Submarines
Association
Australia
Vale
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In Memory ofVALE – COMMANDER DONALD FREDERICK WEBB RAN (RTD) May He Rest In PeaceThe Submarines Association of Australia is saddened to advise of the passing of former member Don Webb on Saturday, 12 September 2026. Don was born in Maleny, Queensland, in February 1948, and he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in January 1965 from Toowoomba, Queensland, as a Naval Artificer Apprentice. He trained at HMAS Nirimba, and in June 1965 he was rated a Systems Artificer Apprentice. Don clearly showed potential: at Nirimba he completed his Leaving Certificate, and in December 1965 he was selected as an Officer Candidate (Topman) and posted to HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia to undertake Matriculation Studies. He was successful, and on 22 January 1967 he was promoted to Cadet Midshipman and posted to the Royal Australian Naval College – HMAS Creswell. He performed well at Creswell and was awarded four months' "time gained." On 1 September 1969 he was promoted to Midshipman. While under training at Creswell, Don was posted to the fast troop transport HMAS Sydney in November 1969, deploying to Vietnam with elements of the 9th Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). He returned to Sydney in March 1970 for a second Vietnam deployment, this time with elements of 7 RAR, returning with elements of 5 RAR. The two deployments would later be recognised by the award of the Vietnam Logistics Service Medal and the Returned from Active Service Badge to Don. He was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant on 1 December 1970, and on graduating from Creswell he posted to the United Kingdom for his Sub-Lieutenant Courses. He returned to Australia in September 1971 to join the Destroyer Escort HMAS Stuart, under training for his Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate. He served on Stuart for 14 months before serving for six months in the Mine Sweepers HMAS Ibis and HMAS Teal. It was during this period that Don volunteered for submarines. Don was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 July 1973, and the following month was posted to the UK to undertake submarine training at HMS Dolphin in Gosport, Hampshire. He returned to Australia in October to join HMAS Onslow, additional, to qualify as a submariner. On qualifying and being awarded his Dolphins, he was posted to HMAS Otway in January 1974 as her Torpedo Officer. He served at sea as a junior submarine warfare officer until July 1975, when he was posted to Navy Office on the staff of the Director of Submarine Policy. In 1977, Don was posted to the United Kingdom to stand by HMAS Otama in build at Scott Lithgow Shipyard in Scotland. Otama was the last of the 35 Porpoise and Oberon Class submarines to be constructed in the UK, of which 13 were built at Scotts. The Scotts' dockyard workers, knowing that their era of constructing submarines was at an end, made a great effort to ensure that she was the best submarine they constructed. Don was Otama's inaugural Sonar Officer (Operations Officer), and he carried an immense workload planning and executing the submarine's pre-commissioning Sea Trials under the Red Ensign starting in January 1978, through her Safety and Operational Workups in April–July, and then her voyage home through Halifax, Nova Scotia, the Panama Canal and San Diego. In San Diego the submarine conducted trials which proved to be essential in the integration of the Harpoon missile into the RAN's inventory. Don was an extremely well-respected member of Otama's crew, and he would occasionally be found in the submarine's motor room discussing his first love – electrics – with the watchkeepers. The experience gained during his Otama posting put him in good stead for his next posting – Executive Officer of Onslow for two years. He served under Geoff Anderson in this posting, who at the end of the posting recommended that Don undertake the Submarine Commanding Officer's Qualifying Course – known as "Perisher." Perisher is the final hurdle that any submarine warfare officer must clear before assuming command of a submarine. Don successfully completed Perisher in 1981, with the sea phase conducted onboard HMS Ocelot in Scottish waters. He returned to Australia to assume command of HMAS Oxley, which only the year before had completed the Submarine Weapons Update Program – and at the time was Australia's most capable submarine. This posting was followed by an exchange posting with the Canadian Forces in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1983–1985, which included a posting in command of HMCS Okanagan. On his return to Australia, Don was posted to the Submarine Warfare Systems Centre at HMAS Watson, initially as the Deputy Director and later, on promotion to Commander, as the Director. In March 1987 he was posted to the Destroyer Maintenance Ship HMAS Stalwart as her Executive Officer. On leaving Stalwart in 1989, Don returned to submarines, serving for brief periods on Otama and Onslow before discharging from the RAN on 2 April 1990 after 25 years of service. After leaving the Navy, Don worked as a consultant at SMA with Bob Carter and then Raytheon on the Collins Class Submarine program. He joined the Submarines Association of Australia in 1992. Don obtained his twin engine aircraft licence and later moved to Western Australia to manage SMA training at the new submarine school at HMAS Stirling. His love of caravanning eventually led to his retirement from the workforce and permanent move to Canberra. He joined the Submarines Association of Australia in 1992. For his service to the RAN Don was awarded: In late August 2026 Don fell and suffered a head injury which he did not recover from. He passed away on Saturday the 12th of September. The funeral of Commander Donald Frederick Webb RAN (Rtd) will be held at Tobin Brothers Chapel at 75 Canberra Ave, Kingston, ACT at 1000hrs on Monday 21 September 2026. The SAA extends its heartfelt condolences to his children Kate, Stuart and Harvey, and grandchildren Tom, Ruby, Audrey, Theodore and Sigrid, his wider family and friends. .jpg)
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