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    Fremantle Class Patrol Boats


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    A subject close to my heart as I spent a about third of my 18 plus years in the Navy based in Darwin working in, on and around these boats and the 40/60 Bofor. We had in total 15 of these vessels to patrol an area (originally) from Perth in West Australia to the Bass Strait between Victoria and the island state of Tasmania!!

    This was reduced later to Port Headland across the north to Sydney, with the maximum effort concentrated across the northern and north-western regions. Still a huge area.

    By mid 2007 these will "pay-off" and be scrapped.

    Edited by Tiger-pie
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    In formation at cruising speed, judging from the bow wave. Two of the four boats I served on are in the photo, HMA Ships Dubbo, foreground, and Wollongong, centre. Some patrols consisted of a lone boat, others two or more. This would allow one boat to patrol above the AFZ and one or more below. If FFV's (foreign fishing vessels) were spotted then we could catch them in a "pincer" movement before they got out of our waters.

    Edited by Tiger-pie
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    • 4 weeks later...

    This signal (unclassified) was realeased on the 20-Apr-07

    SUBJ: LAST FCPB OPERATIONAL PATROL

    1. TODAY HMAS IPSWICH WILL BERTH AT HMAS CAIRNS AND OUTCHOP FROM JTF

    639 AND IN DOING SO BRINGS TO A CLOSE A 27 YEAR OPERATIONAL

    COMMITMENT BY THE FREMANTLES TO AUSTRALIAS MARITIME SECURITY. THE

    FREMANTLES HAVE CONTRIBUTED IN A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS FROM PATROLS OF

    THE BASS STRAIT OIL RIGS IN OFTEN ATROCIOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS TO

    LONG DAYS ON WATCH ACROSS NORTHERN AUSTRALIA. IN THIS THEY HAVE

    PROVED A MAINSTAY OF AUSTRALIA'S OFFSHORE MARITIME SECURITY AND

    EARNED A REPUTATION AS HARDWORKING AND CAN DO VESSELS AND CREWS. AS

    A FORMER FREMANTLE CO AND THE LAST OPERATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE

    FREMANTLES I HAVE VALUED AND RELIED ON THEIR COMMITMENT TO OP

    RESOLUTE TO THE VERY LAST.

    2. IPSWICH SECURING TODAY REPRESENTS THE END OF AN ERA BUT WITH THE

    KNOWLEDGE THAT THE TRADITIONS AND CHARACTER OF THE PATROL BOAT SAILOR

    WILL CONTINUE ON IN THE ARMIDALE'S.

    3. MATTHEW CHAP 25 VERSE 21.

    Regards;

    Johnsy

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    • 4 weeks later...

    A decommissioning ceremony was held at Trinity Wharf in Cairns signaling the official end of the Fremantle Class Patrol Boats. The last two operational boats, HMAS Townsville and Ipswich, lowered the White Ensign for the last time.

    Edited by Tiger-pie
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    Very sorry to see them go.

    I had some under OPCON for a couple of years (97-98) and first went to sea in them on HMAS Woollongong. Took a day or so for the crew to accept a khaki bod.

    They and their crews did a magnificent job. Real workhorses of the RAN and they worked under very difficult circumstances at times but always came up trumps. Hope they keep one for posterity.

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    Very sorry to see them go.

    I had some under OPCON for a couple of years (97-98) and first went to sea in them on HMAS Woollongong. Took a day or so for the crew to accept a khaki bod.

    They and their crews did a magnificent job. Real workhorses of the RAN and they worked under very difficult circumstances at times but always came up trumps. Hope they keep one for posterity.

    The "Gong" was my first PB I served on, good bunch of blokes, the command element were a bunch of clowns though. I think she is the one they are keeping for posterity. I would have thought that Fremantle was the obvious chose as it was the first of class and it has the thickest hull plates.

    Regards;

    Johnsy

    Edited by Tiger-pie
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    The group I saw in 97 seemed to me to be a very cohesive crew and the skipper seemed to be well respected by his crew.

    Well in 1993 that wasn't the case, though don't get me wrong, the crew was a cohesive unit and I did work for a really good engineering section. The Charge (Senior Technical Officer= Chief Petty Officer) was one of the best I worked for in the six years that I served on patrolies.

    Regards;

    Johnsy

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    • 6 years later...

    I spent about two years on Cessnock and did a number of trips on all but one of the Cairns based Fremantle's. Fantastic boats and generally fantastic crews, the crew and boats worked hard and played hard!

    They did a fantastic job for many years.

    Rob

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    Sad to see any proud service vessel go to her grave, or the breaker's yard. Especially for those who served on her. I'm sure they're be many a toast raised to the class in the dockside pubs and Legions. God bless them all and all who sailed in them!

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