A Farewell to those with whom we served...

[piquet]

Thats Peter. He was the chief tiffy on Stuart during and after the modernisation. Im saddened to hear of his passing. He was a top guy. A much nicer person than the MEO.
RIP.

[Hippy Chippy]

From: Peter Turner
Date: 3 November 2014 10:08:22 PM AEST
To: "Kerry Kerr @ Navy Stokers" <kerry@navystokers.org>
Subject: peter gillespie funeral

Peter's very close friend Bob Grant informed me the service is at West Chapel Fremantle Crematorium At 1300 Friday the 7th Nov
then back to the Rockingham Navy Club.
Cause of his problems was mesothelioma and prostate cancer.
On another note Peter spent a long time on Darings besides De's

Regards
Tich Turner

[Norm Noack]

Peter was a hell of a nice guy, a real gentleman, vale Pedro

[Hippy Chippy]

I received the following from 'Connief' this evening, hopefully someone can shed some more light on it so we can acknowledge his passing
in the usual manner, with a topic of his own...

(Connie, it should be noted that NS3 was a Kellick rating for Chippies just graduated, newly joining the Fleet, NS2 was the rank of PO.)

Hello Hippy Chippy,

The following is an e-mail sent to you by connief via your account on "www.ran-skilledhands.org". If this message is spam,
contains abusive or other comments you find offensive please contact the webmaster of the board at the following address:

Webmasters@ran-skilledhands.org

Include this full e-mail (particularly the headers). Please note that the reply address to this e-mail has been set to that of connief.

Message sent to you follows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Rick,

Just read a post on FB of the passing POMTH (NS3) JOHN LENTON. Sounds like he would have joined about the mid 60s, as one
guy said he was on Supply with him in 73/74. The message was passed on by Max Kent (ex CPOMTH).

Cheers

Connie

[Ray Lawrence]

There was a John William Lenton join as a recruit from Adelaide on the 23/08/1969, he appears to have been rated as a OrdME in November 1969 before being sent to Supply that month. Unfortunately that's where the NAA record ends. He was born 11/12/1946 and may have completed an apprenticeship as a civvie before joining.

[Hippy Chippy]

Thanks Ray, perhaps someone who served with him could add some further info for us..?

[piquet]

Max Kent seems to have known him. I will ask and see what he knows.
Maybe Max will even join the S-H forum.
cheers

[connief]

The post on FB was made by Rick Heaney, who is a member on here. I have asked him to contact Rick with more details.

[Hippy Chippy]

Rick Heaney has sent me the following (thanks Rick...) :

G’day Rick,

Connie Francis just messaged me asking if I could give you more information about the passing of John Lenton.

I didn’t know John personally but I learned yesterday from Max Kent, my old Chief Shipwright from my time on Torrens, about his passing so I’m not the full bottle on the detail.

The information that I do have is that John served in Pussers for 10 years from the very early 70’s, paying off as an NS3 (not a term I had heard because I’m just a young buck, chuckle chuckle…. ) or POMTH. He also served in SA Police for something like 23 or 25 years ending up as Watch Leader at Holden Hill in SA. I don’t know what he died from but apparently he was diabetic.

I’ll let Max know that I have sent this to you and ask if he has any further information yet. I think he was already asking.

Cheers

Rick Heaney – “Old” Shipwright
(Contact details removed)
One day, your life is going to flash before your eyes……...
Make sure it’s worth watching!!!!!

[Hippy Chippy]

MINISTER FOR VETERANS' AFFAIRS

SENATOR THE HON. MICHAEL RONALDSON
MINISTER FOR VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
MINISTER ASSISTING THE PRIME MINISTER FOR THE CENTENARY OF ANZAC
SPECIAL MINISTER OF STATE
________________________________________



VALE THE HON. THOMAS UREN AC


28 January 2015 VA003

It is with great sorrow that I extend my condolences to the family and friends of The Hon. Thomas ‘Tom’ Uren AC. Mr Uren, a Second World War veteran and former Labor Minister, passed away earlier this week. Mr Uren was dedicated to serving his country and will be greatly missed.

Born in the Sydney suburb of Balmain, Tom Uren wanted to pursue a boxing career, but his dream was cut short by the start of the Second World War. At 18 years old, Mr Uren joined the Army and served as a Bombardier with Artillery’s 2/1 Heavy Battery which was deployed to West Timor in December 1941. When Timor fell to the Japanese he was taken prisoner.

From Timor he was taken to Singapore and spent time in Changi before being sent to work on the Burma–Thailand railway. On the railway, he considered himself one of the ‘lucky ones’ who was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop. Having survived the brutality of the railway he was sent to Japan and was there when the war ended.

Mr Uren’s wartime experiences, especially his time as a prisoner of war, shaped his thinking for the rest of his life, and was central to the values he took into his political career. He once said:
I've travelled a long way in my political spectrum but I still stand back to those basic fundamentals of life that it is right of the strong to look after the weak and the young to look after the old and the fit to look after the sick…. That's what life's all about. And that simple philosophy that I drew out of my experience of serving under Weary has grown.

Following the war and another brief stint in the boxing ring, Mr Uren joined the Australian Labor Party, entering Federal Parliament in 1958. In 1972 he became Minister for Urban and Regional Development in the Whitlam Government, setting up the Australian Heritage Commission and the National Estate and creating new national parks.

He served his electorate of Reid in Western Sydney from 1958 until his retirement from politics in 1990.

Mr Uren was one of Australia’s most respected politicians and will be greatly missed. He stood by his beliefs, never wavering in his constant fight for peace and justice.

I send my deepest sympathies to Tom Uren’s family and friends during this difficult time. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

Media inquiries: Minister Ronaldson: Mark Lee 02 6277 7820 or 0408 547 381
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Media: 02 6289 6203

Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) and Veterans Line
can be reached 24 hours a day across Australia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling.
Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 4546).