Submarines 

Association

Australia

Vale 

In Memory of

 CPOMTP3*SM GRAHAM JOHN GILBERT R50642.

May He Rest In Peace

The Following Vale was written by Tony Vine National Vice President. of the SAA .

Graham Gilbert was born in Brisbane on the 16th of January 1937. He enlisted in the RAN on the 22nd of November 1954 and after training at HMAS Cerberus he was rated as a Mechanic Engineering 2nd Class (ME2) and posted to the carrier HMAS Sydney in September 1955.

 In February 1956 Graham joined the Q Class Frigate HMAS Quadrant where he would serve until July 1957. He was advanced to ME1 in November 1956. In August 1957 he joined the Tribal Class Destroyer HMAS Warramunga, where he was promoted to Acting Leading Mechanic Engineering in November 1958.

 He would post ashore in November 1959 serving in HMAS Watson and HMAS Penguin before returning to sea on the carrier HMAS Melbourne as a substantive Leading ME in October 1960. Graham served in Melbourne until November 1963.

 He was promoted to Acting Petty Officer ME in February 1962 and confirmed in rank a year later. In late 1963 Graham volunteered for submarines and travelled to the UK for submarine training. It was unusual for a Petty Officer ME to join submarines so instead of him completing the basic Stokers course the Royal Navy placed him on the longer and more intensive Engine Room Artificer’s course.

 On completion he posted to the Depot Ship HMS Maidstone for the submarine HMS Olympus where he qualified as a submariner. Very soon after he qualified as a submariner, Graham was promoted to Chief Mechanic Engineering. 

He would serve in Royal Navy submarines until he joined HMAS Ovens as her commissioning Chief ME. Graham was renowned as an excellent mentor and trainer of his junior sailors, with many progressing to become Chiefs and Warrant Officers.

 Graham discharged from the RAN in 1974 on completing 20 years service, eventually he retired to Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid-North Coast.

  CPOMTP3*SM Graham Gilbert passed away on the 23rd of March 2024. His funeral will be held at 1000 on Tuesday the 2nd of April at the St Agnes Church in Port Macquarie. 

The SAA extends its condolences to Graham’s wife Brenda and his extended family. Vale Graham Gilbert.