Our private stash on Perth 2 72
I would love a dollar for every bottle of Burbon we smuggled on board Perth 2 in the shit tins we would hail a taxi at the cross and take it into GI and the deal was if the naval police found the stash then it belonged to the cabbie if not it was ours.We were never sprung once.My mate joe would be waiting with the shit tin after just emptying it. One time on our 24 hrs off we got stuck into it on a milk run to J.B I was pissed and it was my turn to get the coke from the goffa machine. Lucky the ship was rolling as Iwas rolling to.It was Darkened ship so I remember going out the port doorway near the main galley through the dark curtains and opened the outside door and nearly went overboard.I shit myself and went back to the aft seamensmess and said to Joe Palfy thats enough if you want coke get it yourself .God I was lucky not to go overboard

I loved your dit reminded me of a new year's eve I was duty onboard HMAS Sydney. I had my 26 oz can of Fosters and was hanging out for more. When who should arrive in the mess with a beautiful box gift wrapped with bow and an all the trimmings, Bob Gorman. He had a Pressie for his Mum oh yeh! He opened the gift box and it contained Bundy and Johnie Walker and 6 tallies! What a champion! Regards Bazza

Barry thanks for your memories When were you on the Sydney I was an ord/ck with a leading ck Scottie Howlitt if my memory serves me right in 71 Funny you know I cant remember the appointments for tomorrow or things I did last week but I can remember faces and names from pussers 39 years ago Best Wishes Ollie

I had just arrived from mums apron strings as far as life experiences were concerned as we are and I remember this cook whos face i can remember but not the name said to Scottie "Why dont you roll your wife over and make love the other way" his reply was " what and have babies no thanks" To this day I remember those words

Did you do the states trip in 71 on the Sydney I was on board as an ord ck in those days I like you can only remember a few of the cooks Scotty howitt and the Chief cook in the main was Blosom Radford I remember him well he was the only cook I knew that carried a chit around to state that he was sane.Baked ham and garnished with a can of baked beans day he was sane alright I didn't do hardly any galley time on the Sydney i was mainly cafe party and watch on deck and any other shit job that ords done in those days.

HMAS Sydney
I was on Sydney 3 times 1967, 1969 and I was one of the last cooks to leave her when she paid off in 1973 (I think73) I have a little dit in "The Vung Tau Ferry" by Rodney Nott & Noel Payne. Talking about memory I have a pretty good one for things from way back in the past but most times I am flat out remembering where I left the car keys. I remember nearly everyone in my cooks class I'll rattle off some names ..... Peter Neilson, Danny Howlett, Bruce Morley, Bruce Shipley, Peter Anderson, Polly Farmer, Steve Head,Grahame Connors. Ah memories all good!

blossom radford
quinny now we all know blossom was your special sea daddy i bet he even showed you how to string your hammock. what a pain in the arse they were to try and sleep in. try and string one when you came back from johnies after a night on the rechers pilsner

No Quinny they posted us off just before she left Bad timing I guess but I managed to do the Indian ocean trip on the Perth 2 which was an interesting trip.I volunteered to be in the public relation film named The Grey Funnel Line, obviously no imagination in those days.......Grey Funnel Line

Yes Ken bad luck.ords come and went quick smart in those days and i was lucky i done some good trips before i came back to do my course at Cerberus .I got lucky on all the ships i went on and done my fair share of trips up top and the states .And barry LOL when you said these days cant remember where you put the car keys I thought i was the only one but mate my memory for things in the past Is ok but mate the day to day shit im a blunt tack these days got to write shopping lists on the back of me hand even if im only going to get bread and milk a few times ive got to the shop and contracted that *What The stuff am i here for Disease *

Yeah Trevor you owe us a dit on those nitro cars that you race and if you have a couple of phots they would good to look at .ou seem to remember a bit more about Blossom than me it wasn't until well after i left the Sydney that i heard all the dits about blossom.I was still very wet behind the ears when i was on the Sydney Still a virgin in those days id reckon .

"Ollie", After 37 years, u have woken up the Past, from when we were on the Perth Along side the Stalwart in 72, and Jim (BAR BAR) Garrety was the Wo/Cook,and the phantom piper on the ship???????? Joe Palfy, I won't say any more, and good to see you have lasted this long??????????We had a lot of good times in the navy, and still a lot more to come along, see u at the reunion this year in Caloundra.Have u booked your accomodation YET Cheers for now..................Gronk

Gronk i remember when i was on the Stalwart with Big Jim I phoned him up and he answered CPO CK Gergathy main galley my reply was "Surley to god you are not that goat in a disguised voice He ran across the mess and said Olson get you cap and come to the Galley as you will need it I got Joe to ring the office while Jim was dressing me down and repeat the same words.JIM face went cherry red and he told me to f.off out of the office . I told him it was Dutchy Holland setting me up hahahahahahahahahahah

On the Vampire we used to take out the vent for the punker louvre in the arcon ducts in the mess, tie a bit of string around the neck of the bottle and slide her in and put the louvre back on.