HMAS OTWAY CREW REUNITES FOR 50th ANNIVERSARY

HMAS OTWAY CREW REUNITES FOR 50th ANNIVERSARY

The Gold Coast recently played host to a milestone reunion, as the commissioning crew of HMA Submarine Otway gathered to remember their much loved submarine. 36 crew and family members attended the special event, which marked the 50th anniversary of the arrival of HMAS Otway in Australia. Navy Shop was proud to be associated with the event by donating Otway medallions to mark the occasion.

Part of the Oberon-class of submarines, HMAS Otway was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Greenock, Scotland during 1965-1966. Its RAN crew had undergone a 3-4 year training program attached to the British Royal Navy Submarine Service – and many of them ended up meeting their wives in the United Kingdom.

On 22 July 1968, HMAS Otway and its commissioning crew set sail for Australia, sailing via the West African coast, rounding the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, before proceeding across the southern Indian Ocean to Fremantle and then on to the east coast. Almost three months later, on 7 October, the submarine and its crew arrived in Sydney – well before the era of GPS.

Lloyd Blake OAM, who was involved in organising the reunion, said it was a memorable occasion of all involved.

“While much water has passed over our Submariner lives, a strong bond remains between all of us. It was a delight to meet again with so many of that wonderful crew … Then and today, we retain great trust and respect in each other; as submariners do.  Many of our number have crossed the bar and are no longer with us but their achievement and contribution remain.”

He had kind words for those on-board, as well as the families that remained behind – often for long periods at a time.

“We recalled a unique time in our service lives and those of our families. We remembered the significant contributions our families made during our sometimes hazardous life in Submarines.  In those days, we had trust in the chain of command and each other. We understood the responsibilities that came with the privilege of Submarine Service; we had faith in our mates. Training and dedication was absolute.”

HMAS Otway and the Oberon-class submarines formed the vanguard of Australia's surveillance force and remained a source of constant frustration to the RAN Anti-Submarine Warfare fleet. During 25 years of service, a succession of ship's companies on HMAS Otway preserved the highest of standards expected of any submarine. The submarine had traversed 415,000 miles during her service life.

HMAS Otway decommissioned on 17 February 1994 and scrapped at Sydney's Garden Island Dockyard. However, Otway's casing and fin can still be seen in the small regional town of Holbrook, NSW where it has become a landmark as part of the local Submarine Museum.