Ballarat Marks Her Place In History
4 August 2009
By LEUT Jemma Power
HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Sydney’s visit to the 500 year old fishing port of St John’s, the most easterly seaport on the coast of Newfoundland, Canada as part of Northern Trident 2009 has provided the unique opportunity for Australian Warships to become part of a time honoured Naval institution; the Crows Nest Officers Club.
The Crows Nest is an Officers club hidden away on the 4th floor of an old warehouse in the side streets of St Johns. Though a less than glamorous location and its only welcome to the passing crowd being the unmarked wooden stairs leading to its equally unmarked entrance, it houses a wealth of Naval history as the Officers of HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Sydney were soon to discover.
Established on 27 January 1942, when St Johns was a busy war port, its location was secured by the payment of an annual fee of one dollar to Colonel Leonard Outerbridge, the owner of the warehouse. With so many warships visiting the port, the Crows Nest soon became a popular location and visiting officers were keen to leave their mark. The walls of the Crows Nest are testament to visits of so many ships to St John’s during the war years with ships crests and other souvenirs from both Canadian vessels and other more distant Navies lining the walls.
Now for the first time the ships crests of two Australian Naval vessels also hang on these walls. Following a presentation on the history of the club that kept the crowd from the Sydney and Ballarat Wardrooms both enthralled and laughing loudly, Sydney’s Commanding Officer, CAPT Peter Leavy presented his ships crest to the Crows Nest in addition to an Australian White Ensign. Ballarat’s Commanding Officer, CMDR Kevin Turner followed suit, being the second Australian Commanding Officer to present a crest and ensign.
Club president, Mr Gary Green then proceeded to further elaborate upon the stories behind brightly coloured gun shield artwork which line the walls of the club. The presence of so many gun shields was the idea of founding member Captain E.C. Mainguy who ruled that each Navy ship visiting the port would be allowed wall space two feet square to mount their gun shield artwork. The Crows Nest now possesses so many that they do not have enough wall space to display their entire collection.
Mr Green pointed out two gun shields in particular that hang on each side of the fireplace. To his right is the gun shield of HMCS Wetaskiwin. It depicts an image of the Queen sitting in a puddle of water the shape of Newfoundland. The image was a wartime homage to the colloquial name given to the ship; the ‘Wet Ass Queen’ and was the first gun shield painted for the Crows Nest Club. Mr Green then points to his left to the gun shield of HMCS Trillium which depicts Donald Duck scooping a U-boat from the water with his fishing net. He explained that while it has no obvious connection to the name of the ship, it has particular significance to the club as it was the first gun shield to be hung in the club – the feat achieved by the junior officers of Trillium hanging it before the paint dried in order to beat Wetaskiwin to the honour of first hung shield.
As Green moved on to tell the story of HMCS St. Laurent’s shield that depicts the famous exotic dancer ‘Sally’ dazzling Hitler with her charms, LEUT Damien Goodbun from Ballarat detached himself from the group following the president around the room and approached the bar. His request for a hammer and nail was initially met with quizzical looks until the Canadian WW2 veteran and club member caught his meaning and sourced the required tools with a smile.
With fellow Ballarat officers providing an adequate shield, a quick tap was all that was required for Lieutenant Goodbun’s work to be complete. HMAS Sydney may have been the first Australian warship to present their crest to the Crows Nest but through the work of her junior officers, HMAS Ballarat was the first Australian warship to hang her crest on the walls of the Crows Nest Officers Club.
The smiles of Green and the other club members present indicated their approval of the Australian homage to the club’s history, as did the smile of Ballarat’s Commanding Officer Kevin Turner. A welcome to all Australian Naval personnel visiting St Johns was quickly and warmly extended and the club members were quick to tell all present that they hoped it would not be too long before the next Australian warship could also leave her mark on the club walls in St John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Commanding Officer and the Wardroom of HMAS Ballarat will, in addition to their presentation of their ships crest and white ensign, present to the Crows Nest Officers Club a signed print of the ship to commemorate their eventful visit to the club on 7 July 2009. To view the all the colourful gun shields held by the club and read more about their history and that of the Crows Nest Officers club visit their webpage at www.crowsnestnf.ca.
