Stories from the Solomon Islands

Prince of Wales Award

On 26 August our final member Able Seaman Shvetsov arrived and on Monday 26 we set sail. This was to be a long period at sea as we were headed for the Indian Exercise area for the Malabar Exercises with the Indian and United States Navies. During this time the musicians performed during a number of Replenishment at Sea (RAS) manoeuvres with the oiler HMAS Sirius and INS ADITYA. This period also gave us a chance to ensure the jazz ensemble, and drum and bugle corps were up to standard for the upcoming cocktail parties. During Exercise Malabar, the ship maintained defence watches and the musicians added a large amount of Damage Control training to our normal routines. This culminated in a toxic hazard exercise with musicians fulfilling all roles at the scene. A notable event of Exercise Malabar was the ditching of an Indian Sea Harrier whilst we were at action stations; but the highlight of the exercise was the day of the combined Task Force photo opportunity. This saw all ships of the participating Indian, Singaporean, Australian and United States Navies in close proximity for photo shoots. This included a Los Angeles Class Submarine and three aircraft Carriers, USS KITTYHAWK, USS CONSTELATION and INS VIRAAT. As our first port drew nearer the guard and the musicians started to rehearse together and all of the ship’s company were looking forward to the first port after 18 days at sea. Visakhapatnam, or Vizag, is a small city by Indian standards; but it is a major port and home to India’s Eastern Fleet. An Indian Naval band was on the wharf to welcome us along side and preparations begun for the cocktail party and sunset. The cocktail party and Ceremonial Sunset went well with guests from the Indian Navy and their partners introducing us to the traditional colourful saris of India. Our time in Vizag was a real eye opener. For most of us it was our first trip to India and the sights and sounds were at times overpowering. The ship’s next port visit was Chennai. This is a major city in southern India formally know as Madras. Once again our first duty was to provide support to the cocktail party. Guests for this event included many city officials who were eager not to stay too late as the Indian team was involved in a 20/20 Cricket match that evening. Our visit to Chennai saw the introduction of force protection which involved many of the ships company, including the musicians, tasked with upper deck sentry and entry control point duty. During our stay in Chennai the musicians and members of ship’s company visited the MITHRA centre for Disadvantaged and Disabled children. This centre was run by a Nun originally from Brisbane who appreciated the supplies of peanut butter and vegemite the ship provided. The visit to the MITHRA centre concluded with a concert with performances from the children as well as our jazz ensemble and Beat to Quarters routine. Once the ship left India the official duties had concluded and the more enjoyable ports of Phuket and Singapore awaited us on our way home. This route took us through the Malacca Straits, the busiest in the world. It was quite a sight as the ship made its way at great speed through the straits passing all manner of ships large and small. The Malacca Straits are known to be very dangerous due to the large amount of piracy in the area, this provided a spectacle of fire hoses and search lights throughout the night provided by the ships in the area. Our duties on the return consisted of after dinner jazz and barbeque music on the flight deck, but one important task remained on the way back to Fleet Base East after our departure from Singapore. That is the Crossing of the Line Ceremony to pay homage to King Neptune and his court. Of the musicians Able Seaman Grindley and Able Seaman Zyla were summoned and after the two played for the arrival of the court, payed their respects and completed this rite of passage. Upon our return to Fleet Base West on 10 October, the jazz ensemble once again played for procedure Alpha and our seven week trip was over.