A Farewell to those with whom we served...

[Peter Weyling]

....or bc .... he keeps his finger on the pulse!!

[Hippy Chippy]

Just got my RSL News and note the passing of a Fred Ockenfels R42005, was Fred one of our early MOBIs. He was a member of Sunnybank Sub Branch.

That name rings a bell Norm .... but just checked the list of MOBIs and he ain't on mine.

Maybe Rick, Seejay and Ned can shed some light on this.

Yes, I'm confused too... As the RAN was in the habit of allocating Official Numbers in alphabetical order by surnames, even allowing for a subsequent name
change by deed poll, there are no 'Franks' in the first batch of MOBIs, in fact there is only one with the first initial of 'F', namely F. J. H. Holyoak.

Not only that, but R42005 would be J. Carlin, just can't see a connection anywhere...

If anyone can shed any further light on this, we'll allocate a separate topic to him, in the meantime, sticking with the intention of this topic, i.e., to acknowledge
everybody else, and we've had another Admiral pass over the bar, as reported in my post below...

[Hippy Chippy]

Hi Rick,

For your info if interested.

Cheers

Connie

UNCLASSIFIED

SUBJ: PASSING OF
REAR ADMIRAL NEIL EWER MCDONALD AO RAN RTD
A. ABR 1834 VOL 3 CH3
B. ABR 81 CH3

1. NAVY IS SADDENED TO HEAR OF THE PASSING OF RADM MCDONALD ON 22 FEB
14.

2. RADM MCDONALD WAS BORN ON 12 NOV 1922 AND ENTERED THE RAN COLLEGE
IN 1936. ON PASSING OUT HE WAS AWARDED QUOTE MAXIMUM TIME UNQUOTE,
THE GRAND AGGREGATE PRIZE AND THE OTTO ALBERT MEMORIAL PRIZE FOR
SEAMANSHIP.

3. RADM MCDONALD EXPERIENCED WAR SERVICE IN HMAS CANBERRA (I), HMAS
STUART (I), HMS LIVERPOOL, HMAS NORMAN, AND HMAS BARCOO, IN WHICH HE
WAS TEMPORARILY IN COMMAND DURING OCT 1944 AS A YOUNG LEUT. IN JUN
1945 HE PROCEEDED TO THE UK FOR ADVANCED NAVIGATION TRAINING.

4. SUBSEQUENTLY RADM MCDONALD SERVED IN HMA SHIPS SYDNEY (III),
AUSTRALIA (II) AND VENGEANCE. HE WAS PROMOTED TO CMDR IN 1955 AND IN
JUN 1958 WAS APPOINTED XO HMAS VOYAGER (II). AS A CAPT, RADM MCDONALD
WAS CO HMAS QUEENBOROUGH AND THE SENIOR OFFICER 1ST FRIGATE SQUADRON.
FURTHER APPOINTMENTS INCLUDED AUSTRALIAN NAVAL ATTACHE JAKARTA, CO
HMAS SUPPLY, CO HMAS VAMPIRE AND 10TH DESTROYER SQN AND DEPUTY CHIEF
OF NAVAL PERSONNEL.

5. IN 1969 CAPT MCDONALD ATTENDED THE IMPERIAL DEFENCE COLLEGE IN THE
UK BEFORE PROMOTION TO CDRE ON 9 JAN 1970 AND APPOINTMENT AS THE COS
TO FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING THE AUSTRALIAN FLEET. ON 23 MAY 1972
COMMODORE MCDONALD ASSUMED COMMAND OF THE RAN FLAGSHIP HMAS MELBOURNE
(II), A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL 20 JUN 1973.

6. PROMOTED TO RADM ON 11 FEB 75, RADM MCDONALD WAS APPOINTED FLAG
OFFICER COMMANDING THE EASTERN AUSTRALIAN AREA(75-77), FLAG OFFICER
COMMANDING THE AUSTRALIAN FLEET (77-78) AND DEPUTY CHIEF OF NAVAL
STAFF (78-79).

7. RADM MCDONALD WAS MADE AN OFFICER IN THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE
ORDER OF AUSTRALIA (AO) IN 1977 AND RETIRED FROM THE PN IN AUG 79
FOLLOWING 43 YEARS OF NAVY SERVICE.

8. THE FUNERAL SERVICE FOR RADM MCDONALD WILL TAKE PLACE AT 1500 FRI
7 MAR 14 AT THE GARDEN ISLAND CHAPEL, SYDNEY. UNIFORM
FOR THE FUNERAL IS S2 WITH MOURNING BRASSARDS.

9. LETTERS OF CONDOLENCE CAN BE SENT TO: MRS PEGGY MCDONALD,
LIFESTYLE MANOR BONDI, APT 38, 24-32 FLOOD STREET, BONDI NSW 2026. IN
LIEU OF FLORAL TRIBUTES, DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO THE PROSTATE CANCER
FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA.

10. AS A MARK OF MOURNING AND RESPECT NAVY IS TO HALF-MAST
COLOURS FROM 1400 TO 1700 FRI 7 MAR 14 IN THE SYDNEY REGION ONLY.

11. ON BEHALF OF THOSE CURRENTLY SERVING AND THE BROADER NAVY FAMILY
SINCERE CONDOLENCES ARE EXTENDED TO RADM MCDONALD'S FAMILY AT THIS
DIFFICULT TIME.

IMPORTANT: This email remains the property of the Department of Defence and
is subject to the jurisdiction of section 70 of the Crimes Act 1914.
If you have received this email in error, you are requested to contact the sender
and delete the email.

[Ray Lawrence]

DAVIS ROBERT MAURICE : Service Number - R42005, joined 29/06/1956, was an A/CNS in 1969.

Can't find Ockenfels at all, the entry in the RSL News must be wrong as the above entry was the only one on NAA for PN of R42005.

[BC]

Norm,


Ockenfels Frederick Raymond John

Born in Brisbane, Australia on 13 December 1922
Passed away in Deception Bay Nursing Home on 21 December 2013
Late of 25 Galway Street Greenslopes
Aged 91 years

He was an ex-RAAFie and served in WW11, his O/N was 44523. I would say they stuffed up his O/N.

[Peter Weyling]

That's where I knew the name from....he was in the same nursing home as my Brother is. Told you bc would work it out!!!!

[Norm Noack]

Thanks everyone, hope I haven't made a fool of myself, just trying to help.

[Seejay]

Not a problem Norm. Just goes to show the care our members show in tracking down information about one of our own who may have crossed the bar. Well done, guys!

[Peter Ferris]

In last Saturday's Telegraph a matelot under the RAN logo, a mister William (Bill) John Blackman of Canberra crossed the Bar at age 89 years.Would anyone know if he was Bill Blackman,the Chief Stoker?

Thanks.

[Ray Lawrence]

Had a look in NAA service records and I would say so, he paid off in May 1969 as a CERA, joined in 1946.