Signal from CN - Renaming of RAN Recruit School Divisions -

1. AS YOU ALL KNOW THE RECRUIT SCHOOL IS ORGANISED INTO FOUR
DIVISIONS. CURRENTLY ALL OF THESE DIVISIONS ARE NAMED AFTER OFFICERS
WHO DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN ACTION BUT ULTIMATELY PAID THE
SUPREME SACRIFICE.

2. I AM KEEN TO FURTHER RECOGNISE SAILORS WHO HAVE DISTINGUISHED
THEMSELVES IN THIS WAY AND BELIEVE IT IS APPROPRIATE TO NAME SOME OF
THE RECRUIT SCHOOL DIVISIONS AFTER SAILORS. AS A RESULT LAST WEEK I
ANNOUNCED THAT TWO OF THE RAN RECRUIT SCHOOL DIVISIONS WILL BE
RENAMED IN NOVEMBER TO BETTER RECOGNISE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF NAVYS

SAILORS IN ACTIONS.

3. WALLER DIVISION WILL BE RENAMED SHIPP DIVISION AFTER LEADING
AIRCREWMAN (LACM) NOEL ERVIN SHIPP. RECOGNITION OF CAPT WALLER
CONTINUES THROUGH THE SUBMARINE HMAS WALLER.

4. RANKIN DIVISION WILL BE RENAMED TAYLOR DIVISION AFTER LEADING
SEAMAN RONALD TAYLOR (WHO SERVED UNDER LCDR RANKINS COMMAND).
RECOGNITION OF LCDR RANKIN'S SERVICE (PARTICULARLY IN HMAS YARRA)
CONTINUES THROUGH THE SUBMARINE HMAS RANKIN.

5. THE COURAGE AND SKILL OF SHIPP AND TAYLOR AND THEIR DEVOTION TO
DUTY IN THE FACE OF THE ENEMY EXEMPLIFY THE BEST CHARACTERISTICS OF
AUSTRALIAN SAILORS, WHICH ARE IN THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF THE ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN NAVY.

6. BIOGRAPHY LACM SHIPP

A. SHIPP ARRIVED IN VIETNAM WITH THE SECOND CONTINGENT OF THE ROYAL
AUSTRALIAN NAVY HELICOPTER FLIGHT VIETNAM IN SEPTEMBER 1968. AS A
DOOR GUNNER, SHIPP COMPLETED MORE THAN 25 MISSIONS INTO HOSTILE AREAS
IN SUPPORT OF OPERATIONS AGAINST COMMUNIST AGGRESSION. ON 20 NOVEMBER
1968 LS SHIPP WAS AWARDED THE US AIR MEDAL FOR VALOUR, FOR
DISTINGUISHED MERITORIOUS ACHIEVEMENT 12-17 SEPTEMBER 1968.

B. ON 31 MAY 1969, FIVE MILES WEST OF DONG TAM, DINH TUONG PROVINCE,
LS SHIPP WAS THE DOOR GUNNER IN THE LEAD GUNSHIP ESCORTING TROOP
CARRYING HELICOPTERS OF THE 11TH REGIMENT, 7TH ARVN DIVISION. THE
TROOP CARRYING HELICOPTERS CAME UNDER HEAVY GROUND FIRE IN THE
VICINITY OF THE LANDING ZONE (LZ) AND THE GUNSHIPS WERE ORDERED IN TO
SUPPRESS THE ENEMY FIRE. IN ORDER TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY MORE CLOSELY
WITH HIS M60 MACHINE GUN, LS SHIPP HUNG OUT FROM THE AIRCRAFT EXPOSED
TO INTENSE AUTOMATIC FIRE. DURING THE COURSE OF THE ACTION HIS
HELICOPTER WAS HIT, CRASH LANDED AND BEGAN TO BURN. LEADING SEAMAN
NOEL SHIPP, THE ONLY AUSTRALIAN IN THE CREW, WAS SEEN TO CONTINUE
FIRING AT THE ENEMY UNTIL THE MOMENT OF IMPACT.

7. BIOGRAPHY LS TAYLOR

A. IN AUGUST 1939, LS TAYLOR JOINED THE SLOOP HMAS YARRA, SERVING IN
AUSTRALIAN, MIDDLE EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN WATERS. UPON PROMOTION TO
ACTING LEADING SEAMAN, LS TAYLOR WAS GIVEN COMMAND OF ONE OF YARRA'S
FOUR-INCH GUNS.

B. DURING EXTENSIVE SERVICE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, INCLUDING NUMEROUS
'TOBRUK FERRY' RUNS, TAYLOR'S GUN WAS ACTIVE IN BEATING OFF SEVERAL
ENEMY AIR ATTACKS.

C. ON 04 MARCH 1942, YARRA WAS ESCORTING THREE AUXILIARY VESSELS WHEN
THE CONVOY WAS INTERCEPTED BY A JAPANESE SURFACE ACTION GROUP,
CONSISTING OF THREE HEAVY CRUISERS AND TWO DESTROYERS. DESPITE
YARRA'S GALLANT DEFENCE, ALL FOUR ALLIED VESSELS WERE DESTROYED,
WITH THE SLOOP BEING THE LAST VESSEL TO BE SUNK. LS TAYLOR REMAINED
ONBOARD AFTER THE ORDER TO ABANDON SHIP AND STAYED ALONE AT HIS GUN,
FIRING SLOWLY AND DEFIANTLY AT THE ENEMY UNTIL HE WAS KILLED SHORTLY
BEFORE THE SHIP WENT DOWN.

8. THE REMAINING TWO RECRUIT SCHOOL DIVISIONS - MORAN (AFTER CMDR W.T
.A. MORAN - CO HMAS VAMPIRE I - LOST IN ACTION OFF SRI LANKA IN 1942)
AND GETTING (AFTER CAPT F. GETTING - CO CANBERRA I - LOST IN ACTION
AT THE BATTLE OF SAVO ISLAND