Commodore H P (Paul) Berger LVO RAN Retd

Commodore H.P. (Paul) Berger LVO RAN (Retd) passed away on 14 November 2012 in Canberra after suffering a massive stroke on 12 November from which he did not recover. His funeral arrangements will be advised in due course and will be in the Canberra Times on Saturday 17 November. Commodore Berger was born in Neutral Bay NSW in 1935  and  joined the RAN College on 25 January 1949.  He graduated from the Naval College in October 1952 and awarded the Otto Albert Prize for Seamanship and then departed for the United Kingdom for Midshipman training in HMS Devonshire, a county class heavy cruiser which had been converted to the Royal Navy’s cadet training ship and HMS Enard Bay,  a Bay Class frigate. In September 1953 he returned to Australia  and joined the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney for service in Korea. In October 1954 he was then posted to HMAS Queenborough for a year prior to him returning to the United Kingdom for courses at the Royal Naval College Greenwich, HMS Excellent, Collingwood and Drake. He returned to Australia in 1956 and joined HMAS Swan where he was awarded his watchkeeping certificate in October 1957. He was then posted to HMAS Watson for the little d course and on completion to HMAS Albatross to consolidate his training before joining HMAS Melbourne in September 1958. In late 1959 he was selected for two years exchange service with the Royal Navy and joined HMS Albion , a Centaur class light fleet aircraft carrier in December 1959. In January 1962 he returned to Australia and was posted to HMAS Albatross for 805 Squadron and to Melbourne in continuation on each occasion of the Squadron embarking. In June 1963 he was posted to the the RAN College, HMAS Creswell , for a year before he joined HMAS Anzac as the Executive Officer. In January 1966 he was posted to HMS Dryad to undertake the Advanced D course before joining HMASMelbourne as the Direction Officer.In May 1968 he was posted to HMAS Yarra as the Executive officer for a year before being appointed to Government House in August 1969 as the Military Secretary to H.E. the Governor General as a Commander. In July 1972 he was posted to HMAS Torrens as the Commanding Officer for 18 months before joining Fleet Headquarters in December 1973. In December 1975 he was promoted to Captain and appointed to Navy Headquarters for two years before being posted to HMAS Perth for two years as the Commanding Officer. In 1980 he returned to Navy Headquarters  and in April 1985 promoted to Commodore and appointed in command of HMAS Albatross until November 1987. Commodore Berger then returned to Canberra to serve in Navy Headquarters  prior to his retirement from the Royal Australian Navy in 1990. 
 
Rank
Commodore RAN Retd
Service
RAN Retd
Decorations
LVO
Died
14/11/2012

Source of information: CN AUSTRALIA