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A Question for Otagoites

Frank Rands

Can any Communicators out there remember the 3rd Commission Comms Crew (1963). The ship was initially under the Command of Cdr McKenzie and then Cdr Thorne halfway through the commission.

12 thoughts on “A Question for Otagoites”

  • Dave synnott
    September 25, 2020 at 5:18 am
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    Here is a start:
    Dave Synnott
    Dits Powell
    Dave Wistrand?
    Roc Graham
    Carl Edwards
    Alan Tritt
    Dennis O’ Rourke
    Dennis VIa usa?
    Don Mc Murray
    here is a start, can see the face, but can’t pull the name of a few more.

  • Nick Carter
    September 25, 2020 at 7:27 pm
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    George Cust
    Brian Mitchell
    Nick Carter
    Don (Ralph) Parks
    Hugh French?
    TK Kingi?

    • Don (Ralph) Parkes
      September 28, 2020 at 8:20 pm
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      Hi Nick,
      Hows it going?

      Was Jon Stafford and Evan McGregor on that commission?

      • Jon Stafford
        October 2, 2020 at 7:32 pm
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        Lyndsey Guilford
        Jon Stafford
        also Fred Paton
        Brian Scruton

  • John Bullock
    October 7, 2020 at 5:01 am
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    Noel “Skin” Kinnamont LRO
    John Bullock
    Pat Green (RCI)

    • Jon Stafford
      October 7, 2020 at 7:33 pm
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      Brian Scruton
      Fred Paton

      They took Bollocks on his first dirty run ashore in the Far East

  • John Bullock
    October 9, 2020 at 12:14 am
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    Many thank U’s for that comment Jon …….. fake news of course!

  • Mike Catlow
    October 13, 2020 at 2:28 am
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    I am somewhat confused about Fred Paton. He was a classmate of mine and when we finished boys training I never got drafts with them for the rest of my time. My memory is not so great but sure i would have remembered if Fred was there. I was drafted to Otago 9/3/63 as the EW component. After workup at Pearl on our way back to Singapore we got a signal on 5th June to say i was nominated for a course at HMS Mercury. I briefly left Otago on 21st August after FOTEX exercise and re-joined her at Singapore 21st November. I was drafted off Otago 29th January 1964.

    • Frank Rands
      October 13, 2020 at 3:17 am
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      Mike, a few dates for you to work through. Fred Paton went initially to Otago in Aug 1962 came off in Sep 1963 for a course and went back to Otago in Oct 1963 and stayed until Feb 1964 when he took a holiday to Irirangi. He was posted back to Otago in Nov 1965 and came off in Oct 1966.

      • Mike Catlow
        October 13, 2020 at 8:25 am
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        Many thanks Frank my memory is worse than i thought – will do some hypnosis to see if that helps! I have some recall issues for that draft for some reason.

        • Jon Stafford
          October 13, 2020 at 8:27 pm
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          Fred Paton flew home for his fathers funeral. He was replaced by a Pom sparker while he was back in NZ and then rejoined us up the Far East.

        • skin kininmont
          October 14, 2020 at 2:12 am
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          yep Mike FRED was with us

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