On This Day
2000-present-day
On This Day - 2000-2019
- April 7, 2004
In one of the stranger law cases dealt with in Australia, Leading Seaman Michael Szewczyk was found to have stolen over 1000 books on Naval and Military history, (worth over $200,000), from the Royal United Services Institute Library and Naval Historical Collection Library. Szewczyk, who had served in the RAN for over 20 years, including service in the first Gulf War, (1990-91), was a prolific reader with a love of military books. The magistrate hearing the case found the offence proven but chose to record no conviction due to the sailors previous good character, and the fact that the books were not stolen for any financial gain. Szewczyk, however, was banned from using Defence Force libraries in the future.
- March 16, 2004
While on a goodwill visit to Wellington, New Zealand, the HMAS SUCCESS, (tanker), had graffiti spray painted on her hull. The slogan “J. Howard US bootlicker” was spray painted in metre high green fluorescent letters on the ship’s side in a pre dawn raid by two political activists, from a group known as “Ethical Foreign Policy is Possible”. The graffiti referred to the Australian Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, and Australia’s strong support for US actions in the Persian Gulf and Iraq in 2003-04. Sailors from SUCCESS removed the graffiti and the ship sailed later that day bound for Auckland.
- March 10, 2004
The frigate HMAS STUART, (CMDR. P. Spedding, OAM, RAN), departed Sydney for service in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Catalyst. In keeping with tradition the ship, nicknamed the “Tartan Terror”, had a lone piper play as she departed the wharf.
- March 9, 2004
The frigate HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (CMDR J Vandyke, RAN), assists in transferring a critically ill passenger from the P&O cruise liner ADONIA, to the hospital at Christmas Island. WARRAMUNGA was conducting Operation RELEX II, (Immigration), patrols off Christmas Island when called upon to assist the 76 year old passenger, using her RHIB, to medical facilities ashore.
- February 24, 2004
VADM Chris Ritchie, AO, RAN, (Chief of Naval Staff), released a signal to the RAN concerning the safety of Anthrax injections issued to RAN personnel who were involved in the 2nd Gulf War in 2003. VADM Ritchie advised “no long term side affects have been observed and there is no real reason to believe the vaccine is not safe”. Issue of the vaccine had been cancelled in late November 2001 when a number of SAS personnel, (being deployed to Afghanistan), had adverse reactions, but this information was not made public until early 2004. When vaccinations recommenced in early 2003, some 97 personnel serving in HMAS DARWIN, (frigate), suffered from a reaction to the vaccine which was well in excess of the 3% average expected. Additionally about 30 personnel serving in RAN ships deployed to the Arabian Gulf refused to have the vaccination, and were removed from their ships and returned to Australia. Similarly the USN had also cancelled Anthrax vaccinations during 2001-2002 due to concerns about the safety of the vaccine.
- February 7, 2004
The first of 11 RAN personnel sent to Iraq to assist with the creation of the new Iraqi Coastal Defence Force arrived at Umm Qasr. The RAN personnel under the command of LCDR Tony Powell, RAN, joined a Coalition training team of 72 personnel from Britain, the United States, Holland and Italy.
- February 6, 2004
The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial was dedicated at the Ballarat Botanical Gardens by the Chief of the Defence Force (General Peter Cosgrove, AO, MC). Among the 35,000 names on the memorial are those of men from the Australian submarine AE2 (sunk during WWI), HMAS PERTH, (sunk at the Battle of Sunda Strait in 1942), and naval personnel captured while serving in Merchant ships.
- January 26, 2004
CDRE J. P. V. Goldrick, CSC, RAN, and CAPT A. K. Du Toit, RAN, were awarded the AM for their services to the Commander Task Group, (CTG), during Operation Slipper deployments to the Arabian Gulf in 2002.
- January 23, 2004
HMAS WARRAMUNGA, (frigate), intercepts the illegal fishing vessel MAYA V near Heard Island. Due to bad weather and heavy seas a Navy boarding party was fast roped, from a Seahawk helicopter, onto the vessel to take control of it and steam her to Fremantle. The tanker HMAS SUCCESS supported WARRAMUNGA and provided fuel to enable her to return to Australia from Heard Island.
The Minister of Defence, Mr Robert Hill, announced that a small group of RAN personnel would soon deploy to Iraq to assist rebuilding the Iraq Navy. The 12 personnel under the command of LCDR Tony Powell, RAN, would be based at the port of Umm Qasr and assist RN and USN personnel with the training of the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force.
- January 21, 2004
The patrol boat, HMAS GLADSTONE, (LCDR M. Moore, RAN), apprehended the illegal fishing vessel SUMUT SAKHON in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
GLADSTONE was forced to fire rifle shots across the bow of the vessel, but it still refused to stop and eventually a boarding party was put onboard to take control of the vessel.