Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2007/A first for Navy and a night out with a living legend

By LCDR Steve Daws

Staff, students and graduates at this year’s RAN Staff Acquaint Course (RANSAC) graduation dinner at HMAS Harman received a double treat - an enthralling guest speaker and chaplains appointed as both the mess dinner president and vice president (but not for “the last supper” - believed to be a first for Navy and most probably Defence).

Thus it was that the RANSAC contingent of Reserve, Permanent, US Navy Reserve officers and an Australian public servant, together with directing staff and select guests enjoyed the reward for12 months hard work by the graduates; and who said you can’t mix business with pleasure?

Highlight of the evening was the speech from living legend LCDR Max Shean RANR (Retired). As a young 90 year old, Max was quite lively yet dignified in sharing some of his wartime experiences. LCDR Shean’s speech was a wonderful outcome to a challenging and rewarding year for the graduates.

By way of background……….

• Max Shean heard of the problems leading to Dunkirk and decided that he should personally contribute to the war effort, joining the RAN Volunteer Reserve in 1940.

• After completing anti-submarine warfare training, Max sailed to the UK in 1941, where he was posted to HMS Bluebell, a corvette engaged in convoy escort duties and, in the 12 convoy escort duties in which he was engaged between Liverpool and Gibraltar (return), came under attack from German u-boats on numerous occasions.

• The opportunity to serve in (even more) hazardous operations led Max to volunteer for submarine service, where he distinguished himself and Australia in clandestine operations as a crew member then CO of X class (52 feet, 30 ton) submarines. These miniature submarines were required to sail quietly into enemy ports, drop timed detonating devices under principal ships (ie battleships) then sail clear before the explosives detonated. blockade nets add to the intrigue.

• Principal operations included attacks on the German battleship Tirpitz (which Max didn’t personally attend, because his boat was sunk during towing transit behind the large towing submarine). Another was an operation in Bergen Harbour in Norway, to sink a large floating dock: after being detected then shaking off their pursuer, they made it to the target area but faulty intelligence and incorrect charts led them to lay their charges on a large enemy ship nearby, which was sunk in the explosion. Max was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for this work.

• Towards the end of WWII, Max was selected to lead a special mission, Operation Sabre, to cut two underwater cables off French Indochina. These telegraph cables were part of the Japanese communications network, linking Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong and Tokyo. This was successful, and allowed the Allies (who had cracked the Japanese codes and could decipher their radio traffic but were not able to access communications sent via the underwater cables) to intercept subsequent radio transmissions. Max was awarded a bar to his DSO, together with the US Bronze Star.

• In retirement, LCDR Shean found time to win the 1979 Parmelia Yacht Race from Plymouth to Fremantle.

What a night!! Awesome stories of his being washed overboard from the submarine then swimming quickly to catch it, only to dive back again to recover his lost binoculars!! Devising improved ways to perforate nets that impede submarine progress; navigational challenges in Norway that required skill and creativity just to survive; then the awkward nature of attempting to find submerged cables to cut in many square kilometres of murky terrain all contributed to an enthralling presentation.

In five years, Max achieved more that many people could achieve in a lifetime spanning many decades. And if there were an aristocracy of Reservists, LCDR Max Shean would qualify as a crown prince.

One of RANSACs directors of study, CMDR Paul Taylor, presented Max with a framed collage of pictorial reference to his exciting wartime experiences as a gesture of thanks for the speech.

…..but the story is incomplete without reference to the charismatic chaplains (Col Acton and Murray Lund). Fortunately, they are qualified to forgive the transgressions of others and, although these were thankfully few, forgiveness was demonstrated throughout night.

There were some diners who wondered whether, because of the spirit of communion throughout the course of the evening that, instead of passing the port decanter, a single chalice containing port would be passed instead! However, some Naval traditions are resolute and the toasts proceeded without incident, with decanters being passed to diners, each with their own port glass.

Also, the sophisticated behaviour of RANSAC mess dinner attendees did not require the president to say “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”.

….and a miracle was not needed to turn water into wine: the prior planning was sufficient.