I first learnt of the sad news of Don's passing in this e-mail from Peter Maher... 
Rick,
This will be of interest to you.
Rest In Peace Don Cuthbertson.
Peter Maher
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: del heuke <del>
Date: Jun 6, 2007 2:21 PM
Subject: Re: NAVY INFO PLEASE.
To:
VETNET-AUSTRALIA@home.ease.lsoft.com
He was Don Cuthbertson, a mate of ours who did exercises with us VVs twice a week. He was also President of our Krambach RSL. Mesothelioma is very quick and not very nice.
As an aside the RSL is folding as now our President has died and Fred & I are about the only ones that can still stand on our own two feet and gawd knows Fred's are a bit shaky.
On 6/6/07, Peter Maher <steelcat41> wrote:
At the time he was in, an NS1 was a Naval Shipwright 1 - not a CPO, but given the privileges of a CPO, NS2 was equivalent to a Petty Officer (Sgt), and NS3 was equivalent to a Leading Seaman (Corporal), which is the rank that would have been held when first going to sea from training at the Apprentices School at NIRIMBA.
Can you b/c me the chaps name Del.
PM
On 6/6/07, del heuke <del> wrote:
We are in the process of organising an RSL funeral for an ex Navy W.O. Marine Tech.
He entered the Navy as General Entry - with a qualification as Coachbuilder for NSW Railways.
He was trained as a Naval Shipwright and listed as NS 1 Is that Naval Seaman level one and is it equivalent to private or airman
He is then listed as NS2 and would that represent Corporal rank?
He then did P.O. Leadership and instructors course - He is listed as CPOMTH what is that?
What is the equivalent rank of a CPO? with Army or RAAF and how does that rank with Warrant Officer Marine Technical Hull?
Where are they?
HMAS Cerberus
HMAS Kuttabul
HMAS Nirimba
Any stories you can give of HMAS Sydney on the Vung Tau Ferry about 1973 or on HMAS Melbourne 1969. or HMAS Derwent 1974.
He paid the ultimate price - Mesothelioma from asbestos.
Thanks to you all. Del.
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To which I replied:
Thanks for the notification Pete,
Sad news indeed to hear of Don's passing... Like most Direct Entry Naval Shipwrights (DENS) he was very well liked by all he came in contact with...
Don did his Direct Entry Naval Shipwright Course with us in 1965 while I was still an Apprentice at HMAS Nirimba...
A few corrections to the information below...
Don didn't go through the Navy's Apprentice's School as an apprentice, he joined the RAN as a Direct Entry Naval Shipwright, (having a compatible civilian trade qualification as a Coachbuilder,) as a Naval Shipwright 2, (NS2) carrying a rank of Petty Officer.
(Direct Entry Naval Shipwrights, with civilian trade qualifications such as Coachbuilders, Carpenters, Painters, Patternmakers, Welders, Boilermaker Welders, Blacksmiths, Plumbers, Cabinetmakers, Boat Builders, even civilian Shipwrights could join the fleet as Naval Shipwrights, after a short assimilation course at HMAS Nirimba with the Naval Artificer Apprentices. These Direct Entry Tradesmen, or in Don's case DENS, were your original '90-Day-Wonders'...!)
Progressing through the ranks, Don would then have 'picked up his buttons' as a Naval Shipwright 1, which contrary to popular misconception by non-trades ranks, was a fully fledged Chief Petty Officer (just not yet in charge of a branch).
Next Don would have made CNS or a Chief Naval Shipwright, still a Chief Petty Officer, but now in charge of other CPO's, (NS1's,) PO's, (NS2's,) and Naval Artificer Apprentices (NS3's, carrying the rank of Leading Seaman,) graduating from the Royal Australian Navy Apprentice Training Establishment, (RANATE) HMAS Nirimba.
Somewhere along the way, Naval Shipwrights were 'dragged kicking and screaming' to be fully integrated into the Engineering Branch, and were all then known as 'Marine Technical Hull'. However all of the above is a moot point as Don went on to become (and paid off from the Navy as) a Warrant Officer, a WOMTH...
Don will be missed by all of us 'Chippies', as will be observed when the tributes for Don start flowing into our www.RAN-SkilledHands.org Forum/ Website, where Don was a Member...... (Don will have his own topic which can be found by clicking here: http://www.ran-skilledhands.org/phpBB2/ ... php?t=1138 )
Don's profile on RAN Skilled Hands reads:
Don Cuthbertson
R64825
Ex WOMTH
Direct Entry Chippy
Nov 1965 to Nov 1985
Nirimba, Sydney, Melbourne (2), Derwent, Stalwart, Fleet Hq. Coonawarra, Kuttabul, Cerberus.
For reference for Del Heuke:
To 'Warrant Officer Marine Technical', Del needs to add 'Hull' (WOMTH)
Also:
HMAS Nirimba (RANATE) was a Naval Base in Quakers Hill, NSW
HMAS Sydney was our Troop Carrier through the Vietnam era
HMAS Melbourne was our Aircraft Carrier
HMAS Derwent was a Destroyer
HMAS Stalwart was our Fleet Maintenance Ship
Fleet Headquarters is in Sydney (HMAS Kuttabul)
HMAS Coonawarra was the Communication Base in Darwin
HMAS Kuttabul is a Naval Base in Kings Cross (also Fleet HQ)
HMAS Cerberus id now our Principal Training Base in Westernport (Crib Point) Victoria
Hope that answers all the queries...
VALE, DON... 