The once proud Victorian Navy flagship HMVS Cerberus has been seen by countless Melbournians since it was scuttled at Black Rock in the 1920s, to serve as a breakwater for Half Moon Bay.
To those who know its history, Cerberus is a reminder of Victoria’s prosperous colonial era and the resultant sensitivity to perceived threats of invasion. To former and current serving soldiers of the 1st Commando Regiment’s 2 Company, based at Fort Gellibrand in Williamstown, it is also an informal monument – a reminder of one of their number who drowned there 50 years ago this year.
Peter Herd
In October 1958 Lance Corporal Peter Herd was drowned while doing an observation swim at Half Moon Bay. Herd was a member of a party of ten commando divers - then popularly known as “frogmen” - who were doing further training after completing an earlier diving course. As part of their training in placing explosives on enemy shipping the team walked under water to the Cerberus, about 350 metres offshore. On the return journey Herd and another diver got into difficulties. According to Herd’s teammate Jim Trainor, Warrant Officer Peter Askew rescued one commando, and then pulled Herd from the water.“Peter was rushed to hospital when he failed to respond to resuscitation. Joe Frazer and I abandoned the swim when Peter was taken ashore”, he said. Trainor, who still lives in Melbourne, recalls, “A fellow commando, Jock Tait, swam out with a lifebuoy and supported me until the safety boat arrived.”
The officer commanding 2 Commando Company, MAJOR John Hutchison, recalled that in the previous year he had ordered the members of his unit to jump from a jetty into Western Port Bay and swim around a buoy, back to the jetty. One of the requirements for enlistment in the elite commando unit was that potential recruits had to prove that they could swim 100 metres in their clothes. Hutchison said, “I was surprised to find that about ten soldiers could not swim the distance. Indeed a couple, including Peter Herd, could not swim at all.”
“I promptly told these soldiers they had to prove they could swim 100 metres within one month, or leave the unit.”
“To the best of my recollection, only Peter Herd met this demand. At his own expense, Peter enrolled in a swimming course at the Melbourne City Baths and consequently passed the required swimming test,” he said.
Hutchison said that later he presented the unit with a shield to honour MAJOR John Anderson, the previous officer commanding (who had also drowned, during training with the Royal Marine Commandos in the UK). “The shield was awarded to the member of the unit who had shown the greatest all-round progress and dedication to the unit. Lance Corporal Peter Herd became the first recipient when his name was engraved on the shield in 1957,” Hutchison said.
Described in the newspaper reports as a farmer from Garfield, Herd now lies in the Berwick Cemetery. He had also been a student at the National Gallery Art School. At the time the Army flew his brother Rupert from a cattle station near Tennants Creek in the Northern Territory to attend the funeral. Herd’s parents died eight days apart in 1993, aged 88 and 93 years.
Herd was remembered by a ceremony at the memorial cairn at 2 Commando Company headquarters at Fort Gellibrand in November. Plaques on the rock carry the names of commandos who have died in training or on operations. The current officer commanding, MAJOR Brett Miller, reminded his soldiers of the anniversary, noting that this year three soldiers from the unit were injured during training and another while on operational duties.
At 2 pm on Thursday 18 December an informal ceremony will be held at Half Moon Bay to remember Peter Herd. All members of the 1st Commando Regiment Association and serving members, as well as the public, are invited to meet at the Half Moon Bay jetty. The Association is keen to hear from any family or friends of the Herd family who may be able to attend. Association almoner Richard Pelling, 
can provide further details.
