One wrong move and youre dead sydney morning herald. The job of a royal australian navy ran clearance diver is very physically demanding and requires candidates to already have a high degree of. This involves attaining 600 minutes of diving time and incoporates triaing in sea bed and wall searches, circular and hull searches half necklace. The branch consists of two clearance diving teams cdt. The incredible story of the australian navys elite unit.
The clearance diving branch is responsible for combat diving, clearance diving, maritime counterterrorism and underwater repairs. Navy clearance diver occupational diver certification adas. Clearance divers now 25 naval historical society of. Navy ships diver occupational diver certification adas. Underwater demolition team us navy, 19431967 mainland europe edit. Navy divers by gregor salmon penguin books australia. Clearance divers cds are the australian defence forces specialist divers. Australian clearance diving team one royal australian navy. Navy clearance divers do 1700 pushups as punishment youtube. Rising out of the second world war, the australian clearance diver has become one of the most respected and versatile operators in the military world. This book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the exciting and dangerous world of australian clearance divers. Hmas penguin commodore training, commodore michael rothwell, am, ran left able seaman clearance diver nick mcmaster and commandant headquarters 6 combat support brigade. The ran has used divers on a regular basis since the 1920s, but it was not until world war ii that clearance diving. Honest, no exaggeration and inspires confidence and pride in the australian navy clearance divers.
Teams, and royal australian navy clearance divers in vietnam painting by richard derosset, depicting a viet cong swimmersapper mining attack on the tank landing ship uss westchester county lst1167, on 1 november 1968, in which the u. Fyi i have interviewed tony ey for my own asyetunpublished nonfiction book so i already had some inklings of these stories before i bought his book. Commander australian fleet rear admiral jonathan mead welcomed the navy s newest clearance divers, which included the first two female sailors to graduate from the course. After a most interesting and difficult 8month long course, doug topped the course and i passed. Rising out of the second world war, the australian clearance diver has become one of. The life and times of an australian navy frogman tony ey. The royal australian navy clearance diving branch clearance divers also serve as combat divers. In cold, murky water, working by touch alone, they can defuse a mine powerful enough to sink a battleship. Navy suffered it greatest loss of life in a single incident, as a result of enemy action, during the. The branch has evolved from traditional maritime diving, and explosive ordnance disposal, to include a special operations focus. Clearance divers demonstrated the discipline and precision required to serve in the royal australian navy on 14 october in a display on sydney harbour for the defence force remuneration tribunal dfrt. Five male two female new clearance divers graduate. Clearance diving branch government organization facebook.
Buy a discounted paperback of clearance diver online from australia. The team at military shop has been proudly providing quality products to military, police and security organisations and their members for over 20 years. In general, navy personnel qualify as a ships diver after passing a 3 weeks training course held at he relevant diving school. This book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the exciting and dangerous world of australian clearance divers the navys. Both seals and cds are special forces and were born from a need for underwater demolition, primarily removing underwater obsta.
The incredible story of the australian navy s elite unit by gregor salmon 2011, ukpaperback at the best online prices at ebay. Drawing on everything his eventful life had taught him from his. The clearance diving branch is the elite diving unit of the royal australian navy ran whose versatile role covers. Australian clearance diving team one auscdt one is one of two commissioned clearance diving teams in the royal australian navy. Cd tasks include specialist diving missions to depths of 54 metres, surface and underwater demolitions, and the rendering safe and disposal of conventional explosive ordnance and improvised explosive devices during their careers, cds will be rotated through the following sea and shore positions. George special duties officer school at portsmouth. Classic diving books military operations, and navy. One wrong move and youre dead australian breaking news.
The clearance diving branch is the special forces unit of the royal australian navy ran. The royal australian navy s clearance diving teams cdts also serve as combat divers north america edit. It tells of the development of the royal australian navy, the maning to australia of seapower. Navy clearance divers are the human face of undersea warfare. As the rans own elite special forces they undertake minewarfare, reconnaissance, salvage and covert operations. Welcome again to the world of the australian navy clearance diver, among the most skilled antibomb specialists in the world, whether underwater or on. Published on 05 september 2016 leut andrew ragless author, abis nicolas gonzalez photographer. Navy divers perform a wide range of tasks in support of defence force missions. That, as he says in his book, is another story altogether. We design, manufacture, import, distribute, wholesale and retail a vast range of products and brands. The launch of a new era in adf diving training navy daily. The navy clearance diver trust, modelled on the sasrt, was created by a group of former clearance divers for the benefit of ran. The first half of the book largely deals with the previetnam era, but with sections on broader topics such as diving teams, aircraft and ship salvage, training schools.
Clearance divers cd are the australian defence force specialist divers and form part of the mine warfare and clearance diving group mcdgrp. The author joined the royal australian navy in 1965 and spent the following 20 years as a clearance diver, retiring as a senior chief petty officer in 1985. Royal australian navy clearance diving teams boot camp. Navy clearance diving is as distinct from being a navy diver or ships diver as you could imagine and the. The continued history highlights the growth and development of the unit and the great risks the divers. The job of a royal australian navy ran clearance diver is very physically demanding and requires candidates to already have a high degree of physical. Its a career within our royal australian navy that you might not have known existed, and one of the most hazardous of all positions in our defence forces. Their inspections of thousands of ship hulls, rudders, and anchor chains, and heroic removal and rendering harmless of deadly ordnance they found, saved many ships and lives.
Clearance diver, the life and times of an australian navy. Paul lost two limbs, and his career as an elite navy clearance diver was flung into jeopardy. This book takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the exciting and dangerous world of australian clearance divers the navy s frogmen. A royal navy and commercial divers journey through. Yes, the royal australian navy has the clearance diving branch which shares a common genesis with the seals.
Military shop supplies quality products to organisations, businesses and individuals. To avoid redundancy, they only operate in freshwater environments. The book, published by the society, is the first history of this unusual. Navy clearance diver trust, perth, western australia. The book describs the life of a man, the late commander j. The book is gungho understandable given the nature of the divers job. Navy explosive ordnance disposal mobile unit three eodmu3, detachment 7, and australia s clearance dive team hang from a suspended personnel. After an ordinary childhood, hugh obi obriens life has been surprising. Clearance divers cd are fulltime specialist divers, who undertake diving, demolitions, explosive ordnance disposal and improvised explosive device disposal. Welcome to the world of the elite australian navy clearance diver. Seven sailors graduated from clearance diving course 87 at the australian defence force adf diving school at hmas penguin, one of the toughest courses navy has to offer commander australian fleet, rear admiral jonathan mead, welcomed the navy s newest clearance divers, including the first two female sailors to graduate from the course. He has been incredibly helpful and patient and is also very active in the royal australian navy clearance diver s association.
This activity spurred royal australian navy clearance divers being called into service. But they would take on new meaning after he was attacked by a shark in february 2009. The clearance diving branch is the specialist diving unit of the royal australian navy ran whose versatile role covers all spheres of military diving, and includes explosive ordnance disposal and maritime counterterrorism. A royal navy and commercial diver s journey through life, and around the world second impression by groom, tony isbn. The silver anniversary of the royal australian navy s clearance diving branch was celebrated this month and to mark the occasion we are publishing extracts from united and undaunted by lieutenant commander ross blue, commanding clearance diving team 2 at hmas penguin. In cold, murky water, working by touch alone, the australian clearance diver can defuse a mine powerful enough to sink a battleship.
The incredible story of the australian navy s elite unit. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Along with another clearance diver, doug moore, gm bem, i was enrolled in hms st. Clearance diving team one demonstrate a range of capabilities from dive tank operations and aerial mine disposal. Addressing the graduates as head of the clearance diving community, rear admiral mead congratulated the class on their achievement and said it was one of the most exciting. The incredible story of the australian navy s elite unit gregor salmon. His brothers, mike and david and his son jason all joined the ranks of navy frogmen thus making 4 members of the ey family to serve as clearance divers.
Trained in all forms of military diving, weapons handling, explosive ordnance disposal eod, sabotage, explosive demolitions, improvised explosive devices ieds, combat swimming, ship attack, counter terrorism, covert tactical operations and. Cd tasks include specialist diving missions to depths of 54 metres, surface and. The historical references highlight some of the bravest and most daring men of wwii. Cd tasks include complex diving missions to depths of 60 metres, surface and underwater demolitions, and the rendering safe and disposal of conventional explosive. Australian navy clearance divers have always been the australian defence forces adf specialist divers and have, since the inception of the. The navy is poised to break new ground with its first woman clearance diver in training and could have a female service chief by the end of the decade. The royal australian navy clearance divers association rancda had its genesis in 1972 and formed from the clearance diving team 3 vietnam veterans association in 1985 in order to to create a brotherhood of former and serving clearance divers and contribute to improving their and their families lives by providing camaraderie, advocacy, and mateship.
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