Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

John William Currie enlisted in the RAN from Fremantle where he joined No. 1 Naval Airmen Recruit Course at HMAS Cerberus on 6 January 1948. After completing Basic Recruit Training, he along with the rest of the course, took passage to the UK in HMAS Kanimbla for Air Branch Training.

Arriving at HMS Gamecock on 3 August 1948, John completed the Naval Air Mechanic (NAM) III Course. He departed on 4 May 1949 to join HMS Ful- mar (RNAS Lossiemouth). The next day he continued his training completing it to NAM I (Prov.) level. This was followed by a short posting of 2 1⁄2 months to HMS Heron (RNAS Yeovilton) before taking passage back to Australia.

John arrived home in early 1950 and following a short leave, he was posted to HMAS Albatross (NAS Nowra). On 1 April 1952 he was posted to 805 Sqn. He had qualified as a ‘Pilot’s Mate’ on 5 February 1952. Shortly after he was promoted to A/Leading Air Mechanic and confirmed in the rank on 7 August 1952.

John moved between HMAS Sydney and Albatross with a short posting to HMAS Vengeance as 805 Sqn worked up. He was one of the few Fleet Air Arm members to serve in all three RAN aircraft-carriers.

Mid-1953 saw him attend HMAS Nirimba for yet another course in the rank of A/POAM (A)(Prov.). On return to Albatross, John was posted to 723 Sqn and confirmed in the rank of Petty Officer on 1 July 1954.

Returning to the UK, he joined HMS Heron (891 RN Sea Venom Sqn) on 7 February 1955 before join- ing (808 RAN Sqn) on 7 August the same year for further training on the Sea Venom aircraft.

Following his service in 808 sqn ashore and afloat between Albatross and HMAS Melbourne which end- ed on 19 September 1958, John joined Cerberus

on 30 September in preparation for his Special Du- ties List training for which he had been recommended on 20 May 1958.

Once again, John returned to the UK to join HMS Excellent (shore establishment at Whale Island near Portsmouth) on 8 November 1958.

On 28 April 1959 John was commissioned as ASLT SDAV RAN, reporting to the Royal Naval Col- lege Greenwich on 16 June 1959 for further Officer Training. He then was posted to HMS Fulmar on the 16 November 1959 for Air Traffic Control (ATC) training which he completed on 9 November 1960.

After returning to Australia, John worked as an ATCO at Albatross until January 1964 when he was posted to Melbourne as ‘Aircraft Control Room Officer and Air Explosives Accounting Officer’. He was promoted to LEUT SDAV ATC in 1964, posted back to Albatross, where he continued in a similar role from October 1965 until early 1968. He then returned to ATC.

I recall one morning in April 1971 after most of the ATCOs had just arrived at work when the phone rang in an area adjacent to the Approach Control room. John answered the phone and was heard to say: “Yes, we do own an orange and white aircraft. Why? You say someone is shooting at it why? Well the white puffs might be parachutes – are they? You say they are parachutes now”. That was the first call for Errol Kavangh’s and Peter Clarke’s ejection from one of our new Macchis then painted orange and white.

In 1974, John was promoted to LCDR where he finished off his career as Senior Air Traffic Control Officer (SATCO) retiring in mid 1976.

John and Leslie have been married for over 66 years and still reside in Nowra. He is now 93 but unfortunately not in the best of health. John was a superb colleague to work with and an even better boss as SATCO.