CHIEF PETTY OFFICER WRITER GORDON NEIL ROBINSON R58700 RAN
Gordon Robinson was born in Cooksridge Yorkshire in the United Kingdom in October 1944, the elder son of Donald and Rachel Robinson. In 1952 the family, including Gordon’s younger siblings Donald Junior and Anthea, emigrated to Australia on the P&O Liner SS Strathaird, disembarking in Sydney, and settling in Queensland where Donald worked with Trans Australian Airlines.
In January 1961, Gordon joined the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay as a 16 year old Cadet Midshipman. He clearly did not settle in well as a Midshipman and in June 1961 he was placed on a “Captain’s Warning” specifically for lacking “Officer Like Qualities”. This was withdrawn in September 1961, but replaced with a warning for failing to meet the required studies. On the 20th of December 1961, Gordon was withdrawn from the RANC and his appointment Terminated. Notable classmates of Gordon’s at Cresswell were later Chief of Defence Force Admiral Chris Barrie and Rear Admirals Peter Briggs and David Campbell.
It is clear that Gordon still desired a Naval Career and on the 9th of February 1962 he enlisted as a sailor for nine years as a Recruit Writer. He posted to HMAS Cerberus for training and was advanced to Writer 2nd Class in August 1962. He remained at Cerberus for another year spending periods in Hospital after a motorcycle accident, before posting to HMAS Nirimba in Sydney. Whilst in Nirimba he was advanced to the rank of Writer (Able Seaman).
In March 1964 Gordon finally posted to sea on the Daring Class Destroyer HMAS Vendetta. Three months later he absented himself from the ship for two days, however he appears to have got off the charge as he did not have any time forfeited and his character remained assessed as Very Good. After twelve months on Vendetta he was posted to HMAS Tarangau, the shore establishment on Manus Island off the Northern New Guinea Coast. He would serve in Tarangau as an Acting Leading Writer for ten months before returning to Sydney for a series of postings at HMAS Kuttabul. In 1966 Gordon married Alison Leaver in Newtown Sydney.
Having served satisfactorily as an Acting Leading Writer for twelve months his promotion was made substantive in February 1966 and within 15 months he was a Acting Petty Officer Writer.
This promotion was a result of Gordon posting to the RAN’s submarine Base HMAS Platypus as a commissioning crew member in August 1967. His duties at Platypus would have involved managing the pay or service records for submariners on submarines and ashore. He even managed to spend two months at sea on HMAS Otway a rare feat for a Writer. He joined Otway when it arrived in Freemantle enroute from the United Kingdom remaining with the submarine until mid-November, presumably to assist the crew with pay issues. Many had been absent from Australia for almost four years.
Sailors’ records post 1970 are not on National Archives, however it is known that after a posting to HMAS Harman Gordon served in the Frigate HMAS Swan on two escort trips to Vietnam. By 1977 Gordon had discharged from the RAN as a Chief Petty Officer and was living in Proserpine Queensland.
Gordon Neil Robinson passed away on the 28th of March 2007, his body was cremated and his ashes are interred in the memorial wall at Lavertys’ Funeral home Macksville NSW.
Sources
Service Record - Australian National Archives
Nominal Roll - Department of Veterans Affairs Korea
Nominal Roll - Department of Veterans Affairs Vietnam
