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The Naval Association

of Australia

"LEST WE FORGET"

FUNERAL PROGRAM AND EULOGIES NOBBY CLARKE - 2 JULY 2004:

Nobby served as the Federal President of the Naval Association of Australia and in other positions attempting to secure better conditions of service for members of the RAN and retired members. He had a full and active personal and Naval life and was a wonderful friend and shipmate to many. Nobby leaves his widow Daphne, daughter Suzie and grandchildren.

Nobby's funeral at the Royal Military College Chapel, Canberra was well-attended with many of his friends present to personally say their final farewells. Eulogies presented by his grandson Adrian Thearle and friends Norman Lee and Mike Astbury are below the funeral program.

'NOBBY' By Norman Lee

I have been asked to say a few words about the thirty odd years that Nobby and I served together in the Navy, and subsequently, after both our retirements.

I first met Nobby in 1951 at Nowra, where he was an Observer in 816 squadron and I was a new sprog pilot in 817. However, it was not to be until 1954 that we would serve together when we commissioned 851 squadron, with Nobby as Senior Observer.

I recall flying with Nobby on a radar calibration exercise with HMAS Watson at that time, but it was to be another 37 years before we flew together again, this time in a light aircraft, on a trip north from Canberra to look at Rolly Waddle Woods property, I’m certain grandson Adrian remembers because I let him fly the Musketeer back to Canberra.

To complete the flying aspect of our relationship I know that both Nobby and Daphne were delighted when recently, granddaughter Jessie and I went flying together to celebrate her thirteenth birthday.

I’m told that on departing for the UK in 1955 as part of the advanced party for the Gannets, I’m alleged to have stated that I was going to get a pommie wife just like Daphne; which of course I did.

On return, both our families were living in the Nissan Hut Married quarters at Nowra and that is where our daughters, who are good friends first met, I doubt they remember because they were both yet to have their first birthdays.

Nobby and I briefly served together again in 1956, during 816’s first commission operating Gannets.

We went our various ways in the late 50’s and 60’s, to meet up again when I took over from him in 1966 as Staff Officer Air on the Naval Staff at Australia House in London. Two events remain in my memory; the first was meeting a couple of his contacts in the aviation industry as part of the handover, where we managed to demolish a bottle of Courvosior Brandy following a splendid lunch. I thought at the time that it was going to be a good job!

The second event occurred when I first set about writing a letter to the Ministry of Defence. Now Nobby was meticulous in his staff work so I looked up a carbon copy of one of his draft letters only to be confronted by a series of initials as part of the opening. It read P. L. B. T. L. O. T .A. and then launched into the text. Puzzled, clearly I had missed something in the handover. On enquiring of one of the typists she said “Oh that was Nobby’s shorthand for Please Lay before their Lordships of the Admiralty”.

Once again we went our various ways to meet up again at Nowra when Nobby was the Naval head of the Joint Anti Submarine School and I was successively CMDR Air and then Executive Officer of the Air station. My memory of this period is of Nobby and Daphne taking a very active part in the social life of the Air station, but of Nobby in his inimitable but friendly way, defending his professional turf, making it clear that AJASS was a lodger unit and not part of the Air station.

In the mid seventy’s, once again I was scheduled to relieve Nobby, this time as Naval Attaché in Jakarta. Because of some difficulties in the past it had been decreed that the position required a full years language training at Pt Cook. A linguist I’m not and I managed to escape the posting. Nobby subsequently told me about his experiences with the Indonesians, particularly about the extraordinary events that took place during the invasion of East Timor. Those with a sharp eye would have noted Nobby in the many re-runs that have taken place on TV covering the deaths of the five Australian journalists during the invasion.

In the late-seventies the roles were reversed and Nobby relieved me as Inspector Administration in Navy Office. I can’t recall talking to him about his experiences in the job, I can only hope that they were better than mine, as it was a period of upheaval as the Tang reorganisation began to bite.

Our final professional association was during his time as Director General of Naval Personnel Services when he visited the Air station in the early eighties to give a presentation to the Ship’s Company.

After our respective retirements we continued to meet on a fairly regular basis, tagging along with our wives as they attended the monthly get together of the WRENS association here in Canberra. Nobby and I would put the world to rights as we discussed how we would sort things out if we ever came to power. I just hope nobody was listening to us.

Just recently I heard a very telling comment on the radio on my morning walk. The discussion was about Jim Bacon, the late premier of Tasmania. The commentator said that Jim Bacon was a uniter, not like some people who are dividers. Nobby was clearly cast in the Jim Bacon mould. He had strong views on most matters, but he managed to get them across in such a manner that he never alienated those who might not have agreed with him.

I know that many here will agree with me that Nobby was always totally supportive of those who worked for him, or were under him in his various training roles.

Finally, and perhaps most tellingly, in some 53 years that I knew Nobby, I never heard word said against him.

Farewell good friend.

COMMODORE MALCOLM AIDAN MCKINNON CLARKE AM (NOBBY)

By Mike Astbury

the first week in september this year will be the fiftieth anniversary of the completion by no. 9 naval aircrew course of AIR FORCE basic flying training at uranquinty near wagga. i was one of those naval pilots and others are here today.

in their wisdom the navy decided that we would be better served by a week at hmas albatross rather than taking a weeks leave before joining point cook for our final training phase.

albatross sent over a dakota to pick us up. it was flown by a tall blondish pilot called wheatley with a small dark man called salthouse as his co-pilot.

the observer was a good looking lieutenant called nobby clarke. that was our first meeting with the great man we are all here to honour and farewell today.

i might add that, due to weather, the dakota was unable to return to nowra that afternoon and all of us,together with the crew and our senior naval officer johnnie wade-brown, went ashore to romano’s pub in wagga for a quiet drink.

nobby clarke was born on the 1^st august 1926. his naval career saw him rise from sailor in the royal navy to commodore in the royal australian navy when he retired in 1982.

nobby joined the royal navy in 1943. he carried out flying training in canada under the empire training scheme qualifying as a telegraphist air gunner (tag).

he was promoted to petty officer in 1945 and demobilised in december 1946. in 1947/48 nobby attended radio college and flew in civil airways.

in january 1949 he entered the r.a.n. he progressed quickly to the rank of petty officer while carrying out flying duties as an observer in australian naval squadrons. he was promoted to sub lieutenant in july 1951 and served in a number of seaman and squadron billets over the next few years. he was promoted to lieutenant in 1952.

in early 1955 those of us on no 9 aircrew course graduated as pilots from raaf point cook as acting sub lieutenants. once again the wisdom of our masters came to the fore. as they knew we would hate to go on a cruise liner to the uk to do our advanced naval flying, we became the first group to be fully trained in australia. on the 1^st june 1955 724 squadron was formed under the command of tony robinson who is here today. the senior observer of the squadron was nobby clarke. there was some thought given to us, as there were four royal navy instructors on the squadron.

nobby was a great teacher. he not only taught us to be good operational pilots but also to be good naval officers. he was always available if problems arose and we were all very thankful that he was around.

in 1957/58 his association with our group was once again to the fore when we were all members of squadrons onboard hmas melbourne. in fact, during the latter half of 1957, he and jerry o’day, ONE of our group, who is here today, flew together as a gannet crew.

nobby was promoted to lieutenant commander in 1958. he became the operations and intelligence officer at the AIR STATION at nowra for the next two years, to be immediately followed by two years as the operations officer onboard hmas melbourne.

posted to navy office in 1961 nobby was promoted to commander in 1963 and became the deputy director of training. this period was followed by a posting to the rn staff college at greenwich, the long tactical course at woolwich and then as staff officer aviation in australia house, london.

postings which followed were, naval member joint planning staff in department of defence. director, australian joint anti-submarine school and then naval representative at the central studies establishment, department of supply. in 1972 he was promoted to the rank of captain.

after a language COURSE at raaf point cook he was appointed as australian naval ATTACHÉ jakarta in 1974. on return from indonesia in december 1976 he attended the australian administrative staff college and was posted as the inspector of administration (navy).

in january 1979 nobby was APPOINTED a member of the order of australia (am). and in may of that year was promoted to commodore.

he subsequently became director general of naval personal services and during 1981/82 was the australian defence force representative of the secretariat for review of the higher defence organisation of australia.

in november 1982 nobby retired from full time service in the ran.

since retiring nobby has worked with many ex-service organisations. these include the naval association- being act president from 1991 to 1993, federal president from 1993 to 1996 and federal vice president up to the present.

also as a member and chairman of the rsl national conditions of service committee 1982 and was still serving up to the present.

and the regular defence force welfare association, national vice president (navy) 1990 to 1993.

one of nobby’s great attributes was that he would be prepared, at any time, to go out of his way to help people. throughout his service career and after he retired, nobby was prepared to move heaven and earth to ensure that those who sought his help got all the assistance they needed.

rowley waddell-wood tells a story about this. he and elaine had just arrived at albatross after his graduation and as ACTING sub lieutenant had to go to a mess dinner. it was arranged that elaine would spend the evening with daphne while nobby and rowley went to the dinner. rowley took elaine to the CLARKE’S and that’s where nobby’s helping hand was extended. rowley had never been to a mess dinner before and had know idea how to tie a bow tie. nobby came to the fore and showed him how. i understand that the dinner went for quite a while and the boys were pretty late getting home.

nobby, flag foxtrot has been lowered and flying has been completed for the day, but i know that everybody who has had any association with you during your lifetime would wish me to say -

bravo zulu.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Adrian Thearle - 'My Grandpa'

To try and condense my grandfather’s life experiences in this so called short speech would be almost impossible. My grandpa has been to many places and experienced so many things. For those of you who knew him well, you’d already know this from all the stories that he would have to tell. He’d tell them to me time after time, and I began to know some of them better than he did.

Being the descendant of Vikings and pirates my grandpa was a softly spoken man. He grew up on a small island in the “Innse-Gall” or otherwise known as the Outer Hebrides, on a small island called Barra. He was the fourth child of a world war one nurse and an English soldier. I guess the forces were bread into him. Barra is some 90 miles from the Scottish mainland and is closer to the north pole than Moscow, much of Canada and parts of Alaska.

The most important structure on Barra is Kisumul Castle that sits in the middle of Castlebay. Grandpa always said it was the oldest castle in Britain. For many years I wondered about the rantings of grandpa and the photos of this old castle. It was only a year ago I was able to go and visit and see the places myself that he always talked about, like swimming in the Atlantic surf. I was there in summer and boy it was cold.

With a brother missing in Burma and another just having been torpedoed in the atlantic, the navy was an obvious choice. He spent 3 years training for air crew before he returned home to become a movie star.

The movie Whiskey Galore was based on a true storey about a ship laiden with a cargo of whiskey that hit the rocks of barra. This is a movie which not many of us will forget in a hurry, the old beta tape was played over and over and over and over...

My Grandpa was one of these guys who wrote down every detail and would put out a press release of his movements to the family. If you asked him what did you do on the 23^rd April 1975, he would pull out his little black book and say, “oh yes, I had a doctors appointment at 1100 hours and then a meeting with the defence force chiefs at 1500 hours”. He would have confirmed these appointments several times before hand, and rung on the day to check. He had a saying that won’t be forgotten anytime soon, “check check check check check and then check again”.

He was someone who was always 5 mins early for an appointment and 5 mins late for a party. So as you can imagine he was never late for any important meeting, and if you were like me and just took each hour at a time then there would be a lecture about how it was when he was in the navy.

Despite the lectures, he was a great person to have pick you up from pre-school. He was always early and didn’t mind waiting, but we usually didn’t keep him waiting because we knew he’d have a can of drink and a snack waiting for us in the car. And if by chance he didn’t have time to organise that (which was fairly unlikely) it wasn’t hard to convince him that McDonalds wasn’t far away.

While his own children were brought up with military discipline, so was I. There was the Big O and the Big I. He’d usually give me a big O when ever I was in trouble with mum, or if I was asked to do something I’d get the big I. It was a big O for obedience and a big I for immediate. But if I was going somewhere big, there was the emergency envelopes, which would have enough money for a bus ride home just in case.

I remember the trips to the merry-go-round in civic, he would dose me up on hyperactivity causing smarties. Then, returned me to my mother where I would run around crazy. Grandpa would scratch his head and say, “but he was good as gold for me”.

He was the kind of grandpa that would do pretty much anything for you. I used to go to his place after school, despite it being only a 10 min walk away, I used to ring him up reverse charges and he’d come down and pick me up. Of course I’d then fill myself up with junk food, watch TV while pretending to do homework and wait for my mother to collect me.

In the last few years, with two now older grandchildren, we’d show up to the weekly Friday dinner somewhat hung over and he used to wonder about what we got up to when we went out on the town. He would sometimes say that he wanted to come out with us and drink us all under the table, and we’d get the story about the “rough as guts” home made barra whiskey. It was only last year that I got to try some of this for myself and found out that it was all true. It would take a tough man to drink that everyday.

While I was writing this I was trying to think of some of the stories, and I thought I know I’ll go ask grandpa. So he’ll be solemnly missed, but he’ll never be forgotten.

Adrian Thearle

Nobby's Grandson

They have no grave but the cruel sea;

No flowers lay at their head;

A rusting hulk is their tombstone,

afast on the ocean bed.

We will remember them.

"Lest We Forget"

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