TITLE: Hammersley's Catch UP

AUTHOR: DyslexicDreamer

RATINGS: Fiction K

SPOILERS:

CATEGORY: Adventure

PAIRINGS: HMAS Hammersley crew

SUMMARY: Catch up is letters from Hammersley's crew to Mike Flynn which will be published so that other crew members both past and present could catch up of each other's news. It starts after the death of Swaine PO Chris Blake.

ARCHIVE: Fanfiction

DISCLAIMER: The characters in this story has been taken from the TV series Sea Patrol so I do not own them, but I have created a story around them. Sea Patrol was created and owned by Hal and Di McElroy; I think. This endeavour has not been written to make money but to create amusement, occupy my time and hopefully entertain the reader. All right of Sea Patrol belongs to Hal and Di McElroy.

FEEDBACK: Will be gratefully received. However, please be kind.

NOTES: Sea Patrol came to an end suddenly, leaving one wondering what the future could hold. Being female, I dream of a woman becoming the Chief of the Navy and being a married mother.

SONGS: Keep in Touch Ye Ali watch?v=lTBiZmJFj1U

Following the dirty bomb that took the lives of Swaine and SAS Captain Jim Roth, Mike in the following days, weeks and months contacted and updated all HMAS Hammersley crew both past and present on what happened and will be happening.

As a result, Kate McGregor suggested that maybe a newsletter, or page such as a website with the right data protection in place would be more efficient and effective way of communicating. With the webpage it could be encrypted for privacy making this bulletin issued periodically available to all relevant people 24/7 seven days a week.

No one knows what will happen in the future so we should celebrate the goods things that happen to each of us. We all know that we had a friend or friends where life has move on but because of the pressures of modern life we lose touch.

So, the idea of the sharing our good news with all who served with Mike Flynn in HMAS Hammersley would make life easier and keep our community in touch and together.

As you guess Kate McGregor will look after the correlating and publishing of the "page". So, if everyone agrees to join in you will be hearing from her so she can provide the web address and password etc.

Thank God for RO (Robert Dixon) who had updated his encrypted skills along with creating a webpage and all other relevant information, skills, and abilities.

Catching up - "Chefo" Sadness

Letter from Leading Seaman Toby "Chefo" Jones to Commander Mike Flynn,

Dear Commander Flynn,

It is with great sorrow that I reply to your last communication. My wife and I really appreciate your letters and newsletters you normally send at Christmas, Easter and for Anzac Day. Hearing what is happening and what has happened to the crew of HMAS Hammersley leaves us with a continuing feeling of community.

Following my near-death experience on HMAS Hammersley thanks to the lethal Irukandji jellyfish and having just become engaged to my then fiancé Jenny highlighted the problems of working on a patrol boat especially when entering a committed relationship with a non-military person. I know that without Swaine, X, yourself and all the crew on HMAS Hammersley efforts I would not be here today.

After I transferred off HMAS Hammersley just after becoming engaged myself and wife to be decided to renew my contract for another three years with the RAN.

Eighteen months later Jenny and I were married, moved into RAN married quarters as well as working on a "big Ship" as X called them. Thank you so much Mike for you RSPV and Jenny and I both understood why you could not attend out wedding. Jenny really loves your so thoughtful present which we use every day. As you already know and I still cannot believe it eighteen months later approximately I became a parent for the first time, and like Swaine and Sally my wife suffered and struggled with being a RAN wife and land-based parent.

Having said that because of the benefits RAN offers my wife was adamant that I renewed my contract for another tour of three years. These benefits include help with childcare (nursery); educational support for children; help for families during crisis and emergency; assistance for partners' employment and my salary and future pension. There is other support within Defence Member and Family Support programs which does not come to mind.

We also decided to have another child and it was now that I realise how lucky I were to have you as my CO on HMAS Hammersley. Though I no longer were a part of you crew you took the time to mentor me when started thinking of I hang up my sea legs especially as I still have not made a decision so do not want to officially tell my division officer or commanding officer on my currant ship.

You sign posted me to the ADF Transition scheme that provides advice, coaching all defence ranks and their families, also how to do the following such as research probable future career options, get any qualifications translate to civilian qualifications; train for the future before leaving the Navy etc. Without your help I am sure that I would end up both bankrupt and divorced

It is with great sorrow that I heard of the death of Petty Officer Chris Blake "Swaine".

Thank you for offering my family the chance to join and contribute to Swaine's daughter trust fund. My wife said without Swaine I would not be here, happily married with a growing family, career and looking forward to the future.

Finally, I agree to join the "Catch up" newsletter for all the crew who served under you Mike Flynn on HMAS Hammersley.

Fair winds CMDR Flynn until the next time.

Yours Jenny and Toby

PS I enclose a card for Sally and Chloe and wonder if you would be kind enough to forward it on to them.

Catching up "Nav" Sadness

Letter from Lieutenant Nikki 'Nav' Caetano to Commander Mike Flynn,

Dear Mike,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write and explaining what happened with the Caine's incident. I have been left feeling like I did when I lost "ET", like my heart has been ripped out and I have lost something very special.

Yes, it was hard to leave HMAS Hammersley, but it was the only way I could start rebuilding my life. Having lost the love of my life before we could openly have a committed relationship or even tell people that we were engaged was difficult in the extreme. Questioning all aspects of my life such as What do I do now. Should I stay in the navy, or should I move on, If I stay what next. Will I ever get over the lost death of Josh.

So much has happened since I left HMAS Hammersley. So, taking you and Kate advised I looked into the taking unpaid leave from the navy so that I could grieve, have counselling, explore my options and decided without any pressure what I wanted to do and what my future would look like. It was so important that I did nothing in the heat of the moment, to step back consider all my options and think through everything, then act. There is career decision, personal decisions, financial decisions, health decisions to name a few. The hardest at that time was the personal, such as marriage, and children. Thank you for telling me about "Leave without pay" (LWOP) and that I can take up to 2 years of LWOP at a time.

The first three months I worked in a hotel as a receptionist while seeing a grief counsellor. Within a few weeks I knew I missed being at sea. So, I researched then applied working on small ship luxury cruise. I then spent the next six months working on a small luxury ship as a navigator while doing online face to face counselling. The crew were very professional, friendly but there was something missing.

Thanks to you Mike and Kate by scheduling time so we could have some face time to discuss what I needed to do and how to return to the RAN. The best way to move forward in my Continued Personal Development was to proceed to advance training in Principal Warfare. I knew that the ADF Transition scheme

Mike it was so thoughtful of you to offer me the chance to join and contribute to Swaine's daughter trust fund. Swaine was always there for me not only while I was serving on HMAS Hammersley and after I decide to take some time off.

Fair winds Mike until the next time.

Nikki

PS I would like to join the "Catch up" newsletter for all the crew who served under you Mike Flynn on HMAS Hammersley.

Catching up "Bomber" Sadness

Letter from Rebecca Brown to Commander Mike Flynn,

Dear Commander Flynn,

Thank you so much for taking the time to write. It is so sad to hear what happened with the Caine's incident. This is so hard as Swaine was so supportive of me when I was aboard HMAS Hammersley. I know he reported me and 2Dads for breaking the regulations. Having said that I learned so much from him and how never to judge people, do your duty, have courage and do my best.

I cannot say that I have completely learned to control my temper or stop being competitive. I have at time regretted deciding not to renew my contract with the navy for another tour of duty but that is very seldom. This is because of the transition help I received from the ADF Transaction Scheme.

Knowing that I would be returning home to the station I was advised that it would be good to do a Business Administrator course.

Now I am back living and working on the station I have found that everything I learned in the navy has come in very useful in my everyday life. My mother has commented on my ability to cope with changing priorities and contingencies in my responsibilities.

I have been told that my scran is better than when I left home. It tastes better, look better and there is a bigger variety of dishes on my menu. I now control the ordering of supplies, stock keeping of the food store and pantry. My new motto in the kitchen is waste not want not.

My medic skills have come in very handy. My mum is very impressed as the station now has more that a first aider in emergencies. I am looking into doing more study into first responder medicine.

Since coming back, I have grown up enough to be able to deal with the stockman who got burned. I researched what else could be done to make his life easier. Six months ago, the stockman had some surgery to make moving easier. He had refused to have the surgery in the past because he did not want to leave the station. Because of my medical training he was able to return home a couple of days after the treatment and I was able to nurse him. He is doing really well now, and his quality of life has improved.

Having had a discussion with my family it has been decided that I can contribute to Chole's trust fund. I have even taken out insurance in case I become economy inactive

Thank you for asking me if I wanted to join the "Catch up" newsletter for all the crew who served under you Mike Flynn on HMAS Hammersley. I am looking forward to the first instalment.

Fair winds Boss until the next time.

Rebecca

Catching up "Spider" Sadness

Letter from Leading Seaman William Webb to Commander Mike Flynn,

Dear Commander Flynn,

I have enclosed a sympathy card for Sally and Chloe and wonder if you can please forward it to them. It is with shock and great sorrow that I discovered that Swaine died in the Caine's incident. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and fill me in with what happened. Swaine is a Hero, and I will miss him very much.

I am now serving on a major fleet unit, and it is so different to HMAS Hammersley. So much more structured, less fun and games, and while I feel a part of the ship it is not like family as we had on Hammersley.

I am now a Leading Seaman but still answer to spider as I now accept that I will be spider for the rest of my life. As you already know when I left HMAS Hammersley, I was sent to HMAS Cerberus to do the Intermediate Boatswains Mate Course; the Intermediate Seamanship Course; and the Intermediate Corrosion Control Course. I know it took longer than normal to get here but boys take longer to mature.

I hope I get Leader soon as I have a girlfriend I hope to marry. I have my first bar/medal, Australian Defence Medal. I have not been ordered to another Captains Table thank God.

I had a chat with the girlfriend about Chole and she agrees that it would be a good idea to join and contribute to the Chole's trust fund. As you know I was adopted and while I was very young when the adaptation went through, I somehow have memories/feelings of losing someone.

Thank you also for asking me if I wanted to join the "Catch up" newsletter for all the crew who served under you Mike Flynn on HMAS Hammersley. I am looking forward to the first instalment.

Please say hello to the "XO" for me. Wishing you Fair winds Boss until the next time.

Billy

Catching up "Buffer" Sadness

Letter from Petty Officer Peter Tomaszewski to Commander Mike Flynn,

Dear Boss,

It was with shock and horror that I heard the news of Swaine's death. It is very kind of you to communicate to me what happened on that day. We have lost someone special not only a competent seaman but compassionate medic.

With reference to a trust fund for Chloe I would like to join and contribute. If you could send me the paperwork, I would complete it and return it ASAP.

Having served over 15 years in the RAN when I transferred off HMAS Hammersley, I decided to take a year unpaid leave to deal with my mother's death, clear up some other issues and do something different. I spent the next nine months traveling around the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. I would recommend you doing something similar visiting the different islands I mean.

When I returned, I started the process of becoming a Chief Petty Officer. I also applied for and got a temporary secondment with the Canadian Navy. This was a wild and interesting year in which I found that a lot you told me made sense, was practical and best practice.

While with the Canadian Navy I completed the Canadian equilivant of the Senior Sailor Management course

When I returned to Australia, I right away proceeded to HMAS Creswell to undertake the Chief Petty Officer Leadership and Development course.

Well, that is all about the navy. Things are looking up on my personal life. While in Canada I meet a nice girl who works as would you believe it a Boatswain. Long distant relationships are hard to keep but we will see if it works. I am hoping my run with relationships not working out will now end.

Please say hello to "X" and the other crew members who know me. As soon as I have some leave, I will come and visit.

With reference to the Newsletter, I think this is a brilliant idea and agree to receiving a copy.

Fairwinds Boss.

Pete