Mobile Clearance Diving Team, early ’60s.
The MCDT was the forerunner of CDT1.
Formed in the late ’50s, the first OIC was Lt. Len Graham who had the job of fitting out
MSL 702 as the Team’s first vessel. (MSL 702 features in the photo)
Members of the 1st CDT1.
Albany WA Sept. 1966.
The inaugural CDT1 was formed on the 18 March 1966 and was of unit size comprising 6 personnel. The team spent its full period of operations deployed departing Sydney 21st March 3 days after it formed onboard HMAS Melbourne with all equipment and returned to Sydney from WA on the 16th December 1966.
The Inaugural CDT1 team photo (above) was taken at a reception in September 1966 on our arrival in Albany where we were tasked to search and clear ordnance which had been reported as having been located in Albany Harbour. Bill Willcox had just taken over as boss from Alistair Cuthbert (RN). Pincher Martin, who was in HMAS Leeuwin at the time was involved with the team during the WA deployment which lasted 6 months. The period was pretty full on and included Mine Pilot Surveys of West Coast Ports, demolition of jetties on Garden Island and clearance of channels around Rottnest Island and Exmouth.
The WA deployment followed our arrival back from a 3 months operations with the RNFECDT in Singapore which involved deep diving workup, diving on the battleship HMS Prince of Wales, Minex’s etc. and our short jaunt to Vietnam which involved searches of cables, bows and sterns of ships anchored in the river in the Nha Be area (A merchant ship had not long been damaged and sunk before our arrival), a search for ordnance from an overturned barge somewhere near Bien Hoa and clearances of HMAS Sydney during her stay in Vung Tau. In all it was a great deployment however we must have pissed some people off along the way as on our return to Sydney all team members were posted to various other places, in my case to sea on HMAS Perth for 2 and a half years. With Alistair being relieved earlier as the boss, I don’t know whether a Pom with 5 Aussie sailors in Vietnam in rejected jungle greens and no weapons training at that time had anything to do with it, I understand the matter did however make mention in Parliament. The following year did see CDT1 form as a full sized team.
Harry Brankstone
CDT1's "air taxi" Manus Is. PNG 1972. (12 CDs plus Medic)
