Lieutenant Commander Frederick Thomas Lane

Frederick Thomas Lane, born 4 November 1929 in Glenhuntly, Victoria, grew up in his father’s grocers shop and left Melbourne Boys High School with an Intermediate Certificate in 1944. He trained as a refrigeration mechanic before responding to an advertisement seeking RAN non-commissioned pilot recruits. According to Recruiting Office data, he was one of only two Victorians selected from more than 1000 applicants. Signing up for 12 years, he became one of the ten new entries and four RAN serving personnel that comprised the RAN’s Number One Naval Airman Pilots Course, HMAS Cerberus, in December 1947.

Bussed to RAAF Point Cook in March 1948, the 14 sailors joined 42 fellow Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) students in Number One Course, Number One Flying Training School (FTS). The Commanding Officer expressed surprise when the RAN group arrived on his doorstep. He was expecting only 40 RAAF students. The course was demanding and had a high failure rate. Flying Tiger Moths, then Wirraways, only 24 RAAF and eight RAN students graduated in July 1949.

Fred later spoke of his time flying a Tiger Moth:

The Tiger Moth biplane was one of the most genteel aircraft in the world. Fully aerobatic, including spins, it belonged to the ‘so slow it could hardly kill you’ family. Sometimes a little tricky to start, a couple of bangs with a hide hammer or handy rock might coax a recalcitrant magneto to play nice. Little known, we found that once airborne, if a forearm was carefully snaked out each side of the open cockpit, palm forward and gently manipulated, the aircraft could be flown, nose up and down and bank left and right without touching the stick.

Number 1 Course Naval Airman Pilots 1948. Rear row, from left: Mervyn ‘Mick’ Streeter, Henry Hurley, Bill Sweeting, Colin van der Lelie, Fred Lane, Colin Champ, Noel Creevey, John Roland. Front row: Dick Sinclair, John Herrick, Garth Eldering, LEUT Maurice ‘Paddles’ Henley (SNO), Ian Webster, Ian Macdonald, John Horwood. (Lane Collection)

Upon graduation from FTS the Naval Airmen Pilots wore a “Provisional Flying Badge” on their left sleeve and were promoted to Leading Seaman-equivalent Pilots Fourth Class (P4). One sailor elected discharge after missing selection to the UK-based Operational Flying School (OFS) with the rest of his course.

An informal forecast near FTS graduation time warned of an unexpected highly successful Royal Navy (RN) Flying Training School course at RAF Syerston. Those RN students would compete directly with the Australians for limited OFS berths. Just to stay on course, the Australians would not only have to cope with never-before-seen snow-covered airfields and other unfamiliar weather, but also out-fly the Syerston graduates. Senior RN aircrew officers in Navy Office confidently forecast a high failure rate among the Australians.

In November 1949 the surviving seven Australians travelled to the UK in RMS Otranto to join RN Number 13 Course Operational Flying School (OFS). Once again, command expressed surprise at their sudden appearance. In 1948-49 OFS students flew Seafires or Fireflies from supporting Squadrons 766 at Royal Navy Air Station (RNAS) Lossiemouth, Scotland, and 736 at RNAS Eglinton, Northern Ireland. They qualified in Deck Landings aboard the carrier HMS Illustrious.

There was the predicted high failure rate, but not among RAN pilots. Not only did all the Australians pass, but they accounted for seven of the top eight placed graduates. 

Number 1 Course Pilots Fourth Class 1949. Rear row, from left: Dick Sinclair, Fred Lane, Ian Macdonald, Colin Champ. Front: John Roland, Mick Streeter, Ian Webster. (Lane Collection)

Fred said of his time training in a Seafire:

Flying the Supermarine Seafire was a delight. This Spitfire derivative retained all the easy handling characteristics of its forerunners. With tailhook, folding wings, catapult spools and modified undercarriage, it served well as a carrier-borne fighter.  The Seafire flap control was pneumatic. Just fully up or fully down. What about take-off flaps on the carrier? Simple. Select flaps down, hold an expendable wooden peg half way along each flap and select flaps up. Voilà, take-off flap. After launch, flaps down to jettison the pegs, then flaps up, ready to fight.

The Seafire’s undercarriage remained a bit like the Spitfire, narrow-gutted and toey, contributing to spectacular bounces. Dick Sinclair, one of the Australian P4s, bounced high on Illustrious. Following the brief, he bore-sighted the barrier, only to touch down a little too early, bounce again and Grand-National both barriers. Flopping down just aft of the forward lift, he braked to a halt with a still-turning propeller well over the flight deck’s forward deck edge and both main wheels kissing the deck-edge chocks. This was the only time in history that a Seafire is known to have deck-landed damage-free, without catching a wire or barrier.

Following carrier qualification aboard Illustrious in March 1950, the new RAN pilots were awarded their ‘Flying Badge’ and all automatically advanced to Petty Officer-equivalent Pilot Third Class (P3). Returning to Australia in RMS Orcades it was their turn to be surprised. Instead of proceeding on leave, they were taken to an Officers Selection Board in Navy Office, Melbourne. Sent directly to the Government Tailor for uniform measurement, they joined HMAS Cerberus the next day, 3 September 1950.

Fred Lane had a strong affinity for the Supermarine Seafire (left), qualifying in Deck Landings while serving in the Royal Navy carrier HMS Illustrious (right).

Promoted to Sub Lieutenant, the seven new officers completed a Short Service Officers Course and once more surprised their superiors with their sudden appearance in HMAS Albatross on 3 December 1950.

Fred recalled the welcome they received:

Where the hell have you been? We knew you were coming, but no one knew when. How many Sea Fury deck landings do you have? What, zero? Well, how many Sea Fury hours do you have? What, zero? Well, forget Christmas leave.

Fred joined 805 Squadron, completed a rushed conversion to Sea Furies and embarked in HMAS Sydney (III) with the 20th Carrier Air Group (CAG) in early February 1951. 

Fred described the Sea Fury as follows:

The Sea Fury was a highly popular aircraft. Performance-wise it could eat a Seafire, in any dimension. It had no aileron trim. The excellent spring tabs maintained zero lateral trim feel in all conditions, even with asymmetric loads. It was faster than its Korean contemporary, the Douglas AD Skyraider ‘Spad’, but the Sea Fury had nowhere near the range, munitions-carrying tonnage or versatility of the American. Even so, carrying a typical Korean War load, eight three-inch rocket projectiles with 60-pound heads and four 20mm Hispano cannons, the Sea Fury remained very useful in the armed reconnaissance and strike roles. Later on, modified versions became favourites with the high-speed pylon racers.

After that first cruise Fred commenced workup exercises in preparation for deployment to the Korean War. All aircrew learned new international standardised procedures for skills such as naval gunfire support (NGS) and artillery spotting. Range work intensified, especially with live ammunition, and flying sorties involved battle formation drills, bouncing targets or being bounced, and operational low flying.

Under the command of Captain David Harries, RAN, Sydney departed Australia for Japan, escorted by HMAS Tobruk on 31 August 1951. It was an historic occasion, the first time that any Dominion aircraft carrier had deployed to a warzone. Squadrons embarked at the time were numbers 805 (Sea Furies), 808 (Sea Furies) and 817 (Fireflies). In addition, the United States Navy had loaned Sydney a helicopter and crew members for the purpose of search and rescue.

Fred Lane piloted Sea Furies on board HMAS Sydney (III) while serving in Korea. Sydney created a light fleet carrier record by flying 89 sorties on 11 October 1951.

Sydney’s first operational patrol in Korean waters commenced on 4 October off the west coast of the Korean peninsula, but the carrier transferred to the east coast four days later to participate in a simulated invasion south of Wonsan. The ruse was to prove highly successful. 

Fred takes up story:

Drawing down the best part of a North Korean Infantry Division, this made easy fodder for Sydney’s aircraft in a strike role and the NGS spotters who were controlling the battleship [USS] New Jersey and other bombarding ships.

Replenishing in Sasebo after that action, Captain Harries received a Typhoon Ruth warning. He slipped the mooring buoy and sped out of the densely packed harbour. This was well justified. Returning to Sasebo after the typhoon, there was a big USN troopship sitting on the beach. She had dragged her moorings and anchors right through our anchorage. At sea, although the ship’s recorder anemometer broke when it exceeded its 68 knots limit, other gusts were estimated at more than 120 knots. One caught me when I was tied to five other sub-lieutenants patrolling the aircraft deck park during a Middle Watch. Standing on a Sea Fury wing, resetting a loose cockpit cover, a gust picked me up and dumped me onto the flight deck. At the time, Sydney was pointed into wind, with engine revolutions for 10 knots, but making good only one knot over the ground. This same typhoon killed 500 people ashore.

Typhoon Ruth caused severe damage to several aircraft embarked in HMAS Sydney. One Sea Fury, a fork lift and a motorboat were lost overboard. Korea 1951.

On 5 November 1951 Fred had the unnerving experience of seeing his Division Leader and Squadron Senior Pilot, Lieutenant Keith Clarkson, DFM, RAN, shot down 100 metres ahead, by a clever flak trap. Circling 2000 feet above his leader’s wreckage, Fred’s aircraft was hit by a 20mm round that cut his elevator trimmer cables and very nearly destroyed his rudder control bar. He lost his fellow OFS graduate and best friend, Sub Lieutenant Dick Sinclair, a month later.

 Fred later recalled:

Dick was killed striking the empennage as he attempted a low-level bale out from a burning Sea Fury. The third 805 Squadron casualty, 2 January 1952, was Sub Lieutenant Ron Coleman; a sorely missed, thoroughly kind and gentle man, who just disappeared without trace over the Yellow Sea in inclement weather during one of the last Combat Air Patrol sorties.

Fred married in mid-1952 and returned from his honeymoon just in time to help organise a trans-continental flight of eight Sea Furies from Nowra to Perth in October. Later that month he was one of four pilots who landed their Sea Furies aboard Sydney while the carrier was at anchor off Fremantle.

With Sydney steaming eastwards, and planning to fly off to Nowra in due course, Fred received instructions in the middle of the Great Australian Bight to make ready to disembark in Melbourne, rush to Sydney and embark in RMS Strathmore to join the next Landing Signals Officer (LSO) course in the UK. Frantic telephone calls and some welcome Movements Office expertise arranged a very short notice passage for his newly-wed wife. 

Fred later recalled of the LSO course:

In RNAS Stretton, four students comprised the first course to adopt the LSO label. The instructors were two legends of the trade, Bill Hawley and Jeff Higgs. Mid-winter RNAS Stretton lent new meaning to program flexibility. Most days, including weekends, were spent on standby to standby to maybe fly. Students ‘clockwork moussed’ each other. At one stage, we were flying blind through a stationary mild snowstorm on the downwind leg, 300 feet AGL [above ground level] with no visible horizon, just random glimpses of the ground below. The brief? “When you see a farmhouse with a red roof and square tower you are at the 180, turn left, pop out of the snowstorm and pick up the batsman by the 90.” The students completed the course, accident free and on time, aboard HMS Triumph.

A humorous certificate issued to Lieutenant Lane during his time at Royal Navy Air Station Stretton.

Returning to Australia in mid-1953, Fred spent some time as an LSO before being appointed Senior Pilot of 817 Squadron (Fireflies) in HMAS Vengeance in September 1954. He quickly learned about anti-submarine warfare, including, in his words, “how not to lay the new directional sonobouy.” In 1955 he joined Number 13 Flying Instructors Course at RAAF East Sale, graduating as a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI C Grade) and served at RAAF Point Cook as Senior Naval Officer (SNO) flying Wirraways. Later he became SNO RAAF Pearce, flying Vampire Trainers, where he upgraded to the QFI A1 category, the first RAN pilot to achieve that distinction through the RAAF system. Other appointments included Instrument Rating Examiner flying the Mark 4 Firefly Trainer, Senior Pilot 808 and 805 Squadrons and twice Commanding Officer of 805 Squadron (Sea Venoms then Skyhawks). He is one of the few, and possibly the only person to serve as an embarked squadron pilot in all three of the RAN carriers Sydney, Vengeance and Melbourne, and fly, in turn, all three RAN fighters, Sea Fury, Sea Venom and Skyhawk, from one or other of those respective ships.

Fred later recalled the A4 Skyhawk:

The Douglas A4G Skyhawk, yet another highly regarded pilot-friendly aircraft, was as versatile as the Sea Fury and Sea Venom were not. The RAN purchased Skyhawks primarily as a Mach 1 fighter, uniquely modified to carry four AIM-9 Sidewinders. Designed originally as a nuclear bomber, the ubiquitous Skyhawk was used in Vietnam not only as a carrier-borne strike aircraft [by the USN], but also by the USMC ashore. Operating from a very short runway, such as the one at Chu Lai, demanded routine RATOG [Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear] launches and wire-arrested landings. RAN Skyhawks also had buddy-stores that enabled air-to-air refuelling and extended range flying. With aerial refuelling, Skyhawks could lift armament loads the near-equivalent of a Sea Fury, plus its maximum war load, and deliver that total tonnage faster, further and more accurately.

Fred Lane achieved the rare distinction of piloting all three RAN fighters, Sea Fury, Sea Venom and Skyhawk as an embarked squadron pilot.

Fred assumed command of 805 Squadron for the second time in January 1969 and embarked in HMAS Melbourne the following April. That May, Melbourne, with her new CAG made up of 805, 816 and 817 Squadrons (flying Trackers and Westland Wessex Mk31B helicopters respectively), departed Australia for the SEA SPRITE SEATO exercises in South East Asia. On 2 June 1969, 805 Squadron's Skyhawks successfully executed an attack on an ‘enemy’ Surface Action Group which had been spotted by an 816 Squadron Tracker. This marked the first time that RAN Skyhawks and Trackers successfully combined in exercises displaying the effectiveness of the RAN's aviation capabilities.

Fred took part in the exercise:

I commanded 805 Squadron for the first RAN Skyhawks cruise. During one important exercise, a searching S-2 Tracker located a Surface Action Group (SAG) well after sunset. After a brief sighting report the Tracker held ten miles clear and went radio silent except for TACAN [Tactical Air Navigation]. All the Skyhawks launched from Melbourne, with me carrying flares. Making a radio silent, low-level approach using intermittent air-to-air TACAN, I homed onto the Tracker, navigated to the target, then lit it up with flares and enjoyed watching the rest of the squadron ‘kill the SAG’.

Tragedy struck soon afterwards, however, as Fred recalls:

All aircraft returned safely but, later that night, USS Frank E Evans ran under Melbourne’s bow. This was despite precautions that included an immediate ‘Cancel Exercise’ should any ship approach Melbourne on the bow within 3000 yards. As Evans closed at a relative speed of 40 to 50 knots, Melbourne set all navigation and other lights to bright, made plain language radio and siren warnings and turned away ten degrees. A last-second Evans full starboard rudder order sealed her fate. Making the same turn ten seconds earlier would have meant a dangerous but possible damage-free passing ahead. Ten seconds later there was a good chance she would pass astern. Starting the same turn five seconds later almost certainly would have taken both ships to the bottom. Nobody was hurt aboard Melbourne. Contrary to some popular opinion, Melbourne was a very lucky ship.

The American destroyer lost 74 lives. Melbourne made for Singapore for temporary repairs before departing for Australia and a new bow section. The CAG remained operational in spite of the extensive damage.

After acting as HMAS Sydney’s First Lieutenant bringing troops back from Vietnam, then helping her decommission, Fred retired in his early forties at the rank of Lieutenant Commander to “get an education”, encouraged by new wife Geraldine who had retired as a highly respected Time-Life reporter.

Awarded an ‘Advanced Age’ scholarship to undertake a bachelor’s degree at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), followed by another scholarship to the Number One course of the new UNSW Australian Graduate School of Management. He completed the first semester of his MBA but found he had won yet another scholarship, this time for a Masters and PhD at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA, in Clinical Psychology.

Fred found clinical psychology research fascinating. His first challenge, for his MA thesis, was with moderate to severe agoraphobia clients. Exposing them to anxiety-producing stimuli was considered routine until Fred demonstrated that humane interventions, such as successive approximations, with small groups (10 to 12) worked just as well, if not better.

During a 12 month internship in the UK, Fred worked with some of the best cognitive-behavioural specialists in the world treating, amongst other things, severe and well-ingrained obsessive-compulsive behaviour in the psychiatric ward of Middlesex Hospital, London. Back in the USA he used his teaching skills and a number of psychological interventions to administer a successful severe chronic pain group treatment programme in the Stony Brook University Hospital.

His year-long PhD dissertation experiments in the New York University Hospital used similar small groups of elderly outpatient clients in overlapping ten-week courses. According to independent tests, for the first time in history, he reliably halted the decline and even improved mild to moderate dementia-related memory impairments against concomitant control groups.

Fred’s studies were interspersed with adventures such as watching the wing-keeled Australia II sail to victory in the 1983 America’s Cup. Wife Geraldine, back working for Time-Life, was a sports journalist but had limited yacht racing experience. Aboard American Eagle, then outfitted as a luxury yacht, Fred was alongside to help with some of the finer points, like deciphering nautical lingo, and ‘Australianise’ a Time headline (‘Fanbloodytastic’).

Left: Fred Lane enjoyed success as an academic following his retirement from the RAN and a 'changing of hats' Right: American Eagle US-21 a famous 12 metre yacht built for the 1964 America’s Cup Challenge, was one of the last prominent 12 metre boats built with a wooden (mahogany) hull. Winning races and setting records all over the world, she beat gales, frustrating calms and 71 other starters for both Handicap and Line Honours in the 1972 Sydney-Hobart Yacht race.

Back in Australia in 1984, one of Fred’s first tasks was to set up and run a ten-year, premier, longitudinal psychological survey of community-dwelling elderly people, with particular attention to memory impairment, dementia and depression. Simultaneously, he successfully applied Reality Orientation with elderly, mentally impaired males in the North Ryde Mental Hospital and used a similar program while setting up and running the Wolper Elderly Daycare Centre.

On the side, Fred also edited a number of quarterly publications including Printscreen for the Sydney PC Users Group, the Fleet Air Arm Association Museum’s newsletter and, for ten years while Secretary, the newsletter of the Naval Officers’ Club.

Retired yet again, Fred spends as much time as possible on the water whale watching outside Sydney Heads, or social sailing as wind or whim incline, in a friend’s spotless 48ft Beneteau yacht.