddock (Navy)

Finished Recruit School, HMAS Cerberus, and got home to Sydney on 24/12/1974. Like my fellow WRANRPs from Class 154 I was expecting to be on leave before reporting to HMAS Watson (5/1/1975?).
My mother woke me early one morning telling me all leave had been cancelled. (I’m not sure if leave was cancelled on Christmas Day or Boxing Day). The notice of cancelled leave was all over the radio.
I was sent to HMAS Penguin. Personnel were sent to many sites. I was sent to Sydney airport to meet people as they were coming off the planes during the evacuation.
My head was still spinning from the recruit school experience. Then this organised chaos was added.
We greeted people in various stages of shock with little, if anything, to their name. We assisted them to complete forms, register for assistance with various charities. Basically, helped them to find the help they wanted and/or what we felt would help them. We helped them find the never-ending lines of buses to take them to the accommodation that had been found for them.
We listened to their stories through their tears.
It seemed we had thousands of people all at once and walked each and every one of them from one end of the terminal to the other, walked back and did it as many times as necessary. Then nothing. The whole terminal would go eerily quiet. But never for long.
The Salvation Army and Red Cross totally amazed me. They were all so calm, never seemed overwhelmed no matter the level of distress or chaos. Apart from everything they were doing, they also helped matched up separated families.
Back at Penguin, I remember the hospital taking in some slightly injured but, can’t remember if those patients’ included civilians. There were, however, some civilians passing through Penguin to be fed, and showered. Kudos must go to the cooks who kept up a never-ending buffet for a few days there, and I must say the food was constantly amazing.
It was the most exhausting time of my entire life, as well as the most depressing time, the saddest time.
It was also the most uplifting time, the first time I saw how service personnel can adapt to any job as required, l the first time I saw the unquestionable support service personnel give willingly to the community, and the incredible network of support that service members give to each other without question.

Story Submitted by Jeffrey Kelly (Navy)

A very abrupt introduction to the life of a serviceman in support of the community.

Story Submitted by Geoff Craige – (Navy)

Posted for the second time to Melville early 1974 and did 2 years from 1964 at Larrakeyah Army barracks in their RAP.
My wife and I were allocated a house in the HMAS Coonawarra patch middle of 1974.
On the afternoon of 24th December 1974, we had a breakup lunch and drinks at Navy HQ in Darwin. We were advised of cyclone by skipper and told to take necessary precautions and advised that the patrol boats had left or were about to leave port.
Picked up my wife from work headed to see my brother who was the Station Master at Darwin railway office, had a bite to eat a drink and told not to worry had all the warnings year after year and nothing happened, then, headed home to Coonawarra.
Secured everything in our home, water in bath, extra drinking water and placed our puppy in our car, then went to our next-door Neighbour as she was home alone with two children as her husband had been called in for duty.
We then helped her prepare the house and placed a mattress in the bath and settled the two children in the bath and we settled in the lounge. It had started to rain, and the wind commenced firstly in spurts, but it seemed to become stronger and more constant. Will never forget that I fought an endless battle trying to keep the floor dry as the rain and wind increased.
Soon heard what sounded like galvanised iron on the road scraping and the wind and rain now fierce. I checked on the kids, they were awake so took them to the lounge to be with their mum and as I was walking with both kids a roof from a house timber frame, and all came through the bathroom wall over the bath and into the diving wall. At this stage had two kids screaming and mother hysterical so decided to get them all over to our house, we all made it and of course why the fuk did we do it.
Went upstairs our house okay at this stage, dried the kids, clean dry clothes and bite to eat, our glass louvre windows started popping, glass flying everywhere. Took them all downs stairs to work shed, covered with cushions and cardboard boxes, things seemed settled, but our house was shaking violently. On the other side of our house was a greeny who had a four-wheel drive, but it was blocked in the driveway by his wife’s car, he started it in reverse, but the wind took the car at speed down through the back wire fence, he had managed to jump clear before it took off. We felt things were all over the place with the wind and rain, up then calmer, decided to start getting ready for the eye, oh what an awesome feeling. I convinced our next-door neighbour with the two kids I should take the first child over so we could get to the depot during the eye, well could have been an unbelievable error. I was dressed in a t shirt, shorts and things, grabbed the young fella, he held on so tightly, I slowly made my way to the low wire fence, my back was being beaten by small sharp pieces of gravel. I lilted a leg over the fence and in seconds after lifting other leg was taken on my back at speed down to the wire back fence, oh shit I was not a happy soul. The young boy was screaming, I stood and started to make my way back up to the dividing fence, then, absolute silence, the eye!
Got together with males present as most of the noise now was coming from women and children. We started searching house by house, can’t forget that one stage we were worried about being electrocuted, now feel like a dickhead, no fukin power. Got all the children and women together, could hear vehicles, were they coming from the base and the next thing headlights and a bus, oh shit what a feeling. My greeny next door brought his 4X4 back to the depot, plenty it organised people and things were in order, so we went back to the patch to gather things including my wife’s purse and our car with our pup in it. Drove back to depot parked my Ed my car next to the depot rubbish truck, opened a window a little, plenty of treats then back inside. Women and children under tables next metal louvre windows, the naked congregated near the toilet facilities and we waited for the cyclone to run its course. We had not lost anyone, but what else was happening, my brother and family other residents of Army and RAAF base, felt so fukin hopeless.
Early Christmas morning, very little wind and little rain, what had happened? The galley got going on an emergency generator, what a great breakfast, the CO and others including me set about searching the patch that morning and all areas of the base were checked off and considering what had happened. We had Navy personnel living at Nightcliffe and other areas, so they were checked on. My next job was to set up the sick bay as the top floor was destroyed and we needed to be able to treat cuts and bruises so that there was no pressure on the RAAF hospital and Darwin Base Hospital. We thought we had been cut off no communication, had this just happened to us? but we were well organised but with little resources, the noise of that first plane flying over us, the biggest cheer I have ever heard, things started to take shape.
On Boxing Day, sick bay open and we were seeing a lot of lacerations, still stitching up after cleaning up. Mid-morning a leading hand came in and asked if I could give him a hand, followed him to his car, he opened his boot and there were his deceased Wife and son, tears rolling down his cheeks, oh fuk what can I do the poor bugger. If you ask me today what happened from then, can’t remember, I know I put. my arm around him and took him to the sick bay.
The rest of my time at HMAS Coonawarra is hard to put together, kept on assisting in many tasks but my recall is not that good.
Remember going to check on staff at RAAF base hospital, talked to Ken O’Keefe and others, went Larrakeyah and caught up with RSM Percy White.
Remember sleeping in canteen on floor with my wife, who was evacuated early, the fridge noise all bloody night.
The relief I felt when the ships started to arrive, can’t really explain, it was an enormous weight off my shoulders, they did a brilliant job, the doctors and medics.
I can’t recall all the detail but will attempt some, I was asked to go down to the wharf as one of the patrol boats had not got away on time and was crushed under the pier. There were deaths, don’t know what my job was, can recall being there but sorry it’s now in bits and pieces.
I am today a DVA client, on a gold card 100% pension.
My accepted conditions are PTSD, anxiety and depressive symptoms and alcoholism.
A percentage of this has been attributed to Cyclone Tracy.
I still suffer enormously with significant reaction to wind of any kind, I’m one of the lucky ones.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell my yarn about “Tracy”.

Story submitted by Andrew McCarthy (Navy)

I was on Christmas leave in Sydney from 817 Squadron. I had spent Christmas Day at my brother’s home and had got back to my parent’s house in the evening. I saw on the news that there had been some event in Darwin and didn’t think much of it before going to bed. The next morning there was a tapping on my bedroom window from a mate, Bob Stanton, who was also on 817 and in Sydney on leave. He said that all HS817 and HT725 Squadron members were being recalled to duty immediately. Rather than going back to HMAS Albatross we went down to Garden Island where HMAS Melbourne was moored. We got onboard just after lunch and the area around the ship was a hive of activity with trucks driving up onto the flight deck via the Bailey Bridge to deliver stores. I have no idea what we had or did for kit, but we were onboard. We found our mess and prepared to receive the Wessex from Nowra after we cleared the Heads as we sailed out later on Boxing Day.
As we sailed to Darwin, we prepared the Wessex for a freight and taxi role by stripping out the AQS-13A Sonar system and crew positions from the aircraft cabin. This was a pretty big job as not only the components had to be removed but all the mounting and racking parts. A maze of associated wiring then had to be safely stowed to avoid it being damaged. We got the aircraft back to a bare cabin status. Whilst all this was happening, we had to maintain Wessex in flying serviceability for communication, ferrying and pilot currency status.
HMAS Melbourne had three hangars, A, B & C. Hangars A & B were between the forward and aft lifts with hangar C located aft of the aft lift. All the stores and equipment that had been loaded in Sydney were stored in a line on the port side of hangars A & B almost to the deckhead. There was a walkway space between the stores and the port bulkhead of the hangars for access to bulky aircraft spares that were stored on the port bulkhead.
As we steamed north it got hotter and hotter to work on the aircraft in the hangar even when the lifts were partially lowered to get some form of breeze through. We had access to iced water but after copious quantities of that the thirst doesn’t really get quenched. Amongst all those recovery stores in the hangar somebody found some cardboard cartons of steel cans of Golden Circle Fruit Juices. The recovery of Darwin would not be serious affected by the loss of a can or two fruit juice from the side of the stack near the bulkhead and a drink of fruit juice with some ice in it was most refreshing. We were careful not to take too many cans from each carton to keep it all very stable. Unfortunately, one day there was a bit of a sea running and the depleted cartons could no longer hold up the stores above them resulting in a section of the recovery stores crashing down. That was the end of our fruit juice refreshments.

Story Submitted by Colin Coyne (RAAF)

Santa never made it into Darwin XMAS 1974
50th Anniversary since Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin
Recollection by Col Coyne [AMSDAR at the time]
Darwin had the normal wet season lead up to Cyclone Tracy with Tropical Cyclone Marcia 17 – 25 October 1974, Tropical Cyclone Norah 28 October – 4 November 1974 and Tropical Cyclone Penny 6 – 16 November 1974. While these cyclones did not impact Darwin we heard the cyclone alerts on local radio, so when the alerts went out for Cyclone Tracey on 20 December the cyclone was just over 100km from Darwin, nobody was concerned, adopting the Territory attitude of ‘it will turn away’.

OC Darwin, GPCAPT [AIRCDRE Retd] Dave ‘Crazyhorse’ Hitchins granted base personnel an early standdown at lunchtime for those working over the Xmas period, the cyclone was just west of Bathurst Island, so it was straight in to ‘Xmas party mode’ for the afternoon.

It was evening when the alerts started getting serious, with the impact of the winds and safety concerns beginning to rise. By 2100hrs debris was starting to hit the walls of the house we were in. The wind ferocity forced rain through the house louvres, so water was coming in, we just huddled around in the middle of the lounge room listening to the wind and debris crashing into the exterior of the house.

By 0123hrs on Xmas Day the eye of the Cyclone Tracey was 14km from Darwin, by 0145hrs the eye was over the RAAF base. The wind stopped, but it was pitch dark outside with only torchlight to look around. After about 40 minutes we could hear the wind in the distance so went back inside again.

Power had been lost, water was pouring in through the roof, running down the internal walls. The wind & debris noise was horrific having no idea when it was going to end.

By 0310hrs the winds reached 217kmh [135mph] when the anemometer at the airport failed, the official report concluded that the maximum winds in Darwin were 140-150 kmh with gusts in the range of 217- 240 kmh [135-150mph].

The cyclone struck with vengeance, the wind went straight to full force from the opposite direction at over 140kmh again dislodging the debris from against the house and hurling it back in the direction from which it came, smashing windows and holes in walls.

The wind slowly dissipated as we moved towards first light about 0530hrs. The site next morning was so hard to comprehend. We returned to our allocated-on bases MQ at 6 Bukartilla Road. As can be seen from the photo, the kitchen and dining/lounge area was missing, the kitchen sink was in the backyard.

OC Darwin, GPCAPT Dave Hitchins [AIRCDRE Retd] was out fishing during the Xmas break so the Dakota, which had been repositioned to Tindal before the cyclone, was sent to pick him up on Xmas morning. Upon his return to base a briefing of all personnel was called, the first thing on the agenda was to go around to all the married quarters and retrieve any salvageable foodstuffs from the household freezers and take to the Officers mess which had a cold-room with a generator backup.

All communication out of Darwin had been knocked out, no power, running water or sewerage facilities were available.

The Darwin telephone exchange was decimated, no mobile phones in those days, so contact ‘down south’ was non-existent until about mid-morning when Bob Hooper, the station manager of the OTC Coastal Radio Service an amateur radio enthusiast, was the first to broadcast news of the cyclone to the world.

The broadcast was picked up by Slim Jones VK8JT who made contact with Ken McLachlan VK3AH at Mooroolbark in Melbourne’s east. Shortly after that a very large network formed on the frequency to handle emergency traffic to administrative authorities and other organisations assisting in relief and evacuation work. The net control station was in Melbourne.

It didn’t take long for the RAAF to mobilise Herc crews, maintenance personnel, air movements, catering, air traffic control & medical evacuation staff, recalling those on stand down plus many others just returned to work offering assistance.

The first C-130 into Darwin arrived at 2220hrs, having diverted into Mt Isa northbound from Richmond, picking up the Government’s Director General National Disaster Response Organisation, MAJGEN [Retd] Alan Stretton. Stretton was on board a BAC 1-11 from Canberra. The aircraft did not have the navigational aids to get into Darwin outside daylight hours. All the navigation aids had been destroyed by the cyclone. The C-130 landed with the runway lit by vehicle headlights.

On board the first Hercules, A97-168, was a RAAF surgical team comprising 1 surgeon, 1 anesthetist, 2 medical officers, 2 nurses and 2 orderlies. The Hercules also carried medical supplies and a press party. Additional passengers, picked up in Mt Isa off the BAC 1-11, were a civilian surgical team comprising 3 surgeons, 1 anesthetist, 1 registrar and 3 nurses. This aircraft also carried medical supplies and one ABC cameraman.

Air Movements Section established their operations in the Bomber Replenishment Area [BRA] where at least we had a solid building for our stretchers with the only water supply being from the fire hydrant system being gravity fed from the large white-water tank near the Stuart Highway.

As soon as the pax/cargo were unloaded each aircraft taxied from the BRA to the military hardstand while being reconfigured from cargo to pax and medical evacuation litters for the transport of the most seriously injured.

The Herc crew members and maintenance personnel of 36, 37 & 486SQNs flew the tasks into Darwin and back out as soon as reloaded with injured patients and all available seating as the evacuation on Darwin residents commenced in earnest.

Initially incoming flights delivered nearly 20,000lb of blankets, an item certainly not required during the humid wet season in Darwin, they were just stored for return when things settled down. Herc loads ex Darwin far exceeded the normal pax load of 91, regularly departing with more than 150 pax & one C-130A with 246 pax plus a canary and border collie dog.

In total, 35,362 people were evacuated from Darwin to southern cities, with 25,628 of them evacuated by air. The evacuation was the largest in Australia’s peacetime history.
Other aircraft involved included 11SQN P3Bs, RAN HS-748s, USAF C141s, USAF C-130s, Indonesian C-130s, RNZAF C-130H, RAF C-130K, RCAF C-130, Ansett Airlines B727s & DC9s, Qantas B707s, Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) B727s, MacRobertson Miller Airlines F28s, and Connair (Connellan Airways) DC-3s & Herons.

RAAF News records the following statistics:
The Air Force’s transport squadrons worked tirelessly to bring in supplies and evacuate residents from Dec 26, 1974, to Jan 4, 1975. 36SQN’s (C-130A) contribution: 8 aircraft, 554 flying hours, carried 2864 passengers and 793,000lb freight

37SQN’s (C-130E) contribution: 11 aircraft, 700 flying hours, carried 4400 passengers and 1.3 million lb. freight. In one day, 19 Herc’s from the two squadrons made a total of 44 flights into Darwin.

Story submitted by Kym Yeoward (Army)

Cyclone Tracy – Relief Work Recollections as an Army Reserve Air Dispatcher – Melbourne and Darwin – Dec-Jan 1974/75
At the time, I lived in Melbourne and worked as a trainee accountant, with a part-time job in the Army Reserve (then the CMF – Citizen Military Forces) as 24-year-old Air Dispatcher with 37 Air Dispatch Platoon (RAASC) from 1971 to 75. We had 20 reservists plus 2 Army staff (Warrant Officer John Liston and Corporal Chris Farrer).
Our job was to pack, and parachute drop supplies in combat and disaster relief, plus load aircraft – mainly C7A Caribou and UH1 Iroquois helicopters but also C-130 Hercules.
Even Army Cessna 180s & Pilatus Porters in my early days.
Drop or airlift “anything and everything, anywhere” – ammo, fuel, food, Land Rovers & commando boats.
We were well trained and experienced in what we did – and ready!
Here’s a timeline of our involvement with Cyclone Tracy relief:
Wed 25/12 – Christmas at home in Melbourne. In evening heard on TV about a massive
cyclone in Darwin – few details
Thurs 26th – Boxing Day. News full of Darwin situation. Put on uniform & waited by phone.
5.15 p.m. – Our popular Army warrant officer Johnny Liston (“JL”) rang
– “it’s on – unit parade at Laverton at 19:45”
Drove to RAAF Laverton airfield hangar (in western Melbourne).
14 of us were there – one snatched from a beach town by police car!
Communications were limited – no links to Darwin, other than a hobbyist
“Ham” radio operator there, whose equipment had survived,
and a hangered undamaged Connellan Airways Heron passenger plane,
which had a radio link to air traffic control at Katherine Airfield,
Local comms for us were just telephone and a Telex tele-type machine.
As I used one in my day job, our CO – Capt. Mike Russell-Croucher – had me man it.
Received message from RAAF Richmond (near Sydney) that C-130s would arrive from Darwin early morning with evacuees, plus other Herc’s from Richmond, to pick-up supplies for Darwin.
All 18 available Herc’s were mobilised – modern E models and even the old A models, which had been scheduled for resale. (The RAAF had 22 Herc’s – 4 were having maintenance).
At Laverton, we also had an RNZAF Herc.
At the small Laverton terminal, we turned all the heaters fully on, scrounged every tea urn and babies bottle on the base – and waited.

Friday 27 First Herc arrives. Passengers all women, babies, kids and teens
0223 Helped them into the hangar, where 18 police got them on to social security (now Centrelink)
Special Benefit cash payments. The Base treated and fed them,
before giving them beds for the night in the Base Hospital.
All were exhausted after Tracy and 6½ hours in a noisy Herc!
Some young kids had PTSD trauma and couldn’t speak.
That 37 Squadron plane set a record that night.
C-130s are designed for up to 92 passengers
– that night, I counted 156 coming off the plane, with mums holding
2 or 3 bubs on their knees. And what a m – e – s – s – as you guessed,
I had to clean the aircraft – p – h – e – w – y nappies everywhere!!

Friday 27 Meantime, no break for our team, as we packaged relief supplies for the first
(cont.) Darwin-bound Herc from Richmond. For 4 nights we just grabbed an occasional
cat- nap in our cars, parked alongside the airfield – as we knew Herc’s could
arrive at any time, for immediate loading. Meals were hamburgers bought by our CO Capt. Mike.

Friday 27 Second Herc arrives – this time greeted by a large TV & media pack.
0930 Again, well over 100 passengers.

Friday 27 Dec Our team packed pallets and loaded 71 flights will all manner of relief supplies
to Sunday 12 – medical supplies, food rations, blankets, tarps,2,000 petrol generators,
Jan 1800 petrol water pumps & 2,000 portable gas stoves (from every camping
store in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide). Plan was 1 stove, pump & generator
per street – for the hubbies left behind. So, they could cook an evening meal,
have a shower and have some light and power – e.g. for CB radios.

Other cargo included heavy electro-magnets (from the Melbourne Harbour
Authority) and emergency vehicles.

Also, helping evacuees from many more incoming evacuation flights
arriving during this period.

Incidentally, h u g e thanks to the Melbourne Salvation Army!
During a short break on Saturday morning 28th, I called in at their headquarters in Bourke St, Melbourne – and explained that we only had 14 air-dispatchers to load the Hercs. Next morning, about 20 corpsmen arrived at Laverton and worked ceaselessly throughout, helping us manually assemble, strap and load hundreds of pallets, for the planes. As our team of 14 was small & the hours were long, their labour was a huge help.
Honestly, their hard work – all voluntary – helped us get through
– and load 7 times the annual freight volume through Laverton, in 14 days.
I understand our sister Air Dispatch units -38 Platoon based in Richmond and 39 in Sydney, worked similarly during this period, at RAAF Richmond.

Wed 1 Jan I was packing another load, when our CO Mike Russell-Croucher lobbed-up and
0600 said “Corporal [Vic] Ferguson, Private [Bob] Littlewood and Private [Yeowy]
Yeoward – you’re on the next plane to Darwin, to help unload
the aircraft (and others) and assess the local situation.”
A 24 hour round trip – Darwin, Richmond and back to Laverton next morning.
0730 Our Herc is absolutely crammed with relief supplies – even a station wagon
on the ramp – and enough fuel to get us to Darwin, unload and fly to Mt Isa
– if fuel was short in Darwin. Plus, a BBQ pack and “refreshments” (beers) for
the Darwin air-loaders (from the Mobile Air Movement Unit at RAAF Amberley,
near Brisbane).
Vic, Bob and I boarded with no gear – apart from my canteen and
one-man 24-hour ration pack, which I always carried.
You guessed it! That little pack was carefully eked out over the round trip
– as our only food for 24 hours!
Our pilot reversed us up to the hangar doors at the start of the strip,
stood on the wheel brakes, revved up the engines to full throttle, then
– G O! – We raced down the runway – forever – and ever – and ever –
– eventually clearing the fence at the end of the 6,500-foot strip by only 50 ft
with a loud gasp from all!

0930 Bob awakens – after a difficult night, he’d grabbed a few winks on top of
a pallet of blankets. “Where am I?” – “You’re 20,000 feet over Alice Springs!”

1400 Arrived over Darwin – not a leaf in sight for 100 kms and virtually every building
destroyed or damaged. All power lines down. Power poles alongside RAAF Base
bent over at 90 degrees, facing west – no doubt as Tracy rolled-in from
Casuarina. Unloaded, then a brief chat with the RAAF Darwin air-loaders and
helping them unload other Herc’s, before reboarding our aircraft.
Only to find our ramp motor had failed and I had to hoist it the ramp manually
– 120 arm-pulls on a lever, before it locked, and we could go. – p – h – e – w!
Landed at Richmond at 2130 for a brief break, then onto Melbourne on another
Herc, arriving at 0800.

Sun 12 Jan We finally finished – with a BBQ. Alas, Whitlam govt. defence cutbacks – “Barnardisation” – meant 37 Air Dispatch was dis-banded in April 75.
A small, friendly “M*AS*H” bunch – irreverent, 100% professional & dedicated!

Postscript

Air dispatch was started by Britain’s Royal Flying Corps in 1917 – when a biplane dropped a replacement millstone to a starving British garrison besieged in a fort in Iraq
– enabling flour milling and bread-making, from their stored grain.

In Australia, it started in 1942 with ammunition and food drops during the Battle of the Kokoda Track.

Since then, Australian Army Air Dispatchers – including Reservists with 176 Air Dispatch Company in Sydney (and former Reserve platoons
– 37 in Melbourne, 38 in Richmond NSW and 39 in Sydney) – have provided vital airdrop and air-lift support in numerous
disaster relief and combat support operations, in Australia and overseas.

E.g. in 2014, Australian RAAF C-130 and C-17 air crew and Army air-dispatchers dropped vital water bottles and food to thousands of Yazidi people trapped by ISIS on Mt Sinjar in northern Iraq.

In December 2014 I attended the Cyclone Tracy 40Th Anniversary Service
at Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin – representing 37 Air Dispatch.

Kym Yeoward, (formerly a 37 AD Private with an Air Dispatch Brevet – service No. withheld).
7 December 2024

P.S.:
When we landed in Darwin, we spent several hours at the RAAF aircraft refueling depot, just next to the Stuart Highway – as that shelter was still standing, despite bent-over power poles nearby. Funnily enough, the refueling station still looks today pretty much as it did then – just a high roof, with no walls.

PPS: 37 AD was aiming to have 30% of members parachute-qualified.
In September 1974 – with no army course available – I did a civilian para course with
the Laber Touche Sport Parachute Centre, near Melbourne. Alas I broke my right ankle on a hard landing, when jumping from a Cessna 172 at 2,500 ft. A surgeon inserted a steel pin.
Unfortunately, during a cold winter visiting Melbourne in 2018, the scar tissue broke apart
and formed a venous ulcer. Just now – December 2024 – it’s finally healed, after twice-a-week dressing by community nurses. I’ve now moved to lower-leg compression stockings.
RAASC: Royal Australian Army Service Corps – which was re-formed into the new
RACT – Royal Australian Corps of Transport in 1975.

Story submitted by Alan Strong (Navy)

At home in Byford Perth Western Australia on Christmas leave, my Mum tells me I have to report to HMAS Leeuwin because a cyclone has destroyed Darwin on Christmas day. The call up was broadcast on local radio and TV. Next thing I am at Perth Airport boarding a charter flight full of RAN personnel to Sydney on Boxing Day.
Arriving at Sydney airport at nighttime there was Navy busses to take us to Garden Island to join our Ships mine being HMAS Stalwart D215. Stalwarts’ personnel had been storing ship all day and part of the night which I was involved in as soon as I was onboard.
Stalwart sailed early next morning, when out of the Heads we did a Jack Stay Transfer with one of the Daring’s to bring meat on board, the boxed meat was stacked up on the focsle of the Daring, you could not see A and B turret. Being an AB I was involved with that.
My posting on the ship was Fleet Maintenance Unit (FMU) and I was an ABMTL (electrical) and worked in the Motor Rewind Workshop. While on route to Darwin preparation work was being carried out onboard, one of the tasks I was assigned to was the commissioning of the starting batteries for the portable Diesel Generators that had been loaded into Stalwarts forward hold.
We arrived in Darwin and came alongside Stokes Hill Wharf. Other Fleet Units were at anchor in the Bay, I remember HMAS Brisbane alongside Stalwart.
The first job that I remember was getting the Shell fuel depot up and running, a lot of water ingress into motors and switchgear. Fuel was the key to get things going in Darwin.
Other task I can remember was the air conditioning units in the hospital, a lift motor in a high-rise building, a refrigeration unit at Darwin Sailing Club and the slipway winch motor at HMAS Melville, something went wrong during a winching operation and the cradle ran back down the slipway. This caused over speeding of the motor and damaged the motor windings. A replacement motor was sourced from a conveyor system at the Port. Sadly, the very badly damaged HMAS Arrow was sitting on the mud flats at HMAS Melville.
Two entertainers arrived in Darwin to keep up morale. Debbie Byrne did a show in town and Rolf Harris did his show on the Flight Deck of HMAS Melbourne. The Fleet Units small boats crews were busy that night.
When I was duty watch myself and others were required to go to Darwin Airport to unload Aircraft, the tasks we carried out were done to the best of our ability with no complaining.
From memory the local radio station was broadcast from HMAS Brisbane, I was not involved in clean up duties as a lot of my ship mates were, the devastation I saw was a lot for an 18-year-old to take in but very proud to help out.

Alan Strong

Story Submitted by Trevor Ruddick (Navy)

At the time I was serving on HMAS BRISBANE as an ABMTP.
I was on annual leave when I was notified that I was required to return to my Ship. On returning to my ship the crew were informed that we were sailing to Darwin to assist with disaster relief.
After departing Garden Island and clearing Sydney Heads we were dispatched at 28 Knots to Darwin. We stopped in at Townsville briefly to Store & Bunker, as well as receiving three vaccinations then on to Darwin. On arrival in Darwin, we were formed into teams to go ashore and start the cleanup. From memory we worked 0700 through to 1800 7 days a week. Late January early February 1975 I was flown back my home port of Cairns to continue my leave. The Brisbane returned to Sydney with a skeleton crew on completion of the deployment in Darwin.
Regards
Trevor Ruddick.

Story submitted by Jeff Smith (Army)

Christmas 1974, I was at a friend’s house with my wife and celebrating Christmas when I received a phone call from the Army base.
They told me that Darwin had been almost destroyed, and we were going to assist so pack all my gear and report to Holsworthy at 6am Christmas Day.
I arrived at the barracks and were briefed about what was happening and we had to load 2 Patterson 6B water purification trailers to be flown to Darwin. There were I think about 20 or so off us
We then went to Richmond air base and boarded a C130 With Major General Stretton and some news crew and flew to Townsville, we were fed then had some sleep up at 6 breakfast and back on board and off to Darwin. We arrived in Dawin and looked out the small windows and they were right Darwin was a mess; all we could see were flattened houses everywhere.
We unloaded the Trailer from the aircraft and drove to Larrakia barracks where we were all briefed and told the trailers were not required. Our task was to go each house and empty out all the fridges and freezers of food as there was no power. We did that for over two weeks and each night we got back to base and stripped of our smelly clothes in the shower out the other side and issued clean ones, that was our daily routine until all the food was gone, but for the next week we still smelled putrid. Our next task was to do repairs to the base repairing walls roofs cleaning up debris etc. We were then relieved by a new crew, and we all flew home.

Story Submitted by Peter Richard Brook (Army)

On 25 December 1974 I dropped my wife off at Qantas Adelaide, where she worked. Then I went to my office at Keswick Barracks. The Duty Officer informed me that I was required to load my Army vehicle with blankets and proceed to Adelaide Airport to assist with people on the flights from Darwin. For the next three days I was meeting flights at Adelaide Airport and RAAF to organise transport to their accommodation. I did not return to my home for four days and nights, I slept on a camp stretcher in my office as I had to man the phones.

Story Submitted by Brenton Collett (Navy)

I was based at HMAS Watson waiting for a draft when Tracy hit on Christmas Day (my 18TH birthday), volunteers were called for so I volunteered and was seconded to HMAS Brisbane sailing on 26/12/74 to Townsville for supplies and vaccinations and arriving in Darwin on New Years Eve, I remember the Jimmy wouldn’t allow a beer issue. I worked in work parties in Darwin, Nightcliff, Casaurina, Fanny Bay and other areas and was amazed at the destruction, the thing that really stuck in my mind was the corrugated iron roof and fencing sheets wrapped around power and light poles like tissue paper as well as the flat floor base of the houses with no walls or roof. I stayed on Brisbane for 3 – 4 weeks and was sent back to NSW, RAAF Williamstown on a RAAF Hercules to return to HMAS Watson, fortunately I was drafted to Brisbane when she returned after Darwin. Tracy’s effect was such an eye-opener for me, the destruction was so devastating for the people of Darwin, I was so glad that I was able to provide a little help for the people so in need, the experience taught me many positive life lasting ethics, empathy, charity and the understanding that your world can do a 180 without much warning and you just have to face what is.

Story submitted by Peter Bellamy (Navy)

I was on X-mas leave with my family in Townsville Nth Qld. Not long after Cyclone Tracy my name was announced over the local radio stations to join HMAS Brisbane alongside Townsville taking on emergency stores and replenishing the ship, fuel, water etc. which I did and sailed with her to Darwin. When in Darwin I was transferred by boat to HMAS Hobart. Immediately I was deployed ashore in a work party, starting in the suburb of Nightcliff. To be honest I thought Townsville was hot, but Darwin was even hotter. The hottest was of course keeping 3 x 4 hour watches down the Fire Rooms onboard providing the ship with vital power for all ship’s services. The days were long because of the hours of daylight, the days were hot being the season of Summer. You returned to your ship completely buggered and sunburnt to shower, eat and try to get some rest, knowing that tomorrow would be the same as the day just finished. A sense of pride was obtained because of your help was greatly appreciated and a stronger bond was formed between your ship’s company other NAVY and Defence personnel plus others assisting Operation HELP. You never forgot what happened that day to Darwin with Cyclone Tracy and you never forgot what you did to help with Darwin’s recovery. After 1974 I made many more port visits to Darwin in my 44+yrs of service. You could still see some scars, but Darwin was recovering well post Tracy.

Story Submitted by Dennis Ryan (Army)

I was seconded from 11 Supply Battalion Brisbane to Darwin after Tracy. At 711 Supply Coy or what was left of it I operated the fuel bowser and also as a driver/ offsider on the cleanup trucks.
The sign in the photo section is of the 711 Supply Coy depot sign as you drove into Larrakeyah Barracks, and a further photo is of our food storage depot which suffered badly in the blow. Other photos are of myself and mates during the cleanup.

I was asked to stay on after the cleanup, so my detachment became a posting until 1977. I also worked with NT Police trying to locate the many Army generator sets that disappeared all over the NT and beyond after power was restored which meant extensive travel to some very isolated locations. I also worked with Staff Sergeant Max Cannon and Major Gary Hugo who were responsible for explosive ordnance disposal in the NT and top half of WA. Max had a leg wound from service in Vietnam and was unable to drive so I was his driver and assistant. Darwin Harbour was a great source of unexploded ordnance especially with Xmas tides when all sorts of small arms would wash up onto the beach. Max and I would collect sandbags full and dispose of at Frances Creek Ammo Depot. We also disposed of Mills grenades from Gove, Aircraft ammo from Batchelor where there was a WW2 airfield and a 250 lb aerial bomb at Adelaide River. We also disposed of a lot of old 25lb artillery rounds. Great times and I felt like I was doing something useful. I left in 1977 for a posting to Holsworthy which may have been for the best as my liver may have failed due to the NT propensity for drink. I remember the good times but also the devastation and sadness and the loss of community which many probably never fully recovered from.

Story Submitted by Reynold Delmenico (Navy)

I was sent ashore from HMAS Melbourne to cook for the Police and Officers who were ashore, stores were dropped off by helicopter from the Melbourne daily, I slept ashore on a stretcher.

Story submitted by Victor Justice (Navy)

The minehunters HMAS Curlew and HMAS Snipe were sent to Darwin in the months after Tracy to ensure that all the shipping routes in and out of Darwin were clear of wrecks and debris. We located WW2 wrecks that were sunk during the bombing, but of relevance to the cyclone, we found two sunken prawn trawlers.

I led the diving team from HMAS Curlew, and CPOCD Bob Goodall was the 2ic. Curlew located the prawn trawler Floodbird, which lay overturned on the seabed. When we dived on the wreck, which was intact, it was surrounded by sharks, and mud crabs littered the seabed. When we went inside the wreck, we discovered why – two disintegrated bodies remained in the vessel’s mess room.

The police provided an officer to take receipt of the remains, and our job was to fill black plastic bags with body parts, so far as possible keeping them separate. The policeman was in our dive boat at all times during the recovery, and never complained. I can’t recall his name, but hats off to him.

This was several months after the trawler sank, and once we disturbed the water by entering, the inside of the wheelhouse became like human soup. We would dive in pairs through the passageway, wait at the mess room door to spot where the remains were situated, and then ease inside. At that point, the water would swirl and turn dark brown, and we became tangled in threads of half-rotted entrails.

Bob Goodall was a tower of strength in this dive task and helped the team hold together in grisly circumstances. The stress on younger divers was such that Bob and I became the only two divers to carry the task through. The trauma and the horrific smell that permeated our skin and sinuses led one young diver to relinquish his diving rate.

LSCD Bob Angel also stepped up because I, as the diving officer, was in the water with Bob Goodall, and we used another (non-diving) officer as a supervisor in the Gemini boat. Bob Angel, in reality, became the dive supervisor for much of the recovery task.

When the recovery task was complete, we had to burn all our non-metal diving equipment due to the horrific smell. The trawler company representative came down to the ship and kindly loaded our freezers with all the seafood imaginable, but none of the divers could stomach it.

Upon the ship’s return to Sydney, we received a COMAUSFLT commendation.

I respectfully recommend Bob Goodall and Bob Angel for high commendations should a Tracy award come to fruition.

This story was published in the RANCDA magazine, a publication which I believe is now defunct.

Kind regards

Vic Justice, former LCDR MCDO

Story Submitted by Don Currell (Navy)

Cyclone Tracy December 1974 – January 1975
I was traveling from Garden Island (HMAS Stalwart) Sydney to Brisbane for Christmas leave when I was stopped by a police highway patrol car in Kempsey, at 0200 hours. The Policeman said I had to return to my ship as she was under sailing orders. I had no idea what this was all about, but he mentioned he would escort me to the southern side of Kempsey, and not to turn around.
Arriving on board Stalwart all I could see were sailors storing ship, cranes bringing on machinery and building materials. I was told not to get dressed into my 8’s but get my tools and start testing diesel generators, batteries, electrical motors and check plugs and cords.
Stalwart sailed early next morning, and the ship was still a hive of activity. We did not understand what we were getting ourselves into, we just carried on.

As a young ABMTL sailor I worked in the Motor Rewind Workshop. I saw a mate, Jack Strong, saying to me how was your leave and laugh. We were both assigned to the commissioning of the starting batteries for the portable Diesel Generators that were lashed down up forward. They were old looking and hadn’t been operational for many years. Somehow, we managed to fix many electrical faults (some sparks and frights along the way) and to hear the diesel startup was a great experience.
We were the only ship berthed alongside Stokes Hill Wharf, but many other Ships were at anchor in the Bay.
The first job that I remember was going out with a team to help clear the streets of debris. It was so bad to see metal power poles twisted and bent over at almost 90 degrees; roofing iron was wrapped around building material and, poles, like a bomb had gone off and it was something I hoped I would never see again.
After a week of cleaning streets another mate, Les Toms, and I were tasked to go out to a suburb called Nightcliff, to look for valuables. Over hours we couldn’t see any houses, so we reported back to the ship; the Leading Hand said we didn’t look hard enough. They then sent us to Casurina, which was worse than Nightcliff, so we ended up in Fannie Bay.
Finding valuables such as cash, bank book passports, jewellery, travellers’ cheques, passports was rewarding but we didn’t know which house they belonged to, as we couldn’t identify the street name and house numbers. It was such a mess.
Some Christmas cards were collected as they had names on the back, and it was evident that money was in the card. So, all valuables were put in a plastic bag and handed in to the Police on Stokes Wharf. We only hoped they were passed on in good faith?
On week 2 of doing this task Les and I noted that some animals were still in cages and the odd cat and dog were around. So, we would find any cans of food to feed them, and we let go the birds. Some couldn’t fly as they had been caged up for years, but we decided it gave them a chance. Sadly, one bird got caught by a dog with seconds.
That day I was in a bedroom looking for valuables when I noticed a black dog near me, I attempted to befriend the animal but without luck. I tried to turn around and exit, but this dog veered towards me and was snarling at me, frothing at the mouth. Again, I couldn’t befriend the dog. I remember Les saying to me “if it goes for you, either pull its front legs apart or grab it by the snout and hang on”. “No way” I said, and the dog came closer towards me. I said, “the Police were somewhere outside to go and get them”. When they arrived, they assessed the scene and shot the animal, I instantly wet myself. It turned out that a body was under the turned-up bedding and the dog was protecting his owner. Les laughed at me for peeing my pants.
I was taken away from finding valuables the next day and was assigned to a company called State Electrical Commission of Victoria. They were a powerline company restoring electrical power and distribution to suburbs. I asked “Surfie” Richards (I think he was a LSMTL), what they did, and Surfie said, “mate I am the TOW/stores person on board and cannot help you but keep on asking questions.”
As a young Greenie I had no knowledge of power poles or power distribution, but it was an eye opener. Day one a line crew member climbed up a ladder on a steel power pole and next thing I head a yell, “oh shit”; the person at the bottom of the ladder pulled it from under him. He received an electric shock and the only way to release him was to pull the ladder away. That thump, when the man hit the ground, I’ll never forget; to see a broken arm, leg bent back on an angle, blood oozing out and the smell of burning flesh, was awful. The team leader was frantic getting help, he said “we saved his life, “he’ll be ok”.
I made sure I would never climb a ladder to the top of any power pole while I was in Darwin.
Things eventually got better and by weeks 4 and 5 seeing power was restored to whatever remains the dwelling was in. (Mainly under the building was ok). The electrical contractor taught me how to test and showed me how to wire up the switchboards to bypass the electrical meters, this way the owners don’t get charged by the government. He said by the time they rebuild (years) they’ll eventually have to pay for electricity when new switchboards are installed? (Later on, in my electrical career I understood it was illegal to do this, but This was TRACY.)
Working with the State Electrical Commission of Victoria saw us start at 0500 hours and finish as late as 1900 hours, 7 days a week. I missed seeing Debra Byrne and Rolf Harris entertain to keep up morale.
The day I said goodbye to the Linesperson crew they gave me 2 large Darwin Stubbies, I didn’t drink those days, but I took them anyway. As I was about to cross the gang plank the WO Coxswain yelled at me and took the stubbies off me. He smashed them on the side of the ships hull and screamed at me to report to the Coxswain’s office, for bringing alcohol on board.
The Line crew saw this and when they saw me back aft of the ship, one crew member yelled out “are you in trouble” and I said, “looks like it”. He said throw me a rope, I found one and heaved it ashore; attached to the rope were 2 more Darwin Stubbies in a sugar bag, I still have them today, unopened.
I was never charged; technically I hadn’t stepped on board the ship, as the stubbies were taken off me while on the gang plank. I kept away from that WO Coxswain when sailing home.
Later, when working for The Electrical Safety Office in Brisbane, as Electrical Regulator for electrical licensing, I was shown what the Brisbane Electrical Linesperson members received from Cyclone Tracy, a large medallion in a velvet case. I had spent 51 years in the RAN, both full time and Reserve time. When I was told to make application for the National Emergency Medal (NEM), after Cyclone Tracy Dawin, helping in the Brisbane Floods 1975, Fighting fires at Flinders 1975, the Manus Island Cyclone of 1988, rescuing Korean Fisherman off New Zealand 1989, Forbes/Parkes Floods in1992, Brisbane Floods in 2011? I was informed I didn’t meet the criteria!!
The NEM must be awarded for recognition to those officers and sailors who facilitated in this catastrophe. Tracy still is Australia’s wickedest weather aftermath, and 50 years later, still no acknowledgement is a sad situation for the men and women who served this Nation proudly, in its darkest hour.
Don Currell OAM

Story Submitted by Gordon Edwards (Navy)

I was called back to the ‘Tross on Christmas day 1974 following drinks [beer] I had had with my Father. On arrival there was a long que of cars and on arriving at the main gate, the Duty Officer was advising everyone that no matter how much you had for drinks, please concentrate on getting our Wessex helicopters ready for flight. Being an airframe and engine, engineer I concentrated on getting our helicopters from 817 and 725 squadrons ready to fly. That afternoon 14 choppers took off from Nowra to join “Melbourne” tied up at Garden Island whilst waiting for the Sydney – Hobart Yacht Race to clear Sydney Heads. Grounds crews, some of which flew with the Choppers and others on buses to join the ship. I stayed to ready the following two choppers and flew out with them the next day to join up with HMAS Stalwart off the coast from Sydney. Some weeks later we arrived in Darwin and tied up alongside what was left of the main wharf. Not far from us the wreckage of the Patrol Boat that was slammed into the wharf, killing some crew members. For the next week I went ashore with the cleaning parties after launching our two choppers. Our first jobs were family homes in some of the suburbs. We all found the Christmas presents, or what was left of them, and the once frozen chickens etc. rotting in the freezers, or what was left of them. This I am sure affected all of us as we found the scenes very disturbing. At one point we had to clean up what was left of a KFC shop with rotting meat and twenty dollar bills scattered through the scrub. The notes were stained with rain water, so we handed them all in to authorities. After this first disturbing week or so, I was transferred onto “Melbourne” to assist with all helicopter movements. I think it was during this time that whilst one Helo was taking off, the tail rotor drive failed. With the torque from the main rotor, the tail swung towards port side where I was crouched down hold onto a wheel chock. I could hear the rotor above my head and on opening my eyes I could see everyone out front telling me to keep down. The remaining 5-6 weeks was spent ashore cleaning up after all choppers had been readied at 4am each day. Each evening was used to maintain all aircraft with servicing and fault rectification ready for the next day. The day before the Fleet was due to sail, we took on the challenge from locals for a football match, Navy V Darwin. Too old to play, I was able to assist the ABC broadcast of the game as I had also done so back in Nowra.
The next day I was transferred back to Stalwart with our two helicopters. It was during this time we met the Manager of a Prawning Company who had radio problems on one of his boats.
On fixing this problem he invited us back to where he lived to see the house, or what was left of it. He told us of his experience and how his neighbours, man and wife, both doctors and had been found, both beheaded a number of weeks earlier. Again a very disturbing experience. Today, I can almost recall Darwin experience like it happened yesterday. What the locals must have gone through, must have been terrifying. I sailed back to Sydney aboard “Stalwart” and disembarked at Garden Island, then onto a bus back to Nowra. I can still see the wrecked cars rammed into the side of the major Hotel and the wrecks in the swimming pool.
I trust all of the above can assist in your endeavours for the recognition of our services and all of our moving experiences.

Story Submitted by Ian Lockett (Navy)

Was on Christmas leave from HS 817 Squadron based at NAS Nowra (HMAS Albatross).
Christmas Day afternoon received phone call from civilian friend asking if I was attached to HS 817 Squadron – informed me I was required to return immediately as Cyclone Tracy had hit Darwin (until that call was totally unaware).
Contacted Police – was told to be at Adelaide Airport early the following morning (26th December 1974).
26th December flown from Adelaide to Sydney. Taken by bus to HMAS Melbourne.
Flown by Iroquois helicopter to NAS Nowra with two other maintainers LSATC Michael Hatch and LATA Phil Bell to pick up uniforms and equipment.
27th December – flown by Hazelton Airlines to Sydney and then bussed to HMAS Stalwart – were informed would be taken to Darwin on HMAS Stalwart and would then transfer to HMAS Melbourne. Later that morning informed we would not be going on HMAS Stalwart and were then bussed to HMAS Kuttabul – were informed we would remain there for three days and that time was ours to do with what we want. Were accommodated at HMAS Kuttabul for 3 days.
On the 3rd Day we were given vaccinations in the HMAS Kuttabul Junior Sailors Mess. Then taken at midnight to Sydney airport and joined a charter flight to Townsville (RAAF Garbut). Then bussed to the Magnetic Island Ferry Terminal and were then picked up by Wessex helicopter and flown to HMAS Melbourne which was in the vicinity enroute to Darwin.
Was with the first detachment of personnel from HS 817 to be flown ashore in Darwin – role was to unload the squadron helicopters loaded with building equipment and supplies on the esplanade opposite the Darwin Hotel. Working in approximately 10 hour shifts (local civilians sitting on the bonnets of their cars drinking beer urging us on as we undertook our laborious duties to help them).
On days when we were not required to load/unload the squadron helicopters we were tasked to clean up buildings and place all the damage materials on the footpaths for removal. Cleaned out the Darwin Library, a school (Admiral Wells attended for a “photo shoot”). Also cleaned out numerous homes – as part of my team detachment from HS 817 Squadron – Officers and Sailors working together side by side. This continued for the whole time HMAS Melbourne was involved in the Clean UP Darwin Operation.

Story Submitted by William Jackson (RAAF)

I arrived in Darwin on the 13 February 1975 and worked in the Stock Control area at RAAF Base Darwin. Also involved with Air Movements bringing all needed supplies into Darwin from the rest of Australia. I left Darwin in August 1975 to return to my family and to my position at No 2 Stores Depot in Sydney. I was a Corporal Clerk Equipment while serving in Darwin after Cyclone Tracy

Story Submitted by Ian Rosee (RAAF)

Arrived in Darwin on 28/12/1974 aboard a USAF C141, was working at the Base Medical Flight assisting the Environmental Health personnel in general clean up.
Helped in the transportation of the non ambulant patients from Darwin General Hospital to Darwin RAAF Base, for MedEvac by C130 to Adelaide.
Departed Darwin on 31/12/1974 as Flight Crew on a C130 supervising evacuees heading to Queensland and New South Wales.

Story Submitted by Lindsay Shanks (Navy)

I was at HMAS Moreton when cyclone Tracy hit Darwin the local police came to our flat and told us to return to work on boxing day, which I did. My task was to drive the Social worker to the airport to pick up the families of the survivors of HMAS Arrow. I did many trips to Eagle Farm that day and night and it wasn’t until late that evening when we got word that the families were due in. We arrived at the airport just as the families were loaded onto another bus for their journey into Brisbane. We the Social worker and I followed the bud into Brisbane.
A couple of months later I received a phone call from my poster in Canberra telling me I was required in Darwin to assist with Reconstruction as I had some experience in house wiring at HMAS Tarangau also Patrol maintenance at HMAS Moreton. I arrived at HMAS Coonawarra Easter Monday 1975. There was a tug of war between the Reconstruction Team and the Slipway at Francis Bay Darwin as to where I was posted to, eventually I was relocated to the Slipway where I carried out various duties on the Attack Class Patrol Boats,mainly the change over of the lead acid batteries to Nickle cadmium on all of the remaining Boats.

Story Submitted by James Ross Thatcher (RAAF)

Our unit was deployed to DARWIN on 26th December, 1974. From memory we reported to RAAF Base Richmond at around 10:30pm on 25th December. We were briefed on the situation in Darwin and ordered to prepare whatever equipment we would need to deploy to Darwin to achieve our objectives. From memory, we departed Richmond RAAF Base on C130 Hercules at 6am on the 26th, and we were the second RAAF aircraft to land in Darwin after the Cyclone. Our immediate objective was to restore radio telecommunications from Darwin RAAF Base to RAAF Operational Command at Glenbrook NSW. Our secondary objective was to assess and if possible restore Air Traffic Control communications to the RAAF Control Tower, and to assess the condition of the military navigational equipment installed at the airfield. All of these objectives were achieved and as a result, the airfield was able to be used over the following days and weeks, to facilitate the supply of manpower, medical equipment, food and water, generators, and to enable the evacuation of around 30,000 people from Darwin to other safer locations in Australia. On arrival, we determined there was no reliable communications, outbound from Darwin. There was no electricity available on RAAF Base Darwin, most of the accommodation was unfit for occupation, no sanitation and no running water. We were able to get water from fire hydrants. We were able to commandeer civilian vehicles that had been abandoned on the base. We used our own deployed generators and radio equipment that we had arrived with and were accommodated in 11 x 11 canvas tents that we had deployed from RAAF Base Richmond. From memory, our unit remained in Darwin for about 6-8 weeks, until normal telecommunications had been restored, and the airfield was able to support in-bound and out-bound air traffic.
At the time I was a Corporal, Radio Technician (Ground), experienced in HF/VHF and UHF Radio Equipment, also TACAN and QUADRADAR Navigation Aids.

Story Submitted by Garry Hugo (Army)

I was posted to 711 Supply Company Darwin in December 1974 as the 2 i/c and ATO to replace the current 2 i/c, Captain Bruce Hamson. Bruce was staying in Darwin with his family until 01 Jan 1975 in order to qualify for Zone Allowance. I was billeted in the 7MD Officer’s Mess and was to take over Bruce’s MQ in Jan.

I arrived in Darwin in early December and remember that the city went to Orange Alert because of Cyclone SELMA, which turned out to be very minor. I completed my handover with Bruce and returned to 511 Supply Company in Springhill WA about the 20th December to assist my family (Wife and 2 Children) with the removal to Darwin. We planned to spend Christmas in Perth and travel to Darwin 02 Jan 1975.

I was recalled from leave and travelled to Darwin on an MMA F28 Jet along with two doctors on Boxing Day. I initially helped clean up the Supply Company area and was later tasked with providing logistic support to the teams (civilian, Navy and Army) tasked with clean-up of the city and suburbs. Support included organising transport, equipment, food and drink, in addition, with my AT (WO2 Max Cannon), we picked up large quantities of ammunition from a local Gun Shop wrecked by Tracy and disposed of it.

I was lucky enough to get the first MQ refurbished in Larrakeyah Barracks by the Army Construction Sqn (17 Sqn?) and my family finally arrived in Darwin in March 1975. I remained in Darwin until April 1978.

Story submitted by Peter Adamis (Army)

CYCLONE TRACY: 24 DECEMBER 1974

A Harrowing Tale of Resilience, courage and Resolve. I write this now as a tribute to my mates, both those who have passed on and those who are still with us, who played a crucial role in the rescue and recovery efforts. Their courage, resilience, and dedication in the face of such devastation are a true inspiration, and I am honoured to have been a part of it.

It was the day before Christmas day, and most of us were preparing for the holiday. Some had plans to visit family or friends, while others like myself, who were single, planned to head into town if we weren’t on duty. Little did we know that our lives were about to be upended by one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever strike our nation.

My memories of Cyclone Tracy may be dim, but the events of those fateful days in late 1974 are forever etched in my mind. As a member of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6 RAR), stationed at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, I found myself at the center of the unfolding crisis.

When the news reached us about Cyclone Tracy tearing through the city of Darwin, our commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel “Harry the Hat” Hammett, immediately sprang into action. Harry was a magnificent leader who had trained us to a high degree of efficiency, and he knew that we had a crucial role to play in the rescue and recovery efforts.

Under Lt Col Hammet’s direction, our battalion set about transforming the barracks into a makeshift refugee camp, capable of housing and caring for the thousands of displaced people who had fled the devastated city. We worked tirelessly to erect tents, set up sleeping quarters, and establish a mess hall to feed the influx of refugees.

The first order of business was to rearrange the living quarters for the soldiers who called the battalion lines home, myself included. Lt Col Hammet and his team then set about erecting numerous tents that could house a large number of individuals, kitting them out with bunk beds, blankets, lighting, water, and power. The Other Ranks mess was transformed into a veritable restaurant, ready to feed the thousands of people we expected to arrive.

Toilet facilities were hastily constructed, and many of the barracks were designated as accommodation for those in need, particularly families with young children. The local Brisbane media were out in force, reporting on the unfolding disaster and interviewing the first trickle of refugees who made their way to our gates. They also urged the citizens of Brisbane to provide clothing, food, and any other essentials that could help support the displaced Darwinites.

As the refugees began to arrive, an interview and welcome area was set up to gather information from each and every one of them. As one of the soldiers selected to serve as an interviewer and interpreter, I played a vital role in this process. My language skills, as well as those of a few other lads, were put to good use as we became the official interviewers and interpreters.

We asked the refugees a barrage of questions – their names, addresses, next of kin, whether they required immediate medical attention, what kind of support they needed, what language they spoke, and if they needed anything to help them feel at home, from a shower and clean clothes to basic necessities. The stories they shared were both harrowing and inspiring, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

We quickly identified that the psychological and emotional toll of Cyclone Tracy was immense, not just for the refugees but for the wider Australian community as well. The sudden and violent destruction of the city, the loss of life, and the displacement of thousands of people left a deep and lasting impact on the collective psyche of the nation.

For the people of Darwin, the trauma of the event was overwhelming. The sense of loss and disorientation was palpable, as they grappled with the sudden and irreversible changes to their physical and social environments. Many struggled with feelings of grief, anxiety, and depression, as they confronted the reality of rebuilding their lives from the ground up.

The impact on the children was particularly acute. Countless young refugees were left without homes, schools, or the familiar routines and support systems that had once defined their lives. The emotional scars of the cyclone would continue to shape their experiences and perspectives for years to come. As interviewers, we could only offer words of comfort and reassurance, knowing that the true healing would take time and the support of the broader community.

One particularly interesting incident involved a Chinese couple who had been living in Darwin for years. They had managed to escape the cyclone with a small fortune in diamonds and gems, and they were understandably concerned about the risk of theft during their journey. When we became aware of their situation, we called in armed guards and the police to ensure their safety and the security of their precious cargo.

Another group of three men had driven all the way from Darwin, under the impression that the city was being bombed. They were terrified that they too might be targeted, so they just jumped in a car and made their way down to Brisbane, slowly and cautiously, unsure of what they might encounter along the way. Each individual had their own story to tell, and soon we who were conducting the interviews began to form an idea of the devastation that had befallen Darwin.

As the interviews progressed, the barracks were transformed into a bustling hub of activity. Civilians from all over Brisbane began driving through, dropping off donations of clothing, toiletries, toys, and other essential items. The refugees were able to select what they needed, from children’s clothes to men’s and women’s footwear, as well as more specialized items like wheelchairs, walking sticks, and medical supplies.

Once the refugees had been interviewed and provided with the basic necessities, they were guided to designated areas or tents where they could rest, clean up, and make themselves at home. Many had lost everything and had fled Darwin in a desperate rush, grateful to be out of the devastated town. The battalion ensured that there were no disturbances and that the refugees felt safe and secure, with special guards on duty around the clock.

LtCol Hammett and his officers, along with the senior non-commissioned officers and warrant officers, were a constant presence, lending a hand wherever it was needed. Many stayed on past their shifts, doing double duty to cater to the ever-increasing number of people seeking refuge. The medical staff were also on standby, ready to provide assistance should any emergencies arise.

The emotional legacy of Cyclone Tracy continued to affect even the soldiers who were supporting the refugees being processed. We could see the scars, both visible and invisible, that the survivors carried as they navigated the complex process of rebuilding and renewing their lives and their community. While we had completed our task, we knew that the true work of healing and recovery lay ahead, to be shouldered by the government and charitable organizations.

The media was invited to witness our efforts, showcasing the remarkable work of the soldiers and generating widespread public support for the relief efforts. The citizens of Brisbane responded with an outpouring of donations, providing the refugees with essential items such as clothing, toiletries, and toys for the children.

This went on for a few weeks, with the refugees gradually making their way out of the barracks, either relocating to other parts of Brisbane or using government support and the numerous charities that had also come to assist. When the last of the displaced residents had departed, the massive task of cleaning up the battalion area began. It was a true testament to the scale of the disaster, with mountains of clothing, toys, bicycles, crutches, and medical supplies left behind.

The Australian Defence Force was hailed as heros for their courage and resilience, having worked tirelessly under difficult circumstances. When it was all over, the Department of Defence selected 6 RAR to be part of a larger contingent sent to Darwin to assist with the massive cleanup and rebuilding operation. Unfortunately, I was on a course at the time and was unable to join my mates on that mission. But I heard some harrowing and hilarious stories when they returned, tales that only those who had witnessed the devastation firsthand could truly appreciate.

The General who oversaw the disaster cleanup later stated that Darwin looked like an atomic bomb had hit it – the level of destruction was almost unimaginable. At least 65 people were killed, and over 600 were injured, many of them critically. Thousands more were left homeless, their lives upended by the sudden and violent destruction of their homes and communities. The emotional trauma of the event was immense, as families were torn apart, loved ones were lost, and the very fabric of the city’s social fabric was shredded.

When I returned from my course and my mates came back from cleaning up Darwin, they told me what they had seen and what it was like. One yarn that was brought to my attention was the figure of unaccounted Aboriginals. Some diggers advised me that they had seen burial pits which contained the body parts of Aboriginals that had been found and collected during the cleanup. Others mentioned the figure of some 200 being unaccounted for, but this may have been just a tall yarn on the part of the digger. Other diggers told the same story, but who knows whether the yarn was true.

Later, I was to read from newspaper reports that Cyclone Tracy was a small but powerful storm that tore through Darwin on the night of December 24, 1974. It was not expected to pose a significant threat, as the city had weathered numerous cyclones in the past. I found it interesting that no mention was made of any unaccounted Aboriginals or of the Aboriginal death toll.

The story of Cyclone Tracy is one of tragedy and triumph, a testament to the human spirit and the power of community to overcome even the most daunting of challenges. It is a story that continues to resonate, not just in the city of Darwin, but across the nation and the world, serving as a powerful reminder of the resilience and determination that lies at the heart of the human experience. As for myself, the events of those fateful days in late 1974 will forever be seared into my memory.

Peter Adamis

Story Submitted by Geoff Trowbridge (RAAF)

I was on leave with my parents on Christmas Day when I received a phone call that night asking me to return to Williamtown RAAF Base via Richmond RAAF Base. On boxing Day I had to report to the Senior Equipment Officer at Richmond and joined a group of mixed ranks about lunchtime to receive a briefing on what had happened in Darwin and what logistics support was planned.
I proceeded to Williamtown and was tasked with another member to travel around Newcastle and nearby towns in a RAAF truck to collect petrol or diesel generators from any hardware stores or suppliers of any capacity and bring them back to the Base. We had a book with alternating pink and yellow pages (called an SO,,. something) which was normally used by catering staff to make small local purchases. This was in effect a promissory note for the Commonwealth to pay the vendor for the generators. The generators were loaded on to a C130 (referred to as a CHALK with a number after it) and I had to escort these to Darwin on the 28th of December.
At Darwin, which was already evacuating residents, Navy, Air force and civilians all helped distribute the generators in a strict order of priority to medical centres first, kitchen and food supply second and telecommunications facilities third. Diesel generators were preferred as petrol supplies were very limited.
The various messes at the Base were badly damaged and we stayed overnight in tents. I did two similar trips after that and did a follow up with the various vendors who had cooperated with the supply of generators. I believe they were all paid for their goods.
I don’t believe there was any entry in my personal record about this ‘detachment/assignment’.

Story Submitted by Alan Dudley (Army)

I and other members of 104 Signal Squadron and members of 1 Signal Regiment, which included drivers, admin clerks and myself as the only radio operator, were order to attend 2 Military Hospital at Ingleburn to receive appropriate inoculations and then transported to Mascot to board a flight, along with AFP personal, to Darwin. On arrival at Darwin we were meet with scenes of confusion and hysteria of residents wanting to board the aircraft and leave Darwin. Our role on a daily basis was to attend and clear vacant homes (that were left standing) of any perishable food items, not pleasant and no PPE like they have today. As I was the only Radio Operator at that time I was tasked to maintain communications from the bridge of the Darwin Trader during the twilight period as communications at that time was limited. It took some time for the complete restoration of communications by the Telco. Additionally a group of personal and myself were task to attend the munition bunkers which had been damaged and relocate all munitions to a more stable environment due to the humidity. Whilst at Larrakeyah Barracks, having a restful afternoon I viewed the arrival of HMAS Melbourne loaded with building material and store on the flight deck, instead of planes. On or about the 24-25 Jan 75 I returned back to Ingleburn barracks.

Story Submitted by Ross Lawrence (RAAF)

While serving with 35 Squadron at RAAF Base Richmond, I was attached to RAAF Base Darwin on 15 Nov 1974 for Exercise Fence Post, where I was employed in the Air Movements Section on the base.

On 9 Dec 1974, my attachment ceased to RAAF Base Darwin. I returned to RAAF Base Richmond. We were advised at the time by senior Air Force Officers that we needed to get the aircraft, that were in Darwin for the exercise, out of harms way due to forecast cyclonic weather approaching the Darwin area. I recall at the time that the weather was deteriorating very quickly. We had spent a considerable amount of time securing plant and equipment from the ever increasing wind. Some aircraft were deployed to their home bases others were sent to RAAF base Tindal, near Katherine, south of Darwin.

After returning home to Richmond, I proceeded on annual leave, to Victoria, with my family for the Christmas break. Post Christmas day I was contacted from RAAF Base Richmond and instructed to return to Richmond asap as I was required to work in the Air Movement section at RAAF Richmond. We worked very long hours for many days, loading transport aircraft with emergency supplies for the relief effort in Darwin, post Cyclone Tracey. I was also heavily involved in receiving and looking after passengers that had been evacuated from post Cyclone Tracy Darwin.

This was quite dramatic and difficult as most of the passengers, if not injured, had lost everything including loved ones and were extremely traumatised. It is certainly a period of my life I will never forget.

Story Submitted by Christopher Brown (Army)

Story 7 – RASigs and Cyclone Tracy – 125 Signal Squadron, Darwin – By Chris Brown OAM –

Part 1 – Overview 125 Signal Squadron – History Story RASigs

I want to talk about a Signal Squadron that many would not know about. That Sqn is 125 Signal Squadron Northern Territory Command. It was a small Squadron, a Cadre Signal Squadron whose role was to support and train the CMF of the time. Also, man and operate the Northern Territory Command Comcen. Of course, we had a very limited staff structure covering just the Operating Trade. Supported by a limited Tech(Elec) and Tech TG staff and workshop, Q and Admin.

During the WW2, in particular Darwin and the huge area across the Eastern Coast and Western Coast down as far as Broome…..The Japanese attacks revealed many inadequacies in our homeland defences. Our Military at the time had little or no knowledge of the lay of the land, or how they were to ever overcome defending a ground attack by the Japanese. The only people who had knowledge of the land ….were the Land Owners. Those out there, in the middle of nowhere who knew the land, and when you could move and how you could move with your equipment. It was a mad scramble to collate in formation about the potential to move troops and equipment around the Territory.

At the end of the War…in the wash-up of our Defence inadequacy, it was decided that the Northern Territory Command will have the responsibility to continue and collate and record geographical and indicative on-conditions on the ground.

NT Command (which went through a number of Defence Force structure titles)….essentially, remained with that overall responsibility of maintaining a ‘Register’ of the strategic areas capable to support a Division and its Second and Third Echelons.

So…This is where 125 Signal Squadron comes in. Designed for purpose…including those NT CMF Recruits..

Part 2 – Posted to 125 Signal Squadron

When I arrived in the Sqn January 1973, this is the equipment we had. The Squadron had 4 Radio Detachments ….each having (Series2 L/rovers), including 3/4 ton trailer, 4XJerry, 3Xwater, Wicker baskets, An/GRC-160 with spare 77 set, 6Batteries, AN/GRC-47 (with PRC CES), RC-292, 3 Operators, and heaps of jack-rations. And all the other stuff that goes with a radio detachment. I replaced Wayne Hagen. Bob Moss was the Radio section Sgt….He replace Jazz Jantzen. Grahame Healey, Byran McConkey, Chris Brown and Keith Woods were the Det Comds. The Det members included Bob Hatley (who took over Grahame Healey’s Det and Eddie Edwards, some fellas from 2 Sig Regt and 103 Sig Sqn would be attached for the dry-season. The Squadron also manned the Command Comcen. An AUSTCAN link TTP, Telex, Off-line cyrpto, Tech Workshop, SDS etc.

Role: A Signals Cadre Squadron. Recruiting base, Northern Territory mainly the Darwin area and beyond for those who could make it in. Role during the dry season. was, Up-date the Military maps spanning NT and western reaches of Qld and eastern reaches of WA. Mission. Undertake reconnaissance of specified areas. We were very often away for weeks then to return rest up and go out again somewhere else. Plotting new roads, tracks, fords, bridges etc on the maps. We had many enthusiastic CMF soldiers. This was their plot and they took great pride in being part of the system. River reconnaissance normally was a mixed group of polices, Navy, Army, civvy doctor, Major Ops from the Barracks etc…. Land party following the boats to set up on the shore/banks with rations and food….and XXXX/CUB.

The work was important. After WW2, Northern Command mission became clear. To record local knowledge and create a Registry of up-to-date road and river information so that troops and equipment can be deployed as necessary around the Territory. Army during WW2 in the Territory had no reliable information regarding accessibility to deployment areas etc….. only the local Station Holders and Beef producers and the Indigenous settlements had the knowledge. The aim was to get that knowledge down on maps and keep it current. This included many rivers and creek reconnaissance to determine the state of the passages so that barges and watercraft could move reliably during the dry months. Needless to say, this was a marvelous posting. Roo’s, Pigs, Pythons, Water Buffaloes, giant beef bulls, crocs, Johnston crocs, sharks, dingo’s…all in a day’s work. Each Det had a SLR with ammo for dangerous occasions….

For all of our blokes with their families, it was a truly lifetime living experience. Getting paid to go on the best tourist travel in the World. It was hard, frustrating work at times…..but very rewarding.

The Barracks was completed around 1935. And Northern Territory Command established. The buildings was almost a facsimile of Sembawang or Nee Soon Barracks in Singapore. The same. Many of the married quarters were old and the prefabricated type, taken from Timor (that is another story). Darwin was ‘overseas’ to many of us. It had that detachment from the rest of the crowd feel about it. You knew you were in a special place….and everywhere you went, was just simply amazing. The year before I arrived, as Grahame Healey will confirm, a couple of the Dets were down there at Alice Springs and then along to Ayers Rock. Where they climbed the Rock to the top…..carrying a 47 set with counterpoise, a coupla car batteries and a ten-foot whip…. established comms with Perth (SASR Radio Rm), 2 Sig Regt, 139 Sig Sqn, 103 Sig Sqn. Loud and Clear. Amazing radio. Mind you the frequency was just right, and the IPSO said so…

At the end of 73’….The Unit received its long-awaited issue of VRC-F2 plus CES….also manpack F2 plus CES… How modern were we??…. but we hated having to hand back the 47 sets. Then in early 74’…. Three complete AN/GRC-106 vehicle fits arrived. We were so overwhelmed with this gear. We had radios everywhere…with a VW buckets seat firmly anchored right in the middle of all of it in the back. RAEME went apeshit. Peter Kerntke somehow handled it.

So ….the Squadron motored on doing what it was supposed to be doing ….right up to the Xmas break-up piss up for the Barracks in the OR’s Booza ‘The Rattey Club’…. which just has $100,000 spent on it’s renovations. It was beautiful. Then Cyclone Tracy came along that night and fucked everything right up…..

Part 3 – The night Cyclone Tracy arrived

So….Almost the whole Barracks, and some, turned up at the Rattey Club, as directed by Units…..except for those on essential duties. Even the civvy ground maintenance crew turned up. A few Navy dudes etc. The plan was the Command assemble at 1200hrs for the Xmas break period, and for the Commander LtCol RB (Buck) Rodgers to introduce the new incoming Commander, effective 10 January 1975…and that was the former CO SASR LtCol Hamilton-Smith….who waved his hand and smiled. I think this was going to be his ‘swan song’ and retire. RASigs Buck Rodgers was formally the CO of 1Sig Regt….he assumed Command of the Regiment in 1963 from LtCol Cox….who just happened to be RSM Dixie Lee’s brother-inlaw. It was Buck who saw us off to SVN from the Unit Apr 1966. Our OC was to be Major Ken Taylor but , he was earmarked for promotion and CO of the Regiment. Pissed off is mild the way he felt about it. Both Korean War Vets….Major Mudd assumed Command in February 66′.

So….Here were were listening to the speeches and itching for a drink and a sausage roll etc….and the radio on the bar blaring out that freakish warning siren, of an impending Cyclonic disaster (which still haunts me today). Buck wanted the radio left on. The Warnings came every half an hour, and it was seriously detracting us from the thought of getting pissed….that idea somehow just floated out thru the louvers… And before he let loose…He reminded all of us that the Cyclone Season Plan had been implemented last month….(we all trained for it)…we had our ‘duty stations and grouping etc’ and not to ‘over do it’……

The situation was now such, that is was plainly obvious the party had to stop. “RSM!!….Close the Party down now please….All personnel are to return to your homes and duties…..as it is now apparent that a Cyclone is heading our way”. The Command RSM (a very scary serious antique from the Armed Corps) Percival (Percy) White……just glared…and we all left. Percy was in fact a WW2 Veteran…Artillery Corps then….and was a gunner out there at East Arm Artillery Station manning the big guns supposed to stop Japanese shipping etc……….. He lied to get into the Army…He turned 17 years old in Darwin. I had a good relationship with the RSM…..he spoke to me and I would say “Absolutely Sir”! He scared the living daylights out of our famous RASigs WO2 Tanker Hawkins…and nothing much scared Tanker. So…I must add here that I was the CO’s Radio Detachment. When I first arrived in Darwin two years previous…it wasn’t long before I did my first Choko weekend out there at the Winnellie Weeds rifle range, on a comms ex. And the CO just loved Sigs….so comes out snooping around saying “Hullo…are you enjoying your exercise’?… “Oh yes Sir…we just love laying here in 120deg heat and humidity that would kill a buffalo, gettin bitten by bloody midgies and mozzies”…… “Don’t I know you Corporal’??….”Your face is very familiar”…. “It aught to Sir….I was a temporary steward in your Officers Mess 1 Sig Regt”…… Well the old boy was over the moon discovering somebody actually knew him from Ingleburn! That is how I became his favourite ….and made all the boys jealous,,,,

I lived right down the end of Clowes St..married quarter 39. Opposite was Cpl Bluey Stone (Det 7Sigs)…..I knew Blue from Singapore. Talk about parties. Det 7Sigs arrived about 6 months earlier to do some work out near the swimming hole. I got home and spoke to my wife Peta….and went over what she had to do with our three little kids to move to the OR’s mess when the wind started to get real blowy. The ‘Plan’ required that all dependents go to their respective Mess….where bedding and equipment had been prepared for them. That was the dining area for us. The strange part of all this was…..you can remain in your quarter if you wish….but you will be in extreme danger. 90% of families went to the Messes. About 1700hrs…..a radio vehicle pull up outside and it was Sgt Denis Kirkman (who replaced Bob Moss). He told me to drop him off at the Comcen (which also had our crisis room combined and a big one too)…. and go and pick up the CO. Inside the Ops Room, all Corps Officers and Wo’s etc all had 77 sets and had a job of keeping contact with our ‘Street Wardens’ out there (our troops) to report the progress of damage etc….. The CO kept me there till about 1900hrs when he wanted to go for a drive around the Barrack to check things out. By that time the wind was damaging. It redesigned our ‘outdoor theater screen before our very eyes as were traveling sideways. The ground maint sheds and workshops were already blown apart… But we continued. He checked every street and married quarter and tried to quickly encourage folk to get to the mess…..but I cautioned him as it was now too dangerous. We got back to the Ops Centre in the Comcen. I parked my Rover in between the Comcen and the Command main building. The RSM’s Mercedes was already there and he had the best spot. The Blowfly ute was next to me and so on…… So that was the positioning until it was all over…..but it was just fucking starting.

There were many hero’s that night. Trying to do their duty and the right thing……all of whom had never been in a cyclone in their lives. Ordinary soldiers taking shelter under the MQ’s reporting damage….Officers in the Ops yelling and listening to screaming and cursing over the handsets…..then the Deko masts went over….and that was it. No comms for anybody. It really started to get nasty around 2100hrs. Those poor bastards tied themselves to the mq concrete piles and took it all. Til morning. Meanwhile….our hero was Tanker Hawkins…. what a man. At around 2300hrs the comcen lost part of its roof and water just pissed in everywhere filling up the floors coming into the tops of our GP’s. The back doors of the Comcen were blown away…and our beautiful big Comcen Emergency power supply…..a CAT Diesel…..just hummed and roared away …..something was working…..and it kept working. There was a 1500ltr tank our the back on solid ground and she did not stop.

Around midnight….The CO wanted to visit the OR’s mess AGAIN!!… We already visited the Mess around 2100hrs and we just made it. Behind the Comcen is the Barrack oval. There is a steel tube railing that goes right around the oval. It is in fact the water pipe for the oval. We got across the oval to the Mess and got inside. Those poor frightened women and kids and babies and cats and dogs and birdcages etc etc were all forced back into the food prep areas and into the huge freezers for protection.

All the louvers were smashed. Glass everywhere….stretchers, blankets, pillows, tables and chairs smashed everywhere as the wind just howled thru the place. Two Sgts were in charge. One a grunt from the main Q and the other the Sgt Blowfly Medic. They did a marvelous job of protecting the families.

So here it was around midnight…..right smack when it was the worst…..”Corporal Brown…take me to the OR’s Mess….I have to check on those families”….. Major Wilchefski (SO2 Ops) tried to change his mind…..but no. For me….it was just plainly stupid and dangerous. But ….I was strong and fit with a determined old man with such a strong sense of duty standing next to me. So ….out through the back where the doors were and the Generator is howling …..in the wind…..stuff of movies…. Fuck!…. we inches around the brick walls outside the building and got around to the back ….where there was a total mess of wires, antennas and dekco masts right across our path…..and we had to get through them to get to the edge of the oval and hang onto that bloody pipe. We were on our hands and knees (well….I know I was….and he made it to the edge with one hand keeping his Cap on???… We were literally clinging onto the ground….while the sky was pissing down rain, continuous lightening, continuous great length of corrugated iron and fridges and doors and roofs and great lengths of roofing truss wood spearing into the ground in front of us. The wind was howling and screaming…….continuous…..like a flight of F4 phantom jets sitting there running their engines.

We couldn’t hear ourselves yell…never mind talk….. And I’m pointing to the sky and shaking my head saying ‘NO NO NO’…… He looks….and his Cap flew off his head….and he yells..”My Caaaappp”!!…. I yelled at him… “F*&k the Cap….we have to go back”…. He got the message. We finally got back inside. This was WW3 from me. I dunno about him…. But there was more for him to worry about later.

Tanker didn’t stop either. He took control of those who were not in the Ops Room. around 0200hrs….the ‘eye’ past over us. We had about 1/2 an hour to sort some shit out. And then it started again coming from a different angle. Then there was a mad rush against the facing OPs room wall……a brick wall bending inwards and everybody pushing it back…. Now that simply amazed me. The pressure outside was just immense. I will leave it here now….. and continue tomorrow….when at around 0600hrs we knew it had passed and gone…..and Tanker opened the front Comcen double doors for us to witness absolute carnage…….and to meet a new dawn that many off us will not get over….

Part 4 – Larrakeyah Barracks, Christmas Morning

This is the story about a little Signal Squadron with a big job. And that job in the end, was to expand and become overwhelming. Many notables from our Corps served in this Sqn, since its establishment in the late fifties. Always with just enough gear to get by….given it was Cadre Unit and we all know how little equipment they have. So remote, it came under the ‘Tropical Posting’ arrangements…..even had TAX Dept remote benefits. We wore light/weight pollies….shorts, short sleeve shirts and socks and puttees with AB boots for formal parades. No winter dress. Greens for the rest.

Before I begin, I want to restore some background to the story, so the reader understands who was running the show.

When I arrived in the Unit, the OC was Captain Brian Broderick……. and he was replaced that xmas 73′ by Captain Peter C Kerntke. These two gentlemen had nothing in common except for their rank. Completely two different styles of Command. Captain Broderick soldiered on in the Corps for some years after, then made the transition to the Provost Corps. He was a ‘no nonsense fella’, efficient and likeable, and he was a goffa drinker…..so impromptu piss-ups were a bit awkward at times. He was visibly sad when he had to leave. Captain Kerntke took to the new job in his stride, and quickly became familiar with the role of the Sqn… and having a beer or two, was no problem. Peter Kerntke and family were right there with us, til stumps 28 February 1975, when we were allowed to leave the Territory and get on with our lives. He lost everything too.

About August 73′ elements of Det 7 Sig Regt were arriving to establish their new comms work environment. About December, Captain John Schmitchen, Det 7 Sigs Troop Commander arrived and families were moving into the MQs.

One correction on my last post is that of the new incoming Northern Commander. I had the wrong fella LtCol Hamilton-Smith….it was in fact LtCol Dale Burnett (how did eye do that?)

Xmas morning 25 December 1974 at Larrakeyah Barracks, Tanker opened the comcen front doors….. many of us walked out to take in the horror of it all. We just could not believe our eyes. Could not take it all in…….we were shocked. The only words that you could hear were swear words, and most of us were numb and angry. You quickly realised that your life has now changed.

There were six or so very huge Morton Bay type fig trees outside across from the Comcen and the Command HQ at least 100 years old. They were all bowled over like huge dead centurions with their roots pointing skywards with clods and clods of dirt through the lot. Then you saw the married quarters across the common area across Allen St and the devastation was so apparent. The road and parking areas right in front of us…were strewn with destroyed homes and trees and rubbish and personal items and on and on…. One has to view the photos and pictures of the damage of Darwin which is available, to understand the enormity of it all.

We stood stunned for about 3/4 minutes …..and the soldier in us kicked in. We knew the ‘Rescue Team’ and ‘Recovery Team’ were already out there among the MQs looking for survivors. These teams were part of the ‘Cyclone Season’ Instructions.

I went for my Rover, it was still there but soaked. The RSM’s Mercedes was smashed on its side next to mine. The ground maint Ute was next to mine…windscreen smashed and half a house rammed inside etc… Then Tanker yells for me. The CO wants me. He comes out of the building and takes one look….and you could see him taking it all in and not saying a word. There was simply destruction everywhere, and I mean everywhere….you just couldn’t walk 3 feet in a straight line. He says….”Corporal Brown….take me home. I want to check on my family”. I looked around and thought….’In what’?…. “I’ll get the ute going Sir…..”. I cleared the ute out and the CO is giving me a hand. We finally got the glass off the seat….and of course the mongrel wouldn’t start and I knew why. Up the bonnet, off with the dizzy…dry it out but still water forced into the fittings. Took it off ….got the gas gun and flamed the dizzy and the gear dry…. ‘Bingo’! she starts…. The CO jumps in and I move forward….about five feet….he looks at me…with the realisation that we aint goin anywhere…. unless we clear a path…..all the friggen way to the front gate!…. He jumps out…and starts clearing stuff away from the front of the vehicle….all by himself. I get onto the common area that runs all the way down to the front perimeter and he is out there clearing everything imaginable away from me to I can move forward. You might be wondering where are the others?…to help?…Everybody was doing something…..most Officers and pers went to check their families who remained in their quarters….

After about 40 minutes…we finally reached the front enterence to the Barracks…where a little Telephone type guard hut stood in the middle of the road…. at the gate. He didn’t even ever get back into the ute. We saw the road beyond the gate. Absolute wreckage of homes and trees and everything else covered the road. Carnage everywhere. I got out of the ute and looked at him…what is the next move?. We ain’t goin anywhere!.. I could see the sadness in his face and anxiety which he tried to control….. “Corporal Brown, I am going on by myself now to my home. I will be okay, please tell Major Wilchefski to take Command until I return….and that will not be for a few days….” So I watched him getting through the damage and rounding the corner 100 metres away and that was it. I immediately turned the ute around and drove straight back to the Comcen along the path cleared by the Boss. I add here, about the Guard hut at the gate. It was alway manned 24/7 by the Garrison soldiers (us). Cpl Keith Woods …RASigs Det Commander was on duty all bloody night. At the gate. Mounted duty at 1800hrs and was imprisoned in that box all night!…. Nobody ever dreamed that this situation was going to be that bad. I spoke to Woody later about it. “How did you survive Woody”…..”Well, I had plenty of smokes and run out of bloody matches…then things got pretty hairy around 2100hrs and nobody came or went”.

“Things were absolutely desperate around 2300hrs….and I pissed off and got under the house just outside the gate….and hung on til dawn…and made my way back to my quarter which was missing a few parts”.

Dear Woody. Now sadly in a medical supported home, and is blind, and he has lost his legs due to persistent diabetes. Keith went back to Darwin 30 years ago and had to come to Qld for medical care about 5 years ago.

I got back to the Comcen, and in the meantime, Denis Kirkman got my rover going and drove it around to the front hard-standing in front of the doors… As soon as I arrived he told me to crank it up (106) and raise Townsville (103 Sig Sqn). This was around 0700hrs and the Sun still had not appeared from the East. Tanker has guys clear all the rubbish and damage away from the front of the Comcen so we could move and work. Our Captain, like the others, went back to check his family quarters for a while then returned to the Comcen. Warrant Officer Tanker Hawkins was inside with all our boys carting water outside….mopping up the mess etc….that went on all day. NO COMMS…..any kind of comms. No AUSCAN cct or VHF or TELEX or anything else. Sgt Geoff Molineaux was still making his way in from his place outta Town. His place was wrecked too. I think he had a 250cc honda at that time (which was stolen later).

Cyclone Tracy Communications

So….By now…you’re thinking…where does this bloke get all of this?. How can you remember all this??… For me it is harder to forget, than to remember. These events are burned into my brain.. …like most other significant events in my life. The RSM shortly after the doors opened went over to the SGT’s Mess where nearly all their dependents were holed up for the event. The Mess lost a great part of its roof and windows and louvers and external add-ons were all smashed. I got there much later in the morning. I was working on a 15ft whip off the 106. Morsing 103 Sig Sqn on our training freqs……time was dragging on and the Sun was not playing at all….. The 3MHZ were dying and not quite ready for 5MHZ at that time….but I plugged on with the key to Townsville… It was around 0900hrs that Captain Kerin Niquet joined me in the rover…..I was sending, and he was listening…. this went on for a while after re-tuning….then bingo! We made contact….. signal strength was slowly getting better. We passed rudimentary messages and we had a firm link. Tanker took me off the vehicle and put Cpl Doug Purcell (RIP) to run it….. He told me to have a break (an hour) and report back. He sent me over to the SGT’s Mess to get the RSM as Major Wilchefski need him. I gets to the front door and there are a dozen or so wives all asking me questions. Most of their husbands were on Teams or at their posts etc…. Fran Madigan came to me and asked me if her house is still there. I had already gone down Clowes street the hour before….picking up my wifes and kids clothes that I recognised on the street as I went. I wanted to check my house. Two walls were still standing, and that was it. A flat floor and two exterior walls. Fran’s house had completely gone over the cliff. Just a flat floor. I said “I’m sorry Fran…I haven’t been down our street yet….I can’t tell you”…. There was nothing more I could say. Fran’s husband was the RAEME ASM WO2 Ron Madigan. The Warrant Officers had the best possies on the cliff edge …but they suffered the worst as most of the others. The RSM’s place gone….all down at the bottom of the cliff.

Our Unit’s focus of course was comms. We understood that the PMG were already out there along with the Darwin Power Authority working their arses off despite their own family horrors. They amongst many other organisations that had a direct effect on the populations’ welfare were working working etc….including the hospital staff. There was no let up….not for anybody. We had to clean up our own Unit accommodation….consolidate the workings of our own gear. While the Officers got together to workout a plan now of looking after our families, and getting our resources working the best we could. The clean up of homes and mq’s would come a week or so later. But the recovery of food by families from upturned destroyed fridges full of xmas food, was a priority. One has to understand that, the Darwin Police and Administration were all, like us, in a state of shock. The population just took care of itself suburb by suburb….

But it is a long story. Later that night after a RAAF Airbase cleared its runways during the day, sufficient enough for C-130s to land…Major General Alan Stretton arrived from Canberra, around 2300hrs that night. He was to take control of the whole situation… ..and earlier that night the MV Nyandra arrived in the harbour and tied up at the only available wharf still standing. This ship was to be Darwins’ main HF and RATT comms out of the area, and the command link for Gen Stretton. The ship was part of the West Australian Cargo Line. She sat out the cyclone on the other side of Bathurst Island and slowly moved forward toward Darwin, as the cyclone attenuated inland.

Tomorrow I will talk about Larrakeyah Barracks, and how we looked after the families. And the actions the ‘Rescue Team’ were faced with… And how our Unit started to implement the comms plan and integrate with the Police.

Part 5 – The Rescue beings and looking after families

The Squadron was, by the end of the first day in consolidation mode….and family mode. There wasn’t much we could do electronically. I cannot even remember where I slept that night.

Before noon on the first day (xmas day)…I finally got to visit my family in the OR’s Mess. Incredibly, the women and older kids helped the soldiers clean up inside the mess and get rid of the broken glass, destroyed furniture etc and patch up the open window spaces with upturned tables etc. My wife, a former soldier herself a WRAAC Sgt, got in there and did some family organising herself. No injuries. Many women and kids are scared witless. My 2 year old son stuttered for years after this event.

Animals became a problem. They were harboured into a separate area. The bedding was hung out to dry and stretchers restored. The cooks returned to duty. Cpl cook Cpl Carter, looked after the families with what they had in the freezers in the OR’s Mess until they were all evacuated, He emptied out the frozen storage (outside units which survived) and got his team cooking. There were no new rations coming in for at least a couple of weeks…..and that was coming in from the Navy and by air. This clean up was happening in the Officers and Sergeants Messes as well. The Messes were to be the dependants’ home until they were evacuated.

Mid afternoon the first day my wife and kids like most other families came back to what was their home. Picking up clothes and items that were ours along the way…even jewelry. Soldiers spent the day looking after their families and doing the best they could gathering and salvaging what they could. This was going on all over Darwin. Neighbours helping each other in every way possible. I really believe that the whole Darwin community was in a state of shock….and many just didn’t realise it. Just pushing on and going through the motions of some sort or reality that held you together. Many thousands would have suffered with these horrors for years…..classic cases of PTSD. My wife suffered as did my two sons.

I gathered our Tupperware and our Reena Ware and clothes. All our precious documents were gone. Retrieved two Wedding Albums.

My fridge was thankfully in the front yard on its back….it was full of xmas fare. We shared that with others around us sitting on the steps of our quarter. Fran was there with her three little ones and we just got stuck into it. Ron couldn’t make it because he was the ASM of the workshops. I salvaged two suitcases outside and gave one to the Madigans. There were a few bottles of wine but that didn’t last long amongst the neighbours. A funny story.

Across from us was Bluey Stone quarter (Det 7Sig)…Blue was having a raging xmas party at his place that night….of course they were not listening to the radio. You couldn’t hear it anyway. I imagine what happened next, when things started to fly around the place. Anyway….things got very very serious and Blue and his family (kids and other kids) and friends….got into a 1937 Chev that was parked under his quarter….Blue was restoring this beautiful beast ….but…the rescue team found them in the morning….(all with bursting bladders), and got them all, out of the car after half of the house collapsed on top of the car during the storm. They couldn’t open the doors. There were many injuries of folks who stayed in their homes. Their houses were torn apart…just like many thousands and thousands of other Darwin residents out there.

The Barracks had some bad injuries amongst wives and children who remained in their quarter. The worst being the Sgt Medic’s family who stayed in their quarter. The rescue team at dawn, after hearing the moaning and crying of kids down Clowes St….came across the house and there was very little left of it. She was in the bath with her three little ones and a wall had almost severed her leg which was out of the bath….she was in big trouble. Our boys stablised her, and bashed their way for an hour to get her to hospital not far away normally from the Barracks. I believe she lost her leg. The Rescue Team went from quarter to quarter to make sure they were all clear. Stevens Tce where the SNCO quarters are suffered tremendously. They came across the Service Corps WO2 Blue Lattiner. He, his wife and three kids were all jammed in the toilet with the door closed. That was the only room left standing on the house floor. The cubicle was twisted and they couldn’t open the door. WO2 Lattiner was in a really bad way…..the team got them out. Blue went on with his career and PSO for some years and retired. 31 May 1973, RAASC was disbanded and became the RACT. They then wore a twisted lanyard of Black and Red.

Down the track (16 mile) HMAS Coonawarra Transmitting Station was also devastated. And suffered tragic injuries and deaths. The story is that a sailor was on duty and he lost his wife and children when their quarter was completely destroyed. Some 70 plus were killed that night and hundreds injured and scores of people missing. Even the Naval Hq, a historical old stone building was severely caved in…. It is high overlooking the Wharf. Naval Officer Commanding NT was Captain Eric Johnston. I knew him. As a Naval LtComd in Singapore. He is a big fellow who played rugby in Singapore.

Three days later the Commanding Officer RB Rodgers returned to the Barracks. His story came out. On arrival at the Commander’s Residence at Myilly Point, a hundred year old Queensland style home (ground level),was almost totally wrecked. Wrecked enough and demolished and never to be rebuilt on that ground. (Check Google Maps Satellite). It was apparently the First Northern Territory Administrators residence. Fifty metres away was the big ground maintenance garden shed and inside was a big flat-bed Amy style trailer. The CO found his family hiding under the trailer with the shed completely collapsed upon the trailer. He called out to them and found them. The neighbours helped him free his family of wife and five daughters. Two of whom came home for xmas from places afar.

The families stayed in the Messes. They stayed there until the evacuations took place….which was about six days later. But meanwhile, there was still no common electricity, or running water… Women and mothers were washing their kids in pools and puddles of blocked road drains, until the Engineer Troop put up screened hessian areas around the water spring gushing out of the cliff face on the slipway to the ocean just past the Artillery Park. Hessian and star pickets did the trick. The families could now shower in private in this cold water run off…..which lasted for a couple of weeks. Mothers were tearing up Army bed sheets for nappies etc….

Then there was an animal problem. I had a German Shepherd dog. There were other dogs just abandoned. They started to roam around the place hungry… A few of us would go through the wet kitchen bins to salvage what we could to feed them. We manage for a couple of weeks. But once families left (evacuated) they left their animals behind. Those that owned them didn’t own up.

The SO2 (Ops) Major Cousins has more or less handed over his position to the new SO2 Major Pound (also Artillery I think) somewhere mid December and he (Major Pound), took off thereafter to England for a holiday apparently… He left his Red Setter dog behind and Peter Kerntke had us look after it until he got back. We had to contain it in the ‘Spider Room’ at the back of the Comcen….. so there were dogs all over the place. I ended up somehow part-time looking after them. In fact I made the front Page of the ArmyNews NewsPaper January edition …with dogs all around me. We ended up having to destroy them. One of the first pallets of stores to arrive in the Barracks off the HMAS Melbourne….was a pallet of ‘Lassie Dog Food’ …..of all varieties. And it was delivered to our Unit??…I wonder why.

Clowes St started at Allen Avenue which ran through the Barracks. Clowes ended at Nimmo Place where all the Warrant Officer quarters were….right on the edge of the cliff. Tanker Hawkins place was just over the road from me and he was posted earlier in the month to 4 Sig Regt if I remember. He had his furniture uplift two week before the cyclone….so his quarter was empty. His wife and children had already left Darwin. His quarter was allocated to the newly arrived Engr Army Workboat Sgt, Hans Kumple. Hans replaced old Sgt Bob Carpenter, who had left earlier in the month. The boat, AWB Wyeena, a MV Krait Z Force look alike, was tied up at the Stokes Wharf. Hans was originally a German immigrant like many of us. He was a helluva nice guy, and was really excited about his new posting and his beautiful quarter with million dollar view across to Mandora Bay. He used to come and look at his house almost every day.

I saw Hans over the road whilst I was picking up stuff….he was visibly very upset. His dream had vanished. His posting like others would come to and end. As our beloved work boat had sunk at the Wharf. I believe it was resurrected…not sure, but that was long after I left in March.

Boxing Day. Our OC had gathered all our workable man portable radio assets and batteries etc….. so were busy getting ready as this was just day two. Dets up and running and waiting for deployment. Denis Kirman sent me down in a GS to the Wharf around 1000hrs to warn the Captain of the MV Nyanda that MajGen Stretton was on his way. Earlier Cpl Bryan McConkey had got to the Police HQ and placed a 77 set on their Ops desk to tell them if they wanted to call the Army…use this. And don’t change the frequency….normal Mac style…..God I miss that bloke. So that is how I ended up in Nyanda. Did the job, and on the way down the bridge staircase,,,,General Stretton was walking up. He was surprised to see a soldier on board…”Is the Captain up there Corporal”?….. He used that ship for about two weeks for his Canberra link. We left a 77 set there later as part of the Command Net. The next day, Denis Kirman and eye, went to the Police HQ to install a RC-292 on the roof…..We had to carry the gear up to the 4th floor to access the roof….Inside sadly, were recently recovered deceased people. On the roof, and we got on with it. The Police VHF/UHF was ratshit for weeks. It was all Army. We did not get any new march-ins from other Units for about 5/6 days. I have to say…that over the weeks, we had scores of Sigs blokes of all trades arriving… It was a full on effort. The riggers and linnies worked from dawn til dusk….as normal.

It really was bedlam organising comms priorities… meeting the demands of the Situation Command Control. Captain Kerntke had a lot on his plate. We had to deploy Sigs to the newly identified evac centres…Mainly major High Schools around the suburbs. Rations and shift arrangements became a problem….but our comms to these and other critical areas was a necessity. Within days Stretton made a few important decisions. No man between the ages of 18 yrs and 65 yrs is allowed to leave Darwin and its precincts. Of course people were leaving Darwin in their bashed up cars with what they salvaged and got the hell out of there before the Cops set up roadblocks…. Also, he ordered the clean-up of the City. Don’t know how that was done…but it worked like clockwork.

The first Navy ships arrived on 31 December. By this time the Darwin ABC radio was up and running. Stretton ordered that no New Year Celebrations are to occur …,anywhere….until the main body of the City clean-up was done. New Year will be celebrated on the 33rd of December 1974. True story.

Evacuations started around 31 December.

My next Post is my last on 125 Signal Squadron. It will be about the evacuations and the troubles caused. The re-establishment of our Comcen comms to AUSCAN and Telex.

In a matter of days, we were able to move around the City and the burbs. Our first assignment by the Ops Control in Police HQ where a conglomerate of Army, Navy and Airforce Officers, Police Command, Gen Stretton Staff etc…..was to deploy men with 77 set manpacks to the Airbase runway area. The Airbase was in a total mess. The SAR Chopper Huey was destroyed inside the hangar. A hundred light aircraft all turned turtle….or on their nose. Many strewen across the airstrip along with houses cars and trees….shocking mess. The Base Commander Air Commodore David Hitchens personal DC3 Dakota blown off its moorings to the tarmac and landed completely upside down on the Commander’s residence front garden?… He was away at the time and he and family flew in from somewhere north the next day. What a sight!…

The operators were tasked from the Tower where an Airforce Officer would direct the radio ops down the strip to actually meet the planes arriving and walk them to a parking spot. Two days later of this…Jumbos were arriving, C-130’s, Galaxy aircraft, and many others. One sight I will never forget is Sig Eddie Edwards walking a jumbo jet to a parking spot. This was Darwin style ‘Aircraft Ground Control’.

History Story RASigs – More to follow…

Continued Story Submitted By Christopher Brown (Army)

THE DARWIN STORY – FOLLOW UP – Christopher Brown.

The immediate response by all Military Services after the Cyclone finished its destruction…..was to make their families safe and secure. Re-establish their roles now, as to how they fitted into the greater disaster response and relief organisation, that General Alan Stretton created. My role, as many of my Army mates, was directed by the communications requirements, and other things, for the Operational management of the Disaster plan. The Navy, Army and Airforce personnel suffered an additional whammy…..doing their military job as well as helping the civilian community through the Disaster Management Team who decided where the Military Assets went.

Refugee and Disaster Relief centres sprung up within days…mainly the High Schools, theatres and civic halls. Seemed there was always work to be done. Overwhelming depressive work with the clean-up. Being only 26 members (totally) of my Unit…..and only 8 of us who were radio operators, got the radio network up and running (including the Airport)…..we more or less slept on the job…..everyone did. The airport and the Airforce infrastructure was totally devastated. This made aircraft and movement very difficult…..all service personnel were totally involved in providing what the Disaster Committee required…..who were situated in the Police HQ.

Two days after the disaster … .critical service personnel arrived to bolster the needs of the situation. Evacuations of folk were high priority on top of providing food, water, fuel of all sorts.

For me….like others…..it was about getting back to Larrakeyah Bks to see my wife and 3 young kids. Preparations for evacuation were high on the priority list. Thousands of survivors (including my family) are doing their documentation with Red Cross, Salvos, Military movement personnel which arrived just in time…… .with the arrival of the Australian Navy, saving our necks by doing the hard yakka along with all the fit men available to sort the town out over the weeks. The cleanup would not cease until 33 December…..and men were released to leave Town 28 February ‘75.

So that is my story……nuff said. Broken minds, bodies, emotions and marriages …were going to take a few years or more to get it out of your system. Some people never could….and some never did. But after that experience, Darwin was always a magnet for those who lived there and went through it….they just wanted to go back.

Story Submitted by Colin Matthews (Navy)

I was in Darwin (NT) for the entire R.A.N Cyclone Tracy commitment period.

I always wondered if those involved in the actual event would ever be recognised for the Disaster Medal (Poor state of affairs, and a real stingy show, when we give so much money in overseas Aid, that veteran service personnel have always had to fight for a few crumbs from the Governments table of inequality as decided by those, which have as ever… contributed very little indeed) to anything much at all.!

I have seen many other service personnel with this medal and they were not at Cyclone Tracy; but nothing for our biggest/largest Australian ADF Deployment assisted by all involved – A very poor record for a fair go?

Like so many other ADF personal I was at home on Christmas leave at the time of the recall — I was flown into Darwin and joined HMAS Melbourne until my ship arrived, which was HMAS Stalwart. I was in Darwin for the full commitment by the R.A.N, I worked extensively on both the clean up/clearance, and as an engineer I also ran the diesel generators from time to time to provide emergency power to the Hospital’s and other emergency services.

In 2016 I was diagnosed with Asbestos disease on both lungs which rapidly declined my quality of life – As for my time in Darwin we cleaned up asbestos riddled houses and other premises containing varying degrees of Asbestos we had no P.P.E supplied at all, and therefore I may have been unfairly exposed/contaminated up there in Darwin – The incubation period varies from time of exposure and every one is different but it’s approx 25 to 40+ years depending upon the level of an individual’s contamination?

Good luck to us all but, I for one wouldn’t hold my breath for one (As I particularly can’t) but, we are dealing with the most difficult departments of any country simply shameful… for no good reason.

Kind regards,
Colin Leigh Matthews (R.A.N & R.A.N.R, Rtd.)
ADF PNF – Service 21 yr’s & 6 month’s + 3 Yr’s Active Reserve CFTS as required.

Story Submitted by Paul Dabinet (Army)

I was working Rear Details over the 1974 Christmas period at Woodside Barracks in SA, when on Christmas Day we got news of the cyclone that had hit Darwin. A day or so later we were advised that we would be receiving people displaced by the cyclone into Woodside Barracks and that we had to assist in looking after them for an unknown period of time. Because basically everybody was on Christmas leave the barracks was empty and we were tasked to go through the lines removing soldiers’ personal equipment and other items to make space for the incoming people. Memory is a bit vague of what we actually did, but I do remember moving a lot of furniture around, bringing beds into rooms and trying to make the barracks feel as homely as possible. Not long later the displaced people began to arrive. I remember there were family groups, and we had lots of children of various ages. Once word was out in the media that the evacuees were arriving at Woodside we were inundated with gifts and donations from well wishes that were willing to provide some comfort. Lots of toys, clothing and even food items. All went to good use. During the period of their stay we assisted the various health and other agencies that were involved with the care and rehabilitation of the cyclone evacuees.
I can’t remember how long they stayed for, it wasn’t a long period. But at least we did our bit.