Submarines
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Paul Meakin was born in Surrey in the United Kingdom on 23 November 1942, during the dark days of the Second World War. As a youth he enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordnance Artificer (O/N DO50113D) at HMS Fishguard, followed by training at HMS Collingwood. He volunteered for submarines in the mid-1960s, joining the submarine service in 1966 and serving in the Porpoise-class submarine HMS Walrus before commissioning the Polaris ballistic missile submarine HMS Repulse (Starboard Crew), where he served from 1968 to 1971. He concluded his Royal Navy career as an Acting Chief Ordnance Electrical Artificer.
In early 1971, Paul transferred to the Royal Australian Navy as a Chief Petty Officer Electronic Technician Weapons (R111264). As the ETW rating did not exist within the Oberon Scheme of Complement—although some ETWs did fill ETP billets—he was posted to HMAS Cerberus in a shore-based surface ship ETW position. While at Cerberus, Paul persuaded more than a few electronic technicians under training to volunteer for submarine service.
Undaunted by not serving in submarines at that stage, Paul successfully applied to become a Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer (WEEO). On 6 October 1974, he was commissioned as a Special Duties Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. He undertook Special Duties officer training in Australia and the United Kingdom, followed by Submarine Officer training at HMS Dolphin.
On his return to Australia, Paul joined HMAS Oxley on 8 January 1976 to qualify at sea as a submariner, after which he was posted to HMAS Otway as the submarine’s WEEO.
In late 1979, Paul returned to the United Kingdom to become the Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer of HMAS Orion for her delivery voyage from the UK to Australia. He left the submarine upon her arrival in Australia, returning to the UK for training as a Submarine Trials Officer.
Trials and the introduction of equipment into service quickly became Paul’s forte. His contribution to the RAN was immense, and it remains a travesty that his efforts were never recognised with an Australian Honour. His pivotal role in the introduction of the Mark 48 torpedo and the Harpoon missile is perhaps best captured in the following account from his good friend and fellow WEEO, Peter Durrant, and Ted Curr.
What emerges from both Ted’s recollections and my own is a picture of Paul at a very particular moment in our naval history—a moment when the Royal Australian Navy was stretching itself, technically and professionally, to achieve things that had never been done before. Paul arrived in that environment as one of the so-called “RN retreads”—a term used half in jest, but in truth a mark of deep respect for the experience and professionalism that former Royal Navy submariners like Paul brought with them. It was a time when Australia and the UK shared the Oberon-class submarines, and that common heritage meant men like Paul could step straight into the most demanding parts of our service—and thrive.
Paul was a Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer, and in the mid-1980s, as a Lieutenant Commander, he found himself at the centre of one of the most challenging and important transitions the RAN submarine arm had ever undertaken. As the Encapsulated Harpoon Trials Officer, he led the work to integrate a completely new capability—the Harpoon anti-ship missile—into a conventionally powered submarine. This was not a straightforward upgrade; it was, in many respects, a leap into unknown territory. The Oberon's torpedo systems were rooted in much older design philosophies, very different from the systems the Americans had developed, and making them compatible with a modern missile required ingenuity, persistence, and a willingness to keep going when things didn’t quite align.
Paul led a small team of experienced sailors, many of them seasoned Chief Petty Officers, and together they put in countless hours—days and nights aboard HMAS Ovens, running trials, firing water shots alongside HMAS Platypus, and then progressing to live trials both at sea and, remarkably, within Sydney Harbour itself. It was painstaking, technical work, but also deeply practical—testing, adjusting, learning, and trying again. That effort ultimately culminated in successful missile firings in Hawaii, placing the RAN at the forefront of submarine-launched missile capability for non-nuclear navies.
But that achievement did not stand in isolation. As Ted Curr recalled, Paul’s contribution spanned a broader period of transformation during the Submarine Weapons Update Programme. He was part of the cohort that travelled to Bremen to work with the latest sonar systems, alongside a group of names many of us here will recognise. These were formative years—years in which the RAN developed not just new systems, but new confidence. From the early evaluation of advanced sonar, to HMAS Oxley's Mark 48 proficiency trials in 1981, through to the world-first submerged launch of the Harpoon missile by Ovens off Hawaii in 1985, and later the live firing of a Mark 48 torpedo that sank the ex-HMAS Colac off Sydney—Paul was there, contributing in a substantial and enduring way to each phase.
And yet, for all of that technical achievement, those who knew Paul don’t first remember the systems or the milestones—we remember the man. To his mates, he was “Grogbottle”—a nickname whose origins seem to have faded into naval folklore, but which somehow suited him perfectly. He was always ready for a conversation, always with a story to tell, more than capable of “swinging the lantern” and bringing a moment—whether at sea or ashore—back to life with humour and insight.
So, when we look back on Paul’s time with us, we see both sides clearly. We see an officer who stood at the leading edge of some of the most significant technical advances in our submarine service, helping to make the RAN a global pioneer. And alongside that, we see a shipmate—someone approachable, generous with his time, and deeply woven into the fabric of those he served with. That combination of professional excellence and personal warmth is what endures, and it is why Paul is remembered with such respect and affection today.
Paul’s contribution to the RAN did not end with the Oberon era. He was instrumental in the safe introduction of the Collins-class submarine into service, where his years of experience proved invaluable. I enjoyed more than a few glasses of wine with Paul in airport lounges on many a trip to or from Canberra, Perth or Adelaide over the Collins years.
In retirement, Paul lived in Western Australia, and he was a long serving member of both the Submarines Association of Australia and its Royal Navy counterpart, the RN Submariners Association (Australia)
Paul passed away on 20 June following complications from a twisted bowel. He was predeceased by his wife, Enid.
My sincere thanks to Peter Durrant, Ted Curr, Peter O’Donohue, Ian MacKenzie, and Barry Grace for their input into this obituary.
Paul’s funeral will be held on Thursday the 9 th of July at 1430 at Leanne O’Deas’ Funeral Home 460 Pinjarra Road, Greenfields WA. Details of live streaming will be advised if it is available.
The SAA extends its sincere condolences to Paul’s family and friends.