Commander Brian Aubrey Dutch
Brian Aubrey Dutch was born in Sydney in 1933. As a young man he spent three years as a Jackeroo at Dubbo and Hay NSW, before qualifying in wool classing at Gore Hill Technical College, Sydney. He then joined Grazcos Co-Operative Society as a wool classer/trainee manager, travelling through NSW, Victoria and Tasmania. While in Albury, NSW, he obtained a Private Pilot’s Licence on a Tiger Moth DH82.
It was from Albury that Brian was called up for National Service in the Army. Although not his first choice he found that he responded well within a disciplined Service and this sowed the seeds of thought that he might pursue his interest in flying in the navy which he joined as a recruit naval airman on in 5 September 1957.
Following initial entry training at HMAS Cerberus and HMAS Albatross, Brian was selected for pilot training which he subsequently undertook with the RAAF at Uranquinty NSW and Pearce WA on the Vampire 35. In June 1958 he was awarded his wings and confirmed in the rank Acting Sub Lieutenant with a Commission on the Supplementary List.
Returning to HMAS Albatross, Naval Air Station (NAS) Nowra, in early 1960 Brian joined 724 Squadron for conversion training to Sea Venom fighters which he soon mastered. He then flew with the 'Ramjets' formation aerobatics team which he found both rewarding and challenging.
On 15 June 1960, at the end of a night interception exercise, Sea Venom WZ927 crewed by Brian and his observer Lieutenant ED ‘Sandy’ Sandberg, RAN, experienced extreme turbulence during its final landing circuit at NAS Nowra. Brian takes up the story:
I was at 240 knots to join the landing circuit and commenced the turn for the downwind leg in a tightly banked turn to wash off speed before I could lower the undercarriage at 220 knots. This was the limiting speed for having the undercarriage down. I saw that my Observer, Sandy was stowing his navigation gear and I was satisfied that I was established in a level turn. When I selected the undercarriage down at 220 knots the aircraft rolled rapidly to port and slightly over the vertical so I had to apply full aileron to the right and then full right rudder to try to arrest the roll. The Sea Venom with its high twin tail boom and tail plane design did not roll directly around the longitudinal axis of the aircraft and it tended to “dish” or “barrel” in the rolling plane. By the time the aircraft was responding to my control movements and just as I had got it back to about 10 to 15 degrees of bank there was a violent crashing.
The windscreen went opaque and the aircraft was yawing violently so I applied full power to gain height. I realised that the radar dome was probably damaged and as the undercarriage lights were not showing locked, there was more than likely damage to the wheel system. The aircraft was juddering violently so I decided that it was therefore not possible to fly or land the aircraft safely. Photographs later showed that the aircraft had mowed the top off a tree! I am reminded of that aviator saying that; “Fuel Burned, runway behind you and height above you, are all useless.”
Our only option was to eject! I knew that I had to gain as much height as possible and applied full power in a steep climb as the Martin Baker Mark 4B ejection seat required 200 knots of forward speed and 200 feet of height above ground level to ensure the safe operation of the seat.
The canopy of the aircraft had a solid beam down its centre axis for strength so it was not possible to eject through it. As the ejection seats were sloped slightly towards one another it was necessary for the Observer to eject first. The procedure for ejection was that the Pilot gave the order “Eject, eject” and the Observer had to pull the canopy ejection handle to blast off the canopy.
I called, “Eject, Eject!” but there was no re-action from Sandy! It was obvious that we had also lost our inter communications system so I had to change hands on the controls so that I could eject the canopy with my right hand. This made Sandy realise that he would have to eject. I recall the widening of Sandy’s eyes as he realised he had to go and he immediately ejected. The Air speed was slowing rapidly in the climb. I stayed with the aircraft to just under 120knots and before the stalling speed, I ejected.
During my parachute descent I had heard Sandy shouting and felt that he might be injured. When I got to him he was trying to light a cigarette due to the wind and his reaction to the accident. He had seen my parachute drift and was shouting to warn me of the danger of the fire. We sat in the darkness and waited while a rescue helicopter approached. It was a notable flight by the Sycamore helicopter pilot as the Sycamore did not have the instrumentation for night hovering but the pilot managed to safely winch down Dr Tommy Thompson, an aviation specialist to check us out.
After a night in the Sick Bay for observation by the Doctors, Sandy and I were granted a week’s survivors leave. At the end of the week I re-joined the squadron to continue the workup and joined 805 Squadron for the embarkation in HMAS Melbourne.
The remains of Sea Venom WZ927 following the accident.
This was the first Sea Venom ejection in the RAN and both aviators were given membership of the 'Caterpillar Club' by the Irvin Parachute Company which equipped the Martin Baker ejection seat system with this vital component. The Martin Baker Company also made Brian and Sandy members of its exclusive Tie Club - reserved only for those whose lives had been saved by the Martin Baker ejection system. Brian Dutch was created member No.130.
In July 1960 the then Lieutenant Brian Dutch joined 805 Squadron for carrier work-ups embarking in HMAS Melbourne for a short cruise to New Zealand. In December that year he married Joyce in the Dockyard Church at Garden Island, before re-embarking in Melbourne on a long cruise in 1961 as part of Australia’s commitment to the Far East Strategic Reserve.
In July 1961, as a result of a Government decision to discontinue fixed wing flying, Brian was posted to 723 Squadron at Nowra for Sycamore Helicopter conversion training, and then on to 725 Squadron for conversion and operational training on the Wessex 31B helicopter.
In February 1963, 817 ASW Squadron was reformed operating Wessex helicopters and Brian embarked variously in HMAS Melbourne until July 1964 when he applied for, and was granted, a transfer back to 724 Squadron and a return to flying Sea Venoms.
Wessex Conversion Course 1963: Back Row, L-R: Leut RJ Mayger, Leut J Dempsey, Leut DJ Orr, Leut DJ McLean, Leut RM Lea, Leut AP Adams. Front Row, L-R: L Leut ES Bell, Leut AL Riley, Leut BA Dutch, LCDR NE Lee, Leut JA Reeve, Leut DN Rogers. Thursday 10 January 1963.
In November 1964 Brian was assigned to 816 Squadron, B Flight, and in May 1965 he embarked in Melbourne as part of a flight of four Sea Venoms assigned to bolster the escort for HMAS Sydney on her first voyage to South Vietnam. Under the auspices of Operation TRIMDON, Sydney carried 347 soldiers of the 1st Battalion Royal Australian Regiment Australian to Vung Tau escorted by HMA Ships Melbourne, Duchess, Parramatta and Vampire.
Brian remained with B Flight throughout 1965 and 1966 before being selected to undertake the Royal Navy Air Warfare Instructor Course at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth. The course covered air weapons theory, followed by flight training at 764 Squadron on the Hunter G9 fighter at RNAS Lossiemouth in Scotland. On completion Brian graduated as an Air Warfare Instructor before travelling to the US where he undertook A4 Skyhawk weapons familiarisation training at USNAS Lemoore, and Tracker weapons familiarisation at USNAS North Island, San Diego.
Returning to Australia, Lieutenant Dutch joined HMAS Albatross in late 1967 for conversion to the new A4 Skyhawk fighter-bomber after which he performed the dual role of Station Air Warfare Instructor (AWI) while also performing flying duties with VC724 Squadron assisting in the curriculum and training for the first Skyhawk course.
Lieutenant Dutch being strapped into an A4 Skyhawk fighter bomber. The iconic Douglas Skyhawk flying suit patch can be seen on his right shoulder.
Promoted Lieutenant Commander on 18 May 1969, Brian’s next posting saw him return to sea in 1970 as a member of the new destroyer escort HMAS Torrens (II)’s commissioning crew. This proved to be a busy, challenging and enjoyable time for Brian during which Torrens undertook sea acceptance trials before commissioning. During his time in Torrens, Brian was awarded his Bridge Watchkeeping and Ocean Navigation certificates before returning to VC724 Squadron in January 1971. After training potential A4 Skyhawk pilots in VC724 he was appointed to VF805 Squadron as the Senior Pilot embarking in Melbourne as required.
Brian during his time as senior pilot in VF805 Squadron.
Following his time in VF805 Squadron Brian rejoined VC724 Squadron at Nowra as its Commanding Officer in July 1972. During his flying career embarked in HMAS Melbourne Brian Dutch carried out an impressive 508 arrested fixed-wing landings and an approximate 240 helicopter landings.
Brian Dutch briefing members of the Womens Royal Australian Naval Service before a familiarisation flight.
In July 1974 Brian was selected for promotion to commander and posted to the staff of the Director General, Naval Manpower in Navy Office until January 1975 when he served as the Commanding Officer of HMAS Harman, a Communications Base situated in Canberra.
Commander Dutch served as Commanding Officer HMAS Harman in 1975.
His next posting in July 1975 was to the Joint Services Staff College, followed in 1976 by a posting to the UK as a member of the Directing Staff at the Royal Naval Staff College at Greenwich, London where he remained until December 1977. On his return to Australia in January 1978 he was appointed the Executive Officer of the guided missile destroyer HMAS Perth (II).
Returning to aviation in January 1979, Brian served as the Commander Air at NAS Nowra, before being appointed as the Fleet Aviation Officer on the staff of the Fleet Commander in 1980.
Aviators on the flight line, NAS Nowra. L-R: Clive Blennerhasset, Eddie Bell, Brian Dutch, Ron McKenzie, Mike Nordeen (USN).
Commander Brian Dutch’s final posting was in 1981 as the Naval Officer Commanding South Australia (NOCSA). In 1982 he lost his wife Joyce to cancer and resigned his commission to care for his four boys, settling in South Australia.
Brian was then offered the position of Registrar of the Collegiate School of St Peter where he served for three years, marrying Susan in 1984. He then became the Executive Director of the Association of the Private Coach and Bus Operators of South Australia for three years. During this time he became President of the Naval, Military and Air Force Club of South Australia from 1989 to 1991.
The next three years were spent as the Services Member of the Veterans Review Board prior to his final retirement in 1994. Brian and Susan then shared many adventures, including seven years living in their yacht L’Oiseau, based in Queensland. In 2015 they returned to Adelaide, South Australia.
A fighter pilot at heart, Commander Dutch was another of the RAN’s aviators who made a significant contribution to the RAN at a time when naval aviation was at the forefront of Australia’s defence policy.
