BRITT, Douglas Harry
| Service Number: | R52456 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Petty Officer |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Adelaide, South Australia, 15 March 1937 |
| Home Town: | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Flinders Street Primary and Goodwood Boys Technical High, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Career Sailor |
| Died: | Heart Disease & Vascular Dementia, Adelaide, South Australia, 11 April 2020, aged 83 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
Vietnam War Service
| 20 Sep 1965: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer, R52456, Sick Birth Attendant on board HMAS Vendetta | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 May 1966: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer, R52456, HMAS Vendetta | |
| 16 Feb 1970: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer, R52456, HMAS Sydney | |
| 21 Oct 1970: | Involvement Royal Australian Navy, Petty Officer, R52456, HMAS Sydney |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Trevor Thomas
Doug’s 21-Year Venture in the RAN
DOUGLAS HARRY BRITT RAN service Born: March 15 1937; Adelaide Died: April 11, 2020; Adelaide
DOUG Britt enlisted in the RAN on 29 October1956 and saw some eventful times in his 21 years with the Royal Australian Navy.
He served in the Indonesian , Malay, Borneo and Vietnam conflicts.
Doug was born in a tiny cottage in Delhi St in the square mile of the city of Adelaide, to Evelyn and electrician Harry. He was the second of five children.
His cousins the O’Reilleys and Jarmans grew up nearby and their fun and games included cricket matches in the middle of Carrington St and swimming and diving off Torrens Weir.
Harry owned racehorse stables in the city near the Victoria Park Racecourse and Doug spent his mornings mucking out stables and looking after horses on race days. It made him a lifelong follower of horse racing, and for a time he was a part-owner through a racing syndicate.
He went to Flinders Street Primary and Goodwood Boys Technical High School but he was keen to leave school, and at 14 he was delivering bread by horse and cart, though his knee was damaged when the horse bolted and the cart ran him over.
He decided to follow his older brother Gordon into the RAN, opting for medical roles.
For the next 21 years he loved his navy adventure, starting when he and other recruits were made ushers for the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956.
His service included time on the HMAS Sydney, Vendetta and Vampire. He was horrified when his ship was used to bombard the Vietnam shoreline and raze villages. He could only think of the innocent children at risk. The fact that priests blessed the guns before action compounded his concerns .
His medical expertise was called to account when he had to conduct an urgent appendectomy aboard HMAS Vendetta when no doctor was available. He worked from a textbook. The affected sailor lived to tell the tale.
His qualifications included nursing, radiography, paramedicine and hospital administration but not midwifery, yet he delivered a mate’s wife’s twins on the way to hospital.
A popular senior sailor and Petty Officer he invariably became president of the messes wherever he served.
He met Gwen while on leave in Adelaide in 1975, they married 18 months later, and had children Chris and Megan. In retirement, Doug became house husband while Gwen returned to teaching.
He also took on roles as secretary of the Regular Defence Force Welfare Association, president of the Veterans Vietnam War Trust Fund, and was on call for veterans with mental health issues 24/7.
He died after a long battle with heart disease and vascular dementia. His funeral was conducted under Covid-19 rules but live-streamed to his navy mates across Australia and the world and remains online at Harrison Funerals.
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