The Submarines Association Australia
Submariners world wide are a special breed, rarely
understood by mere mortals and never understood by skimmers. Submariners
of all nations understands this and
show respect to each other, knowing the hardship and danger that each
has faced to achieve membership to that elite club to which submariners
belong.
Australia, like most countries that maintains a submarine force, has
an Association to which submariners may join to keep contact with old
shipmates, enjoy the occasional social event and to commemorate our
departed comrades. Ours is known as the Submarine Association Australia
with branches in all states. Membership is open to all
submariners, regardless of the navy in which they served.
The Association's aims and goals are:
- To keep alive the unique "esprit de corps"
of the Submarine Service;
- To establish and maintain a charitable
trust being a welfare foundation;
- To assist one another as occasion may
require and to encourage social activities;
- To liaise with kindred organisations, both
nationally and internationally.
- To educate members of their entitlements
and provide access to Department of Veteran Affairs advocates
The Association has an affiliation agreement with the UK-based
Submarine Old Comrades Association and a close relationship with the
Submariners Association of Canada, the RN Submariners Association
(Australia Branch) in Western Australia and New Zealand and maintains
contact with the British Sector of the International Submarine
Association, the Hawaii Chapter of the US World War II Submarine
Veterans' Association and the Verband Deutscher U-Bootfahrer.
SAA Patron
Vice Admiral Ian MacDougal, AC, AFSM, RAN (rtd)
During his 40 years service with the Royal Australian Navy (1954 –
1994) Vice Admiral MacDougal commanded submarines, a guide missile
destroyer a fleet tanker, the submarine squadron and the Australian
Fleet.
He was promoted to Commander in 1973, Captain in 1979, Commodore in
1986 and Rear Admiral in January 1989.
He was Director of Submarine Policy between 1982 and 1984 and
Director General of Joint Operations and Plans for the Australian
Defence Force 1986 – 87, contributing to the successful integration of
the three arms for operations.
From January 1989 to July 1990 Admiral MacDougal served as Maritime
Commander Australia. One of the highlights of his time in command of the
Fleet was attendance at Gallipoli at the 75th Anniversary of the ANZAC
landings in 1915. Another key event was Kangaroo `89, then Australia’s
largest ever peacetime exercise. He then took up the position of Deputy
Chief of Naval Staff.
Following his appointment as Chief of the Naval Staff in March 1991,
Vice Admiral MacDougal oversaw some 15,000 uniformed personnel and
5,100 departmental civilians.
He is a graduate of the US Naval War College (1980) and is an
occasional external student at the University of New England, reading
history. He was appointed a Companion in the Military Division of the
Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list of 1993. In the
2000 Australia Day Honours list, he was awarded the Australian Fire
Service Medal.
During his time in the Royal Australian Navy, Admiral MacDougal
also won the accolades of other naval services. He was awarded the Order
of the Crown of Thailand, First Class, Knight Grand Cross for "his
exceptionally meritorious conduct in performing outstanding service in
the position of grave responsibility in defence of the free world", and
a prestigious military award from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for
"his distinctive professional achievements and his personal endeavours
for the improvement of relations between Australia and Pakistan and the
Navies of the two countries."
His family are First Fleeters, Sydney (1788) First Settler Norfolk Island,
(1789), First Settler Melbourne, (1803), and First Settler Hobart Town,
(1804). Ian MacDougal retired to Tasmania in 2003. |
