It was the 72nd Anniversary of the Army Duc disaster in Newcastle, NSW, at Stockton Beach on March 8th.
It was one of the most peacetime military tragedies to hit Newcastle since World War II. It was in the early morning hours of March 8th, 1954, when 20 amphibious vehicles, which included army tanks that were also viable on land, "embarked on the 15th Northern Rivers Lancers Annual camp."(quote)
They left Newcastle's Army camp in the early hours and boarded amphibious vehicles to head 30 kilometres away (almost 19 miles) to head for Morna Point, where they intended to stay for up to one week for a military exercise.
The night was very calm, and they headed out around 2.00am, but as they crossed the Stockton Bight, the weather turned disastrous, stormy, and dark, and the seas were gigantic, and the waves crashed.
By the time they were well past Nobby's Headland, the waves were huge, and they could not turn the Army Duc's around; many of the Army Duc's engines failed and quickly started to sink.
Many of the young soldiers and CMF trainees were thrown into the water, where they immediately all came into a circle as best they could, considering the huge waves crashing into their bodies. They were also dressed in all their army gear, including backpacks, boots, and coats.
As they were thrown into the enormous seas, the huge waves sank at least eight of the vehicles, and unfortunately, three young soldiers were killed.
The whole thing was pretty disastrous, and one soldier, Terry Sargent, was saved and was quoted as saying, "Everyone was frightened, there were definitely sharks in the water, we saw them, and it was a notorious part of Newcastle's Stockton beach anyway, especially this part of the ocean. The shark was nearly swimming alongside us.
Many already aboard the Army Duc's were incredibly seasick and very frightened, including myself."
Major Jack Wachsmann said, "There were reports of waves up to 6 meters (almost 20 feet) high hitting the tanks and the Army Ducs, and it was local surf lifesavers who ultimately came to the rescue. It was totally dark in the early hours, and the Stockton Lifesaving Club was roused out of their beds and ran straight into the surf to help."
Just recently, we have been blessed to hear these events from those involved. It was pretty emotional listening to the men who were actually there, especially after 72 years. These men were quite emotional. Their recollections of that terrible night were like they had just happened.
That probably would be one of the scariest and heroic things to happen, especially in good old Newcastle.
In the Bible, in Mark 4: 35-41 the story relates to a time when Jesus and his disciples decided to cross the Sea of Galilee, all was good.
Like above, all was going well until the clouds quickly appeared. A fierce storm suddenly broke over the land and sea, and the waves were gigantic, swamping the boat and sending it headlong into the depths, and also riding the huge waves which were breaking constantly over them all.
The disciples were terrified. They were completely awash; they could really feel the boat was swamped. They were trying desperately to keep the boat afloat. Where was Jesus in all of this?
He was in the stern of the boat, asleep on a cushion. The disciples woke him and shouted through the storm, "Teacher, don't you care if we all drown?"
Jesus got up and immediately rebuked the wind and the rain and said, "Quiet! Be still." Immediately, it all became calm. The lesson from Jesus is pretty obvious here. He has power over all the storms we have in life. He is right beside us when we go through trauma. He loves us, and He saves us from and wants us to trust him more than we do.
Trauma is a terrible thing, and I can only imagine what those men and their families went through all those years ago. The disciples of Jesus went through a similar thing, too, and being out in the ocean in a storm was and is horrific. I can only imagine what wars are like. It would be totally traumatic. All of the armed forces paid so much in the past and still are today in so many places.
Jesus came into this world in extreme poverty and was so willing to pay for our eternity with His life. He gave His life so that we might live. He rose again from death and showed us the complete victory over sin and death.
Is death concerning you? I know we don't want to die BUT when we do, we can know where we are going.
As mentioned, Jesus gave His life for us so that our sins are paid for IF we decide to make Him No 1 in our lives. Asking Him to lead us will give us complete victory over sin and death. Life will still bring its disasters, traumas, and failures, but coming to Jesus gives us the goal of an amazing future with Him for eternity.
What he was getting through to us in that parable/story was that the very kingdom of God will grow and grow.
He used just a little bit of yeast to get his message across. The yeast was tiny compared to the amount of flour being mixed up BUT the yeast had a miraculous effect. It worked its way through the dough and made the bread or whatever was in mind.
Jesus, through the story here, was getting through to us that His kingdom will grow and flourish. Even though at that stage it may have appeared small, just like the yeast in the story, God's message will grow and grow and keep on growing until many, many people will come to know the fullness of eternity.
Jesus also mentioned in Matthew 16:6 to be aware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. In other words, be aware of things said and done that can turn us away from the very Word of God. We must keep our hearts and minds fully on to what the Bible says.
God bless you this week - keep your eyes and hearts on God.
Hope to catch you next time.
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