Weapons stolen in Darwin naval base national security breach

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Originally Posted by garrycol

Sorry mate but happened regularly with CO approval - depended on circumstances. I had my much younger brother onboard while alongside and at sea (routine passage) a few times when operations allowed. As a 12yo he was put to work as a junior in the seaman department. There were also plenty of other instances with relevant approvals - and we are not talking father and son cruises or family days.

Garry

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Certainly did not happen in my time as the Charge Tiff., and certainly not with any of my Skippers. You must have served on the boats in the cowboy days. As for duty watch, we had 5 , as determined by the number of people required to take the boat to sea in an emergency. As we did , alongside Broome, during a major storm. Myself, the Cox'n, one engineer, two seaman sailors, took the boat out & did racetracks off Broome until the next day. Our Skipper insisted all senior sailors did some bridge time, and some ship handling. All seaman sailors stood watches in the engine room, all engineering sailors stood bridge watches. But then, we liked to think we were professional, not cowboys. Bob [ if you are wondering why we had two senior sailors on duty, [cox'n. charge], I did the duty for a sailor who had a girlfriend in Broome. We did that. ]

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Originally Posted by bob10

Sorry mate, but that boat would have been out of routine. No operationaL boat would have only one member on board alongside, and NOCNA & NOIC CAIRNS would have kittens if they knew a child was sleeping aboard a patrol boat alongside. Any officer or Senior sailor I/C of duty watch would have a quick flight south, if they allowed that to happen. What was your fathers job on board?. Bob [could you remember the name of the boat?]

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I'm talking about 1979/1980. The old man was the CPO on board both the adroit in Darwin and the barricade in cairns. Cairns was 1973/75. And I'm sorry mate but I used to sleep on board all the time, used to ride my mini bike around nirimba as well when they had the motorcross track down the back on the airstrip. Used to scream along that!

We often have to go into the armoury at various Correctional centres,dog squads,etc.They have really beefed up security in the last 5yrs or so.

Only certain staff have the keys,we have to be watched all the time we are in them,sign in and out with times,has to be also signed by two of their staff as well,etc,etc.

And we can't get anywhere near the weapons,they are locked up inside the armoury.

Things have disappeared from many of these places as well over the years.

Back in the late 80s/ early 90's there was a certain army reserve depot in Sydney that lost no few SLRs and ARs that turned up interstate. One night a group of NCOs staying over in the mess surprised two guys helping themselves. They were not military, but they had a key. That particular unit had been ignoring the rule that breech blocks had to be secured separately.......

I was in the army cadets in my teens(2000 2001 2002) it was held on Monday nights at the local reserve barracks. I remember the armoury being open regularly with no one but a couple of reservists, a couple of civilian cadet leaders and the cadets in the whole complex ( usually upstairs in the office or in the training rooms out the back- the armoury was right next to the front door!). F88's, Minimi, pretty sure there was a m79 in there too - all you would have needed to do was go to a disposals store and by some auscam and have the balls to walk in there and take them.

A few years ago, a mate ran into a little trouble of possession of a smoke flare. His hair curled when the investigators produced a VERY thick folder of missing goodies including a few m60s, 66s etc.
Dave.

Late 1960's a former school mate was a leading beagle at HMAS Kuttabul before the new high rise was built. Not uncommon to go there and have a hot meal after an afternoon at the Chevron, girlfriends invited. Just walk in and out, no checks, roast beef, gravy, three veg. and back to the pub.

A former public service colleague was at the warehouse at Lindum duroing the weapons amnesty. He reckoned it was no wonder the army stopped using Owen guns. The army had none left. All had been stolen and later handed in during the amnesty in their hundreds.

The person arrested in Darwin was not the one who did the robbery on the patrol boat. That person is still on the run. The person arrested has been charged with receiving stolen goods and possession.

Garry

Surprise!! Inside job:
Sailor charged over Navy patrol boat raid

Dave

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Originally Posted by Barefoot Dave

Surprise!! Inside job:
Sailor charged over Navy patrol boat raid

Dave

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No surprise to me at all. The surprise is the lack of security. Micky Mouse stuff. Bob