www.ran-skilledhands.net

Received this email from Bill Krause this morning.

It is with sadness that I pass on to all former sailors of our vintage that Derick (Butch) Berry WOQMG passed away this morning aged 79. Butch changed over from the RN & became one of those larger than life characters that all Stokers hated, it seems that we could never march or do rifle drill like it orta be done. I am sure the bullring up there will be swept ready for his arrival.

I'm sure that there will be many memories of incidents between Butch and Engineering sailors but I must say I found him to be a great guy once you got past the "QMG" side of him. Let's not forget his efforts to maintain the historical side of the Service either.

Served with Butch at Cerberus and on Jervis Bay one of the real characters of the Navy, found he had a great sense of humour and a true friend . He will be missed.

My favourite story of this remarkable man was at Cerberus, naturally at Divisions, after the new issue nametags had just come in. There we were, milling around waiting for markers to be called, Butch standing ramrod straight in his position on the parade ground, when out of the wardrobe throng to the left of the paradeground came a voice. "Mr Berry!"came the command from a LCDR, showing off in front of all his juniors, "Mr Berry!". Butch, did a snappy left turn, marched over toward the voice, and his famous parade voice answered, "Yes Sir!". "Mr Berry" said the voice, so that all around could hear his put-down of the great man on his own turf, "I notice YOU are not wearing a name tag". To wit Butch replied in an even louder than normal voice, "Yes Sir, but YOU know who I am, don't you !!!), saluted, about turned and marched back to his annointed position. The smirking officer just seemed to just disappear into the grass after that, accompanied by several hundred sniggers from people witnessing a wonderful putdown of a smart-arse showing off.
Butch also cooked up a wonderful asian nosh, as well as being curator of all things naval in the Cerberus museum, where I was collared into doing many a rabbit to assist his plans. Vale Derick, a true gentleman

I remember the Queen's visit in 78 to Canberra. We were flown in to make up a 9 division formation with the army and air force. There we were, all blurry from the night before and about to start our 13 pace "Advance and Review Order". There was a moment of quiet and stillness when suddenly Zero McNaught, our gunnery officer, decides to march somewhere out of the blue. Butch, without a care, bellows out "WHERE ARE YOU GOING YOU OLD GOAT!!". We all cracked up.

I didn't know Butch very well. Only that he was larger than life.

I had the misfortune to live next door to LCDR Don McNaught in Rockingham, 1978/9.

Man.....have i got some stories to tell about THAT bloke......!!

You may or may not be aware, but Don McNaught has passed over the bar a couple of years ago in his beloved Qld.

His missus, Kate now lives in Bundaberg.