- Booze, brawls on front-line ship -
29.07.2003 13:06:54
Australian navy sailors have been brawling, boozing and breaking
the law across five countries.
A Herald Sun investigation has uncovered a shameful history of alcohol abuse on one of the navy`s front-line frigates.
Drunk sailors from HMAS Darwin have crashed cars, fought in bars, been drunk on duty and gone AWOL.
The probe, sparked by the death of a young sailor who fell overboard, revealed evidence of alcohol abuse across the navy.
It also revealed a cover-up by military officials.
Seaman Gurr died after a drinking
session on the Darwin.
Department of Defence documents released under Freedom of Information laws show:
ALL-NIGHT drinking sessions are regularly held on navy ships.
A SUPPRESSION order was used to conceal evidence during an inquiry into the death of Darwin sailor Cameron Gurr.
JUST days after Leading Seaman Gurr`s death, his drinking companions were boozing again on board the ship.
MORE than 10 offences are committed every day by our defence personnel, and more than one in 10 are alcohol related.
SAILORS in alcohol rehabilitation programs are getting drunk.
MORE than 200 defence staff have been sent to dry out in the past two years.
Ldg Seaman Gurr, 20, from Tasmania, fell into the Indian Ocean after a drinking session on HMAS Darwin near Christmas Island in May 2002.
The Darwin`s captain would later tell an inquiry that he was unaware of a drinking problem on board until a week after Ldg Seaman Gurr`s death.
But the Herald Sun has retraced the movements of HMAS Darwin in the 19 months leading to his death and discovered evidence of widespread alcohol abuse.
More than 20 separate incidents were uncovered across several countries, including alcohol-related offences in Singapore, Thailand, Japan and India as well as in Western Australia and Victoria.
They included a bar brawl in Singapore, a fight on a boat in Thailand and reports up to 50 Darwin sailors were drunk on ANZAC Day 2002, days before Ldg Seaman Gurr died.
A week after Ldg Seaman Gurr disappeared overboard, his drinking companions were again consuming alcohol on board.
The Herald Sun has also uncovered new allegations made to a closed hearing into Ldg Seaman Gurr`s death. One of the allegations is that Ldg Seaman Gurr`s drinking companions knew he was missing but did not report it.
Evidence was also given that all-night drinking sessions, known as "Channel night", were regularly held on navy vessels and alcohol was being stockpiled on the Darwin for such a night.
Another sailor told the inquiry "drinking of excess alcohol is commonplace" in the navy.
Briefing notes from the hearing reveal there was no media present when the evidence was given and a suppression order was used to "prohibit the release of information about contraband alcohol on board Darwin".
The briefing notes were sent to navy command every day and used to manage negative fallout over the death of Ldg Seaman Gurr.
acknowledge:
by Sunday Times
http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au
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