The Trade by Rudyard Kipling - Royal Australian Navy

What are they
up to now?
by CPOAWASM Mike “Dinga” Bell
THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012 12
In this article we are featuring two exsubmariners
who teamed up again after not
having seen each other for nearly 10 years.
The two in question are Michael (Dinga) Bell
and Michael (Hoogs) Hoogland.
After both leaving the PNF in 2000 we
were reunited on, of all places, a speedway
track in South Australia – the Gillman
Speedway circuit. Actually I received an
email from a mate in Sydney who works
at RAAF Richmond and he had seen an
advertisement for a come and try day at
Gillman Speedway – ‘passenger (lunatic)
required for a speedway sidecar outfit’.
Well my mate thought that I would be
crazy enough to be interested, I was,
and the rest as they say is history. Hoogs
and I teamed up for a very interesting,
successful and character building time
and the pairing came to an end early in
2012 when I was posted to HMAS Stirling
Submarine Force (SUBFOR) in March on
a twelve months Continuous Full Time
Service (CFTS) contract in the Submarine
Safety Cell. Hoogs will be posting to RAAF
Williamstown in early 2013.
Here is a brief on each of these characters.
Michael ‘Hoogs’ Hoogland:
Served nearly 8 years in the Navy from
July 1992 to March 2000, all of that time
in boats (submarines). He qualified on
HMAS Orion in March of 1994 and went to
the new Collins boats in 1996. There, he
served time on the first four boats Collins,
Farncomb, Waller and Dechaineux, as
both a member of Ships Company and as
an Operational Relief. He was serving on
HMAS Farncomb and HMAS Waller for their
maiden dives. He paid off as LSMTSM in
Adelaide as a member of HMAS Sheean’s
crew whilst it was still being built.
In September 2001 he joined RAAF as
an Aircraft Technician. He played footy
in Wagga with ex CPOMTSM Peter
(Chook) Fowler at Collingullie whilst doing
his training (the club won A & B grade
premierships) before being posted to the
“enemy” at 92 Wing at RAAF Edinburgh in
2002.
Hoogs has completed numerous
deployments including being deployed
to the Middle East Area of Operations
(MEAO) on three occasions, been awarded
the AASM, Iraq campaign & Afghanistan
campaign medals. As well as having done
countless Op Relex / Resolutes out of
Darwin, a few Anti Submarine Warfare
Exercises (ASWEX), saw HMAS Waller at
periscope depth from in the flight station
– pretty cool!!!.
His career deployment highlight was
Rimpac in 2008. He has also been
deployed to Malaysia, Philippines, Western
Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. At this stage
it looks like he will be posting to RAAF
Williamstown at years end to work on
Hornets.
He started speedway racing in 2008
racing classics, swinging for Dad. Started
behind the bars in 2010 to try and cure his
early “mid life crisis” and to help increase
numbers. At the time he didn’t realise
the sport was going to be so addictive.
“I reckon no other sport compares to the
adrenaline rush you get from speedway
sidecar racing. The best thing about sidecar
racing is that when you have a great ride
(where you, the bike and your passenger
are working as one), there is someone else
that has also shared that experience with
you. Therefore the beer at the end of the
day is so much more satisfying!”
Mike ‘Dinga’ Bell:
“I joined Navy in 1977 and completed
Cerberus, Watson and then my first sea
draft was the mighty warship Yarra. I
volunteered for and swung over to boats
in 1979 and off to England. I joined HMAS
Otama on my return and completed my
Part 3 training 1. After that it was off to
HMAS Onslow in 1984, HMAS Platypus
from end of 1987 – 1990. I was sidelined
for a while after a motorcycle accident then
on to HMAS Otway in Nov 1990, HMAS
Watson 1992 –1994 as a Chief Instructor,
back to HMAS Onslow 1994-1996 then
onto HMAS Dechaineux as Chief of the
Boat (COB) in 1997. After that it was COB
billets on HMAS Farcomb and finally on
HMAS Sheean, where I discharged in
Adelaide in July of 2000. That was the end
of 22.5 years in the Navy, with over 20 of
them spent in Submarines.
I commenced work as a Reservist pretty
well straight after discharge and did time
on HMAS Sheean, Rankin, Farncomb as
well as time at the Defence Force Recruiting
Centre in Adelaide. I have since returned
back to the sunny west and am here until
March 2013.
It would be hard to highlight any individual
posting or opportunity afforded to me
over the years, but things like the trip on
HMAS Onslow up to Canada for their big
Hoogs and Dinga onboard the beautiful
“Jenna” at Gillman Speedway SA 2011
NEWS
anniversary would have to rate as one of
the best trips. Spending just over 6 months
away with Fiji, Hawaii, San Diego, San
Francisco, Seattle, Nanaimo, Vancouver
and New Caledonia on the destination list
was pretty cool. Operationally, the best trip
would have to have been the Kangaroo
3 Exercise off Queensland, sitting in the
sound room of the submarine in just a pair
of shorts bathed in sweat 2 then having to
take your headsets off because the water
was insonified with cavitation. The Captain
raised the periscope and did a target set
up and just kept calling ‘bearing that’ 3
repeatedly and we just kept firing and
reloading grenades 4 as we passed directly
through the centre of the battle group.
Since drafting over to Perth in March it has
given me an opportunity to catch up with
a lot of good friends and to continue work
on my bucket list Since arriving I have been
four wheel driving, diving at Rottnest Island,
street drags on my bike at the Kwinana
Motoplex, swimming with the whale sharks
at Ningaloo, commenced my gliding course
at Beverly and racing speedway sidecars
over here at Newman and Karratha as a
FIFO 5 speedway swinger and now racing
local with Ricky Wright – how can you go
wrong with a bloke named that!”
1 Refers to your final training phase onboard a
submarine and awarded “Dolphins” badge on
successful completion.
2 With everyone closed up at action stations for
extended periods and no air conditioning running.
3 Captain takes a visual bearing of the target and this
is cut through to the fire control system for weapon
guidance.
4 Grenades are flare pyrotechnics which are fired from
the submarine to communicate to the surface that a
simulated weapon release has been initiated.
5 Fly In Fly Out
1
THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012