“This
is a warts and all look at the activities of young sailors during
the RAN's Far East Deployments, from the Vietnam Era - through to
the mid eighties. As seen through my eyes.
This
is not a Travel Guide!! Watch the 'Discovery Channel' if that's what
you are after!! Some may like the memories - others who have obtained
a certain amount of respectability in the meantime may not.
However,
like it or not, this was the way it was”.
Click
on each the images below to take 'Jacks' tour.
UP
TOP..........
An Australian
Sailor's term for a Ship's Deployment to the Far East and South East
Asia. What our USN cousins call a 'WESTPAC Cruise. For decades it
was part of an Aussie Matelot's lot. Being in the R.A.N meant 'Going
Up Top' whether you liked it or not! These deployments which commenced
soon after the end of WW11 with the British Commonwealth Occupation
Forces have basically continued to this day.
RAN Ships
have traveled under different charters for different organizations
for 6 decades. United Nations, SEATO, ANZUK, ANZUS, ASEAN, Far East
Strategic Reserve and the Five Nation Agreement just to name a few.
It never made alot of difference to the men serving in these often
cramped, sweaty, cockroach infested destroyers. The only factors considered
to be of any importance were "For how Long will we be away?" and "What
ports are we going to?".
Originally
deployments were made by a pair of warships and lasted for a period
of 18 months. These were decreased to 9 months by the mid 60's, then
to 7 months and one ship, and by the early 80's were down to perhaps
only 3½ - 5 months. Ports visited varied on the political situation
for the region at the time. Regular old favourites included Singapore,
Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Taiwan was never visited again after the December 1972 Whitlam Election
and the end of Australia's involvement in Vietnam. South Korea was
visited by Derwent in 1968 and not visited again until 1983
by Stalwart, of all ship's. During the 60's and 70's it would
have been unthinkable for the RAN to visit China, however since the
early eighties there have been many visits. The RAN has now even visited
Vietnam. So as political situations changed, so did our deployments.
Many civilians
used to ask me why the navy continued to visit these places over and
over for no apparent reason. Let me explain from a sailors point of
view. Considering some of the strange and out of the way ports we
visited, absolutely lacking in any motive for a visit by an Australian
Warship, I reckon the Department of Foreign Affairs must have done
most of the choosing. On the other hand though, some of these 'out
of the way' Port Visits could be very, very successful. The
Navy also had it's regulars for fuel, maintenance and combined exercises
with allied navies, plus there was the sailors rest and recreation
to consider. The latter being my preferred option. Fortunately enough
many ports 'Up Top' used to provide the whole package.
I must
mention that we were expected to be ambassadors for our country and
in that capacity many programs were carried out by the ships companies
of the numerous visiting warships. Since most of the countries visited
were at that time, and some still are, 'third world', ships would
send working parties of tradesmen and seamen ashore to repair a local
schools or orphanages etc or assist in disaster relief activities.
One common event was to host groups of disadvantaged children aboard
for a tour of the ship and lunch. Sailors would dress as pirates and
entertain the children handing out 'mackas' (sweets) and generally
terrifying the devil out of them. We all hated 'Ship Open To Visitors'
and having thousands of foreign and nautically ignorant civilians
stampeding through our home. But somehow all was forgiven when the
usual high praise at our ship's appearance was all too often heaped
upon us. We used to whinge like buggery but we were extremely 'house
proud'.
Sporting
activities were an important part of navy life 'Up Top' and every
port visited generally produced a very busy sports program. Just about
all sports were covered by a destroyer's ships company and if one
came up they didn't know they would soon choose a few 'volunteers'
to compete anyway. The RAN produced alot of excellent athletes and
always gave a good account of themselves no matter how professional
and well established the opposition was. Which was often!
There are
indeed so many topics I could cover about 'Going Up Top' but it is
not my wish here to dwell upon anything serious. These pages are about
our R&R ports and visits, the bars we frequented, the merchants that
'saw us off' and the girls we all knew and loved. I first 'crossed
the line' and went 'Up Top' in March 1970. Celebrating my 17th Birthday
in Sembawang Village, Singapore later that year, my 21st at Utapao
Air Base in Sth Eastern Thailand in 1974, married in a Buddhist ceremony
in Bangkok in 1985, and all the others in between, I sailed 'Up Top'
in DEs, Darings and DDGs, I also flew in 707s, 747s and DC10s and
one could not help but feel privileged to have spent his youth travelling
around an emerging Asia with such a great mob of blokes and meeting
alot of good people. So as well as this is for me before the excesses
of my youth rob me of my memory as this is for you.
I intend
to just 'wing' this section (what else is new?) and write from the
top of my head relying on memory only, if I make any blues feel free
to correct me. Also if you have some good photos of well known 'Up
Top' Institutions please send them in.
These pages
are a candid expose on our daily life at sea and ashore whilst serving
in the Far East. I must stress that the Asian nations were only just
emerging and building their own identities during this period and
nothing remains the same today. Asia has changed significantly, along
with the navy and its personnel. All information contained herein
is as correct and true as I remember it to be. Some names may be changed
for the sake of decency and privacy. I would just like to bring a
smile back to a few faces as we remember those crazy, halcyon, bloody
days "UP TOP!". Now go back to the top menu and select a page to view!
