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Submarines Association of Austrial Obituary

WOMTP3*SM DIARMID DUNCAN (IRISH) BEVAN

It is with great sadness that the SAA advises of the passing of Irish Bevan at Saint John of God Hospital in Perth WA on the 17th of October 2025.

Irish was born in Glasgow Scotland on the 7th of November 1945. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on the 27th of February 1962 at the age of 16, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy on the 15th of June 1964 on a nine year engagement. Although already rated as a Mechanic Engineering (Able Seaman) in the RN, on joining the RAN he was only rated as an Ordinary Seaman Mechanic Engineering. It would be several months before he was advanced to ME however his seniority was backdated to the date he had been promoted in the RN.

At the time he transferred to the RAN, Irish was serving on the WW2 Battle Class Destroyer HMS Barossa in the Far East. He transferred directly from Barossa to the Destroyer Escort HMAS Yarra alongside in Singapore. He was greeted onboard by a flood in one of Yarra’s magazines requiring the ship to be moved that day to the Royal Naval Armaments Depot to replace the affected ordinance.

Irish remained on Yarra until the ship returned to Australia in mid-July, at which time he posted to HMAS Cerberus to complete his engineering training. This was followed by a posting in November 1964 to HMAS Duchess which had just transferred to the RAN from the RN as a replacement for HMAS Voyager which had been lost in a collision with HMAS Melbourne the previous February. He would remain on Duchess until June 1967, during which time the ship conducted two escort trips to Vietnam.

On leaving Duchess Irish posted to HMAS Harman, the RAN’s shore establishment in Canberra. The next 18 months would see him have a series of short postings to the shore establishments, HMAS Cerberus, HMAS Albatross, HMAS Rushcutter and HMAS Nirimba, during which time he qualified as a Motor Transport Driver.

He returned to sea in January 1969 on Duchess’s near sister HMAS Vampire, making a third escort trip to Vietnam in May 1969 escorting HMAS Sydney which was carrying elements of 4 RAR. He remained on Vampire until 1970 when, as an Acting Leading Mechanic Engineering, he joined her sister HMAS Vendetta where he conducted a fourth escort trip, again escorting HMAS Sydney which was carrying 8 RAR.

About this time Irish volunteered for submarines. In late 1970 he returned to the UK to undertake submarine training at HMS Dolphin in Gosport England.  On his return to Australia, he joined HMAS Otway, where he qualified as a submariner and he was awarded his Dolphins. Irish served at sea on HMAS Otway (1971-72 and HMAS Ovens (1972-75) before returning to the UK in 1976 to standby HMAS Otama as her commissioning Petty Officer Stoker. In 2000 his son Darren would decommission Otama as a LSMTSM.

He would later serve on HMAS Onslow from 1981 to 1984 as the submarine’s Chief Stoker.

On a port visit to New Zealand in the early 1970s Irish would meet his wife, Edith Arnold. His good mate Billy O’Brien would later marry Edith’s sister Hazel.

Irish discharged from the RAN as a Warrant Officer to take up a logistics job with ASIO, remaining with the organisation until his retirement. He joined the ACT Branch of the SAA in 1996. Post retirement, Irish and Edith moved to Western Australia to be closer to their children where Edith passed away in February 2014.

Irish will be remembered for his technical competence, his excellent management skills, and his friendly demeanour. He always showed an interest in the welfare and professional development of his sailors, and he was respected by all.

The SAA passes its condolences to Irish’s family and friends. Funeral/memorial services will be advised when known.

Tony Vine

Commander RAN (Rtd)