CMDR Kenneth Malcolm BARNETT OAM M.I.D. RAN (Rtd) 10 April 1929 to 18 January 2019.

The FAAAA regrets to advise that long time NOC and FAAA member Ken Barnett passed away on Friday 18 January 2019 at the Nareen Gardens Nursing Home, Bateau Bay at the age of 89.

Ken Barnett attended the RAN College in HMAS Cerberus from 1943 to 1946.  After courses in UK, he was posted to HMAS Warramunga in 1950/51. Whilst the ship was in Korean waters, and Ken was seconded as a Liaison Officer, he was awarded a ‘Mentioned In Dispatches’ for taking charge of damage control measures and saving the ROK ship Apnok from sinking following an attack by North Korean aircraft. Ken commenced flying training at Point Cook in 1951, earned his ‘wings’ in 1952, and undertook Operational Flying School training in UK.  He subsequently served in 723,724,725 851 and 816 Squadrons.  He was posted as Senior Pilot, and later as Commanding Officer (1961), of 816 Squadron.  He was also posted CO 725 Squadron in 1959.  His aviation career was ‘crowned’ by postings as both CMDR (Air) Albatross(1965/66) and, later, Melbourne. His Navy postings included several years as a Term Officer at the RAN College (1954/55).He was posted as First Lieutenant of HMAS Barcoo (on commissioning in 1959),  and he attended the RN Staff Course at Greenwich in 1964. In 1968 he was posted as Staff Officer (Air) to ANRUK in London. Ken earned the OAM for service to the veteran Community after his retirement from the RAN.  He was included in DVA-sponsored group visits to the WWI Western Front in France (100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice) and to South Korea for the 60th Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice.

Ken’s funeral service was held on Thursday 31 January at 11.30 in the old St Mary’s Anglican Church, 3 Mann Street Gosford.

John DaCosta