PROFILE
Allan Laurie
QF7 REDLAND BAY
The intervention of the second World War changed the lives of many and today in the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association some of these people are active members because they remain “service orientated” and continue to care for public and community service interests. Their knowledge and skills remain with them no matter which branch of the Service in which they served. In particular, the principles of radio, radar and navigation do not change.
Allan was educated at the Townsville State School and then the Townsville Grammar School (where the late Commodore John Pearson was also a student) Allan first worked in the insurance industry. Sport was an important part of his life, obtaining his Bronze Medallion with the Picnic Bay Surf Life Saving Club on Magnetic Island. He was also a junior tennis doubles champion of North Queensland, and played cricket in the off-season.
Allan enlisted in the Royal Australian Air force at the age of 19, and after a very short period of training obtained his pilot’s wings. The next five years were spent serving his country flying Liberators.
On return to civilian life the opportunity arose to allow him to continue flying with an International Airline where he spent the next thirty-three years flying. Allan continued with his Navigation studies completing Nav. 1, Nav. 2 and Celestial Navigation. Always a perfectionist his chart work was used as examples for the classroom for other students to study. His motto was “there is only one way to do things, that is the correct way”.
Upon retirement Allan left the airways for the waterways and in September 1978 motored his 30ft cruiser from Sydney to the Gold Coast which necessitated crossing the treacherous Southport Bar. Contact was made with Coast Guard at Southport to ask for assistance to cross the Bar. This was performed very professionally and was his first introduction to Coast Guard.
At this time QF1 Southport were looking for new members, and with his knowledge of navigation, radar, Morse code and radio Allan was invited to join and did so in March 1979 eventually gaining the rating of Coxswain.
Positions held within the Flotilla included Building Officer for one year, Communications Officer for seven years holding a “G” Lecturers Licence, South Queensland Squadron Communications Officer for fourteen years and Communications Officer with the Queensland State Council for six years. Allan held the position of National Vice Captain as co-ordinator on the National Communications Committee and was responsible for producing the National Radio Training Manuals and the National Base Station Registers.
Awards: During his flying career, Allan worked tirelessly for the Pilots Association and was the South East Asia Regional Director for many years. In recognition of his work, he is the recipient of two Awards, the “Clarence Sayen Award” and the International Pilot’s Federation of Air Pilots Scroll of Merit, the two highest Awards to be presented by the International Airline Pilots Association and one of the few pilots to have received both Awards.
His Coast Guard Awards include the ten, fifteen, twenty and twenty-five year Long Service Award for continuous service with the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Association, the National Medal and Clasp and the International Year of the Volunteer Medal.
In 1999 Allan transferred from QF1 Southport to QF7 Redland Bay where he is still a member.