BY HARVEY SHORE
Phil Smith with his Meritorious Service Award. Photo courtesy of Coast Guard.
Phillip Smith, Coast Guard volunteer in Manly for 43 years, has just received their top operational award.
Phil joined Coast Guard in 1977, when he was a 32-year-old Queensland Rail employee.
After initial training, he became a rescue crewman, serving on scores of rescues, saving dozens of lives, and eventually becoming a duty officer.
However, after 30 years working on rescue boats, in all weathers, by day and night, a medical problem made Phil decide to come ashore. Still keen to serve the community, Phil transferred his skills to Coast Guard’s radio room in Manly, where his decades of marine rescue experience still proved vital.
On numerous occasions, when boaties called Brisbane Coast Guard in a panic, shouting for help, Phil’s calm voice and advice kept them safe until he could direct rescue boats to their location.
Phil never sought praise nor reward for the many times he saved lives at sea. But his shipmates asked Coast Guard’s National Board for appropriate recognition.
Last week, Phil’s Roster Skipper Mark Sherwood (whose regular job is Manager of The Good Guys in Capalaba) called Phil’s shipmates together in their radio room in Manly … and surprised Phil by presenting him with Coast Guard’s Meritorious Service Award.
Very few of these awards are presented in Australia each year. Phil’s name will now be added to the Honour Board at the Manly base, and he’ll be entitled to wear the blue and white award ribbon with pride, for a job well done.
