SJ Fitzgerald    Fitzy        Morrow 1            TBA
Rod Blair   Morrow     New South Wales
They have no grave but the cruel sea
No flowers lay at their head
A rusting hulk is their tombstone
Afast on the ocean bed.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them. "
Lest we Forget
Sadly, Fitzy took his own life aboard an A boat in Sydney
Rod was killed in 78 in a car accident he was best man at Greg and Sandra Kirleys wedding, I will post more details when I get them from Greg.
John Menzies    Morrow 2   Western Australia
John passed away in February 2005 from cancer.  He was unaware of the illness until a few months before his death.   John was in my cabin and was one of lifes gentlemen.  He will be missed.
CS Eldershaw     Morrow 2       TBA
Clive was in a car accident with 5 MOBI's on Jenolan Caves Road he was the only fatality but several others were discharged medically 
PJ Parody      Marks 3       WA
Peter was killed in 1975 along with his pillion passenger as they were leaving Garden Island on Cowper Wharf Rd.  His motorbike was left at the gates of GI for a long time as a reminder to the other sailors.
VALE
This page was last updated: May 29, 2024
HMAS Leeuwin 71
Mick Hilet was killed in a motorbike accident in 1978
He stayed in touch with Clive Eldershaws mother right up until his death, sadly she suffered a double blow
MJ Hilet     Morrow 3       TBA
Gavin Bridge      Marks 1       TBA
Kevin Bryant      Marks 1       TBA
Neil East    Morrow 3       TBA
MJW Burnside     Marks 1       TBA
Mal Burnside was killed tragically in 1976 driving a dune buggy in Northampton WA.  He jumped a dune only to find there was no back to it... He was found deceased a few days later.  There was a newspaper article which I will try to locate.
Gavin was also killed in an auto accident he was asleep on the back seat of a car which was broadsided.  He died instantly .
CJ Lunardi     Marks Divvy PO       Tasmania  2009
                              8/3/09
This is the link to a new Bereavement Pin for sailors who passed whilst still in the navy
Jenny of Jenny's Side Party - Died in Hong Kong   

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JENNY Side Party BEM

Died Not known Reported by AE(OL) on 20-Mar-09

JENNY BEM 
Generations of sailors who visited Hong Kong will mourn the death of Jenny. She was a much loved living legend who. for all the colony's constant change, remained the same incomparable institution for over half a century. 
Much of her life was an enigma. However. the authors of her twenty-seven Certificates of Service generally agreed that she was born in a sampan in Causeway Bay in 1917. Her mother, Jenny One, according to her one surviving Certificate of Service, which was copied in 1946 from an older, much battered and largely illegible document., 'provided servicable sampans far the general use of the Royal Navy, obtained sand. and. was useful for changing money’. She brought up her two daughters to help her. 
Behind her perpetual great gold-toothed grin Jenny complained; “I vcIIy chocker. All time work in sampan. N0 learn to lead or lite.” But what she lacked in education she made up more than a hundredfold with her immense and impressive experience in ship husbandry. her unfailing thoroughness and apparently inexhaustible energy. her unquestionable loyalty and integrity, her infectious enthusiasm and her innate cheerfulness. 
Officially Jenny's Date of Volunteering was recorded as 1928. From then until 1997, when the colony became a Special Administrative Region of China and the Royal Navy moved out. she and her team of tireless girls. who at one time numbered nearly three dozen, unofficially served the Royal and Commonwealth Navies in Hong Kong by cleaning and painting their ships. attending their buoy jumpcrs, and, dressed in their best. waiting with grace and charm upon their guests at cocktail parties. Captains and Executive Officers would find fresh flowers in their cabins and newspapers delivered daily. And many a departing officer received a generous gift as a memento from Jenny. For all of this she steadfastly refused ever to take any payment. Instead she and her Side Party earned their keep selling soft drinks to the ships' companies and accepting any item of scrap which could be found on board. 
Jenny's huge collection of photographs - too big. she said. to be put into books - she stored in a large envelope. They dated back to the mid 20th century and showed her in the ships she so faithfully served, with Buffers and Side Parties, and with grateful officers. many of whom became distinguished admirals. In two thick albums she proudly kept her letters of reference, all without exception filled with praise and affection for her. One was a commendation by the Duke of Edinburgh for her work in the Royal Yacht during her visit to Hong Kong in 1959. She has a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal presented to her in 1938 by the captain of HMS DEVONSHIRE, and a bar engraved 'HMS LEANDER 1975’. 
Most treasured of all Jenny's distinctions was the British Empire Medal awarded her in the Hong Kong Civilian List of the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1980 and with which she, formally named Mrs. Ng Muk Kah, was invested by the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose. 
In later years Hong Kong was no longer visited by the great fleets of battleships and cruisers which gave Jenny and her Side Party their livelihood and she found it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Yet she stayed fit and always willing to undertake any work available. To the end of the Royal Navy's presence in Hong Kong there could be seen in the shadow of the towering Prince of Wales building within the naval base, a small round figure in traditional baggy black trousers and high-collared smock, with a long pigtail and eternal smile who, regardless of time. remained it seemed for ever – just Jenny. 


Jenny died peacefully in Hong Kong on Wednesday 18th February 2009. She was 92 years old. 
 

Dave Fletcher         Morrow1                     Goulburn
                              19/05/09
Dave passed away peacefully in the Gosford hospital where he had been treated for Cancer.
Phil Mousie and I attended his funeral to represent the 34th intake RIP old mate
Alan Henry            Morrow1                   Gawler SA
                              13/05/09
Al retired from the Navy in 91 and worked with Subs till 95
He suffered from Diabetes.  Al fell from his bike and hit his head.  He felt dizzy for a few days before passing away at home.  He leaves a loving family and a lot of upset shipmates..   
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Mal McGregor           Morrow1                 NSW                              28/11/2012
Mal passed away from a heart attack whilst being anaesthesized for an operation.. He was a top bloke whose funeral was packed out... he will be sorely missed 
Guy Hunter           Morrow 3                        QLD                        September 2013
Guy passed away in the Mater hospital Bundaberg after a long battle with Skin Cancer.  I have never met a person so at peace with their fate.. Guy is going to be missed by his mates in the 34th.
Henry Knight                                          Marks 2                             Mid 80's aged 32
Henry passed away from a heart attack in the 80's.  His uncle notified us in July 2014.  Henry's sister was sent the photo on the left and now cherishes it.  Gone way too soon smooth seas Henry RIP
Bruce Mitchell                                    Morrow 3   WA                        April 2016
Bruce had been down on his luck and was found in poor health by the guys from the Up Periscope ex submariners group.   They had been helping him with accommodation and assistance accessing DVA services to get him back on his feet sadly too late to save him. RIP
Vale Bruce (Blake) Vernon Mitchell

The Funeral of Blake Mitchell was held at the HMAS STIRLING Chapel at 1030 on Thursday 23rd June 2016.
The service was conducted by the Submarine Force Chaplain Stephen Hutchinson. In attendance was Blake’s son, Fabian, his brother Kevin and their wives. Also present were representatives of the Salvation Army and AA who had recently supported Bruce, some members of Marks and Morrow Division LEEUWIN Entry 34, representatives from the Submarine Force Commander and brother submariners.

The Eulogy was given by Kevin and Fabian with tributes from Peter O’Donohue and Warrant Officer Mark Dixon. The Naval Ode and the Submariners Prayer were presented by Terry Rowell and Peter O’Donohue with two poems read by Paul Meakin and Buster Keating.

After the service the attendees retired to the Rockingham Navy Club for mourning tea.  A toast to Blake was made with Pusser’s rum and Fabian and Kevin enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with each other and with Blake’s mates. Fabian will return to NSW and will seek to lay Blake to rest by scattering Blake’s Ashes at the old submarine base at Platypus.



Moose and his friend Sylvia taken Xmas 2015 the photo below is of him with Terry Baker and Jim Green at the 2015 memorial day
Peter Fennell                                         Marks 1                             October 2016
Sadly I have to report the passing of Peter Fennell he has been crook for the past 2 years with liver failure and was awaiting a transplant, his health deteriorated in the last six months and he passed in October RIP mate
Jack Ots                                       Morrow 2                                  Tasmania
                                                     June 2017
Jack passed away in June 2017 after a 10 year long fight against  degenerative organ failure.  He attended the reunion held in Perth in 2008 and told me he had been diagnosed a year earlier.  His service was attended by Mal Dann and Phil Jackson whose presence was greatly appreciated by his mother and sister.  He was taken home to Tasmania for burial
Gordon Maguire                        Morrow 2                           West Australia
                                                   April 2018                                                        
Gordon passed away after a battle with cancer on the 16th April 2018 in Collie WA.  His funeral was held in Bunbury.   
Terry Adams                                         Marks 1                             May 2018
Came as a big shock when Terry passed away from cancer after a very short battle... I had visited him only months before in his retirement on the Sunshine coast in Queensland he didn't know he was sick at the time
Flash Glendinning                                        Marks 2                             October 2018
Flash fought a mighty battle against the dreaded cancer for many years going into remission only to be struck down time after time he eventually succumbed in October 2018
JD O'Connell                                                  Marks 3                             March 2020
JD passed away after a fight with Cancer.  Micko Michlik found out and got himself to Darwin where he acted as a pallbearer and represented the 34th.  They were mates for a long time and shared a house for years.
Gus Ridley                              Morrow 1                                           NSW
                                            November 2020
Gus passed away in November 2020 without warning he had an embolism in his stomach that ruptured suddenly.  He spent many years in the merchant navy during his lifetime and loved the sea.
Lyle Clinton                              Morrow 1                                           NSW
                                            December 2020
Mouse passed away peacefully at home with his family as he wanted to.  He had suffered for the past couple of years with prostate cancer that had unfortunately spread before he detected it.  He was a dedicated member of our website forum and attended many reunions he will be missed terribly by all of us who met him back in 1971 and got to know him again through our website and facebook pages
Dave Stubbs                                                  Marks 3                             March 29th 2021
Dave passed away in the Phillipines of a heart attack not much else is known RIP mate

Peter Willson                                                  Marks 3                             July 28th 2021
Pete passed away after suffering the debilitating disease Multiple System Atrophies/P for 7 years.  I never heard him complain once he took his fate on the chin and made the best of it.  Peters family deserve a mention for being the absolute best especially his wife of 44 years Rhonda who refused outright to put Pete in a care centre and kept him happily at home right up to the last.
This is the video of Pete's funeral to hear the audio you need to go up to the top of this page and mute the vale page music by clicking on the 3 little dots and selecting mute
Neil Batten                                                  Marks 1                             December 11th 2021
Neil was suffering from emphysema and other ailments when he went to feed his dogs, tripped and struck his head on the steps of his house, he died instantly.  Werner Augsdorfer had been in contact with him the night before the accident and was a good friend to him for many years.
This is a recent post from the Nirimba page on Facebook posted by Mark Fleming 
along with a photo of Clives headstone which I have added to this vale listing BZ Mark for the work you do and know that we also have never forgotten him.  Several years ago I received a phone call from his sister who had stumbled upon our website and this page and she thanked me profusely for the photos the site contains of him as the family had very few of him as a sailor.  I shed a tear for her I am not ashamed to say.  Midge


Looking for information about a Jan 1972 Intake Apprentice C S Eldershaw, he died 25 May 1974. He rests in the Naval Section Rookwood Cemetery, I have him in the Naval Graves Project Archives but as his service is post 1970 there are no records online for me to gather his birth date and place of birth. Any help to record his memory would be greatly appreciated. If you wish to visit the Naval Section it is on Haslems Drive, you will find his headstone in row 6 (that's the first with headstones from the road) about the middle between two blank files. If you are too far away to visit, I go there (the Naval Section) often, he isn't forgotten. 
Robert Merritt                              Morrow 2                                          SA
                                                March 26th 2022
Max was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2013 after blacking out atop a ladder cleaning his gutters out, he was severely injured and spent an extensive amount of time in hospital recovering.  He was given 18 months at the time but fought bravely for 9 years.  Max set a goal to attend the 50th year reunion in Coffs Harbour and we were stoked when he made it.  Credit has to go to his devoted wife who refused to put him into care and tended his every need right up to the end.  Greg Kirley was a great mate of Robs and visited him in SA several times including a few weeks ago for the last time.  I know it is cliche but his suffering is finally over and he will be missed.
Trevor Ernst                              Morrow 2                                          Qld
                                              January 29th 2005
Squeaky was found to be deceased in 2022 after we began another search for more of the missing members of the 34th intake.  I spoke with his sister Judy who advised me that Trevor was sailing between Adelaide and Melbourne in 1976 we think onboard HMAS Stalwart when he suffered a massive stroke.  He was hospitalised in Heidelberg.  Trevor spent 10 months in a coma before being medically discharged.  He then battled DVA for 24 years before succumbing to another stroke in 2005.  He is buried in Tewantin Cemetery in the garden section alongside his parents.  Recently a group of us from the 34th met up with his sisters Judy and Glenda and replaced his grave plaque with a new one that bears his navy nickname that we had made with generous donations from his 34th mates.   RIP mate you are missed.
A few months ago there was a problem where my computer crashed whilst editing the vale page.  I failed to notice that a large section of the vale page had been deleted.  By the time it was noticed and after a phone call with the programmers at Homestead who host our site I was advised that it could not be restored.  It is hard enough editing the vale page at the best of times but this devastated me and I have had to take time to accept that it was gone before trying to make some sort of amends.  I can't get back the dates and relevant info on all of the affected listings so have decided to group the missing listings into one section, I apologise for having to do this. The following photos are of MJW Burnside killed in a quad bike accident.  PJ Parody died in a motorbike accident in Sydney with his best friend at the time.  Allen Henry who fell from his pushbike and hit his head he died later that night.  Dave Fletcher who passed away from cancer.  Guy Hunter who also passed from cancer.    Bruce Mitchell who died from a heart attack Jack Ots who died from complications with a blood disease.  Mal MacDougall who died tragically during a minor operation in hospital following a reaction to the anesthetic. Peter Fennell who was in ill health for a long time before succumbing.  I have also discovered the Doug Baker from Marks who took the 6 month discharge option also passed away in 2012 all we know is that he was a Linesman in WA.  Mick Hilet and Neil East were best mates of Clive Eldershaw and used to stay at his family home regularly.  Neil was asleep on the back seat of a car that was hit from the side and killed instantly in the late 70's and Mick Hilet was killed in 1978 on a motorbike on the same stretch of road that took Clive in 1974.  All 3 mates died within 4 years of each other by motor vehicle accidents.
Daryl Sutton                            Morrow 2                                          Qld
                                              November 20th 2022
  Daryl passed away after a very long fight with cancer.  His daughters posted of his passing on  the FB gunnery page he will be missed.
John Redman                                                    Marks 3                                   December  2022
John passed away after a very short battle with brain cancer.  He did not want his diagnosis to be shared until after his passing.  He worked in the oil industry for most of his adult working life and retired from Caltex recently.  Redders attended as many reunions as he could and will be greatly missed.
Owen Murrell                            Morrow 2                                          NSW
                                              July 4th 2023
Owen suffered life in a wheelchair for 50 years something most of us can't even imagine.  He was hit head on by a drunk overtaking 2 semi trailers on a bend, Owen was riding his trailbike.  He dropped off the map in the mid 80's preferring to spend his life in solitude.  After being found very much alive last year we spent considerable time trying to reconnect.  He chose not to.  We have been in contact with his sister Chris who yesterday sent us a photo of Owen taken in 2022.  We are eternally grateful to her for this.  His final stay in hospital was thankfully brief he was only there for a few days before his body gave up.  Owen lived longer with his condition than most he outlived his prognosis by decades.  RIP sailor.
Trevor Manders                                                  Marks 2                                   October  2023
Trevor passed from an aggressive bladder cancer.  He was diagnosed in June and passed 17 weeks later.  His funeral was conducted by the funeral company that he worked the last 4 years for.  His funeral was attended by 3 of his 34th intake mates and over a hundred of his family and friends.  His service was a fitting tribute to a man who was loved by many and will be sorely missed.
He was a huge fan of South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Steven Hopkins                                                 Marks 2                                   December  2023
Steve was found a few years ago only to change his email address and disappear again.  He recently retired and contacted me with his new details.  He was very much looking forward to retirement and was in good health after a recent hip replacement.  He joined the Lake Macquarie VMR and on his first shift found out that Ray Angel was also on the shift they recognized each other immediately.  Steve passed very suddenly and out of the blue from what the coroner listed as coronary megaly (enlarged heart) his wife believes it might possibly have been a blood clot from his recent hip operation.  His funeral was held in Newcastle which was his home town and was attended by Jim McCullagh and Phil McKendrick.
John Milward                                                 Marks 2                                   February 2024
John "Milo" Milward was living in a respite centre on the Sunshine coast in Queensland.  He told me that he had many and varied ailments that restricted his mobility and caused him great pain.  I was told that it was the cancer that he also had that eventually proved too much to overcome.  He was visited regularly by his sons and also by his friends from his service days.  We did not find out about his passing until it was too late to attend his funeral sadly.