CDT1-early

Mobile Clearance Diving Team, early '60s.

standing: stoker?, stoker?, stoker?, Ian Barkla, Vic Rashleigh.

middle: ?, Peter Egan, Dennis Appel, Bruce Thompson, Bill Burrows.

front: Bill Caton, Keith Gregson, Joe Flaherty, John Kershler, Bill Ellery and ? Baker.

The MCDT was the forerunner of CDT1.

Formed in the late '50s, the first OIC was Lt. Len Graham who had the job of fitting out

MSL 702 as the Team's first vessel. (MSL 702 features in the photo)

Members of the 1st CDT1.

Albany WA Sept. 1966.

PO John Kershler, AB's Derek Bartholomai, John Pocklington, Shiner (Bull Frog) Wright, Harry Brankstone,

ABCD Pincher Martin (posted HMAS Leeuwin at the time) & Lt. Bill Willcox.

The inaugural CDT1 was formed on the 18 March 1966 and was of unit size comprising 6 personnel. The team spent its full period of operations deployed departing Sydney 21st March 3 days after it formed onboard HMAS Melbourne with all equipment and returned to Sydney from WA on the 16th December 1966.

The Inaugural CDT1 team photo (above) was taken at a reception in September 1966 on our arrival in Albany where we were tasked to search and clear ordnance which had been reported as having been located in Albany Harbour. Bill Willcox had just taken over as boss from Alistair Cuthbert (RN). Pincher Martin, who was in HMAS Leeuwin at the time was involved with the team during the WA deployment which lasted 6 months. The period was pretty full on and included Mine Pilot Surveys of West Coast Ports, demolition of jetties on Garden Island and clearance of channels around Rottnest Island and Exmouth.

The WA deployment followed our arrival back from a 3 months operations with the RNFECDT in Singapore which involved deep diving workup, diving on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, Minex's etc. and our short jaunt to Vietnam which involved searches of cables, bows and sterns of ships anchored in the river in the Nha Be area (A merchant ship had not long been damaged and sunk before our arrival), a search for ordnance from an overturned barge somewhere near Bien Hoa and clearances of HMAS Sydney during her stay in Vung Tau. In all it was a great deployment however we must have pissed some people off along the way as on our return to Sydney all team members were posted to various other places, in my case to sea on HMAS Perth for 2 and a half years. With Alistair being relieved earlier as the boss, I don't know whether a Pom with 5 Aussie sailors in Vietnam in rejected jungle greens and no weapons training at that time had anything to do with it, I understand the matter did however make mention in Parliament. The following year did see CDT1 form as a full sized team.

Harry Brankstone

CDT1's "air taxi"

Manus Is. PNG 1972.

(12 CDs plus Medic)

HMAS Tarangau

1972

Water jumps -

Singleton 1980.

Special Warfare exercise.

Subic Bay, Philippines 1974

POCD 'Debbie' Reynolds, ABCD 'Andy' Anderson, ABCD Russ Gately.

CDT1 aboard the Malaysian Navy's diving tender. Singapore, 1972.

ABCD 'Jock' Kingston, ABCD Larry Digney, POCD Harry Brankstone, Lt Ian McConnochie OIC.

Solomons 1980.

ABCD Paul Darcy.

Solomon Islands - 'somebody has to do it'.

This will have you guessing - what is it?

(it's a WW 2 Japanese fuel lighter).

Rabaul, PNG 1972.

Just as well CDs are around to handle the really 'tough' jobs.

PNG '72.

'Back to work' - WW2 750lb bomb. PNG.

Obsolete Mk 10 A/S mortars used for 'channel clearing'. Solomon Islands 1982.

'Home' to CDT1 for operations in the Solomon Islands.

Mortars primed and ready to go.

The moment of truth.

The results - instant boat channel, courtesy of CDT1.

Solomon Islands. 1980

USN EOD exchange CPO, Harmon Slappy chatting up the locals.

Solomon Islands 1980.

WW2 .50 cal machine gun recovered from a USAF Bell P39Q Aircobra fighter in Wewak harbour

PNG 1972. The weapon was stripped & cleaned by team members & restored to firing condition.

Mounted back at CDT1.

Gone native. PNG '72.

ABCD Larry Digney & POCD Phil Tonks.

Lt. Ian McConnochie learning to fly.

PNG '72.

And this is what happens when you lend your perfectly good aircraft to a Navy Diving Officer.

The Navy's "finest".

Brown, Speed, Brankstone, Johnson & Tonks.

HMAS Waterhen 1982

1976.

Specwarex workups

1979

CDT1 practising 'wet deck' launches from USS Grayback - USN Special Forces submarine.

Specwarex Philippines,1980.

'Wet deck' recovery with USS Grayback.

Subic Bay Philippines,1980.

USS Grayback with 'hanger' doors open.

Subic Bay Philippines,1980.

CDT1 exercising with US Navy Seals utilizing Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDV), launched from the

USS Grayback whilst submerged.

Subic Bay 1980.

Exiting flooded 'hangers' from submerged USS Grayback.

Subic Bay 1979.

Solomon Islands 1980.

CPOCD Tony Ey, L/CDR Jake Linton OIC, CPO Harmon Slappy (USN), ABCD Graham Husband.

1976.

1978

WW2 ordnance recovered from offshore bomb dump, Madang PNG.

Solomon Islands - 1980.

Drums of the commercial explosives, DuPont's 'Tovex 650' awaiting high tide prior to detonation.

Solomon Islands. circa 1987.

CDT1 aboard USS Catskill. 1969.

Rear: LS Watson, AB Bascombe, PO Turley, Lt Blue, A/PO Hermans, LS Ambler.

Front: AB Braithwaite, AB McNab, AB Spicer, AB Lassau, AB Darling, LS Caton.

This site may be of interest to the above crew:-http://www.angelfire.com/trek/catskillmcs1decklog/

1972.

*This is the dive job where the .50 cal machine gun was recovered.

CDT1 aboard Royal Navy Minehunter, HMS Monkton.

Langkawi, Malaysia. !972.

1973.

Mortar recovery, Williamstown, Vic. 1973.

Pt. Lincoln SA. 1973

Mine Counter Measures exercise Pt. Lincoln SA. 1973

Ian McConnochie, Jacko Jackson, Mick Currie, Dixie Foord.

Subic Bay, Philippines 1972.

(got your attention again??)

1972

"The Ordnance Inspection by me was in Lindenhaven PNG. (Diving dress regulations were well adhered to). The end result was disposal by countermine which in turn vaporized the Japanese seaplane to which the bombs were attached and an invitation to a village feast put on by residents for our visit rapidly withdrawn and an earlier than expected departure by CDT1 aboard the Arcturus. This was not to be the only early departure for us."

Harry Brankstone.