HMAS LEEUWIN 17TH INTAKE

HMAS Leeuwin - Junior Recruit Training Establishment  

October 1966 to October 1967

This website is dedicated to Michael John BROWN who passed away 3 December 2006
Mike did an enormous amount of work to make this site a reality

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JUNIOR RECRUIT TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT (JRTE)

The RAN developed HMAS Leeuwin in East Fremantle to provide basic, general and academic training and ‘character development’ for junior naval recruits. The Naval Staff Office (according to pay records, in existence in 1923) was also located at HMAS Leeuwin. The Naval Officer Commanding Western Australia Area assumed administrative responsibility for all naval establishments in 1972. This position was located initially in Fremantle and later at HMAS Stirling on Garden Island off the WA coast.

HMAS LEEUWIN opened as a Junior Recruit Training Establishment on 13th July 1960.   

There were 104 JR’s in the original 17th intake , however only 102 made it to Leeuwin as two jumped ship at Kalgoorlie off the train on the way to the West .

Three from Morrow Division, Charles Britt, Trevor Leslie Carr and Neil Heron all transferred to HMAS Nirimba, the apprenticeship training school,  in June 67.

                    HMAS LEEUWIN on the banks of the Swan river Fremantle WA - 1966

'Scruffy' 

The advertisement material that most of us received when we applied to join up.

Courtesy of Steve Ewen

The Junior Recruit handbook that was issued to all JRs it contained the 'rules' we were required to live by, such as 'no whistling' because it could be confused with an official 'pipe' (a message passed by using a bosuns call - a whistle). 

Photo courtesy of Lou Mulder

Members of the 17th Intake served under two white ensigns, the original British white ensign  with the St Georges Cross, and the new Australian ensign featuring the southern cross

Parading of the new RAN White ensign

1st March 1967

Philip Hall (15th intake), POQMG Alan Meyer, Phillip Roberts (15th intake) & CPOME Stoko (rear)