Sea Deployment Group HMAS Darwin

On day two, our friends from the United States Navy Band (Rhode Island) joined us for two sets of jazz and rock in the middle of Times Square. A memorable gig and one which has given us the opportunity to now claim that we have played a jazz gig in New York City. Most significantly, Able Seaman Chris Ellis performed the Last Post at a Ground Zero memorial, which was a very moving and solemn occasion. From New York City we travelled down the East coast, frequently stopping to provide a ceremonial platform for extending Australian diplomacy and trade. This was a busy leg of the band’s journey, however, we still found time to visit Washington DC whilst alongside at Baltimore and combined with the United States Navy Band at Norfolk Navy Base for a twilight concert on Virginia Beach. With multiple stops and only two or three night journeys between cities we soon began to tire and our wallets became considerably lighter, even given the generous exchange rate. Nonetheless, we maintained a constant vigil in the ship’s scullery and laundry and demonstrated the highest standards of signature behaviours in the performance of our ancillary duties. After some well-deserved rest in Nassau Bahamas and a steady diet of Jerk Chicken and battered conch, we sailed through Panama Canal en route to San Diego, burritos and nachos. We kept the onset of homesickness at bay with some retail therapy at the massive Naval Exchange and sightseeing around Old Town and the Mexican Border on the trolley car. With the silhouette of nearly a hundred grey gladiators behind us, we departed San Diego homeward bound. Even after such a terrific US experience, it was comforting to return to the Pacific Ocean once again, heading to our last ports of Hawaii and Samoa. As always, the United States Pacific Fleet Band gave us a warm welcome in Pearl Harbour with many of their members attending our concert in the beach precinct and later taking us to dinner at Waikiki Beach. The next morning we combined with our American friends to perform a memorial service on USS Missouri. With the band assembled under the main forward turrets, we listened to a recording of the surrender ceremony in 1945 that took place on that very spot, before performing some of Sousa’s best for the crowd of veterans. This would be out final gig on American soil, and a memorable one at that. After a shortened stop in Apia to refuel, and de-ammunitioning at Eden, we returned home to Fleet Base East on 19 September after six months for ‘full trippers’ and three months for us ‘change-outs’. It had been a whirlwind voyage and a great opportunity to represent our band and expose our musical talents abroad. Leaving the less attractive aspects of shipborne life aside, it was certainly an honour to sail in HMAS Sydney for such a significant deployment.

SEA DEPLOYMENT GROUP HMAS DARWIN

Article by Petty Officer Mark Ham

With a disrupted preparation due to last minute personnel changes, six members of the Royal Australian Navy Band—Leading Seaman Gordon Orr, Able Seaman Stuart Malcolm, Able Seaman Chris Thompson, Able Seaman Marcus Salone and Seaman Paul Stiles—embarked in HMAS Darwin to be part of the ship’s South East Asian Deployment visiting ports in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Our workload was confined to Ceremonial Sunsets performed onboard the ship in each port visited (six in all). Each was well received by our hosts and members of ship’s company. The highlight of the tour was playing to children from an orphanage in Cambodia. Through the power of music we were able to transcend the language and cultural boundaries and make the kids’ day a special one. Members of the Sea Deployment Group also assisted in ‘odd jobs’ around the orphanage to fix up basic facilities: such as mosquito nets on beds for the children. Another highlight was our performance at the cultural display at the opening of exercise Bersama Lima 2009. Of the seven nations involved with the exercise, each provided a group to give a demonstration of their culture to all the Officers and Sailors participating. Our performance of a mixture of the traditional Beat to Quarters, Brass Quintet and Rock music was the most enthusiastically received of all the groups.

Whilst we assimilated well into life onboard HMAS Darwin the tour was more a challenge mentally and culturally. To highlight this I have included some excerpts from my diary. Firstly the trials of life onboard “…When I initially saw the bed/rack, I thought there must have been a mistake as I thought the bed must have been for the local Oohmpahlumpas or there was a Dwarf Convention in town and they had adjusted the beds accordingly. But then, silly me, I realised it must have been a bed made for visiting Circus Acrobatic Midgets - as they are the only beings that could both get into, and fit into the bed. I was about to complain to my tour guide when I further realised that this was all I was going to get and make do I must!” And getting a good bout of culture shock “….As I am travelling via Grey Funnel Lines we always stop at 'Port Cities' (strangely enough?). All ports have roughly the same set up and are miles away from anything decent - all ports in my experiences have been variations on this now all too familiar theme. Usually we get in around 9am and assorted dignitaries come onboard. Usually these are Department of Foreign Affairs and military people. These are closely followed by local tour operators that are really authorised Sailor Fleecers who give you the chance (in the next few days) to go on a guided tour to a dump. This involves a death ride by a crazed mini bus driver. Tour to some “Ancient Shrine” made from plastic. Throw in a bowl of rice and they'll call it "Lunch Included". A quick trip via some tourist trap selling more fake Nikes and Rolex and soon you'll be back onboard minus $100US and little to show for it except a nasty rash you got from the toilet that seemed to have been patronised by people with little understanding of ‘how’ to do ‘what’ ‘where’. In closing and on a more serious note, I must thank the sailors in the Sea Deployment Group for their professionalism and ability to adapt to the situations we found ourselves in. Through their outstanding efforts the Royal Australian Navy Band was able to promote a fantastic image for the Royal Australian Navy and our country.