Bertram Slape OAM
Larrakia
Lieutenant Commander
Royal Australian Navy
Afghanistan Veteran

Medals and Awards
Medal of the Order of Australia (Military Division) 1997
Australian Active Service Medal with clasp
Afghanistan Medal
Australian Service Medal 1945-75 with clasp
Humanitarian Overseas Service Medal with clasp
Defence Force Service Medal with 5 clasps
Australian Defence Medal
RAN Submariners Qualification Badge
Australia Day Medallion 1996

Lieutenant Commander Bertram Keith Slape, OAM, RAN was born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1954. He enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy as a General Entry Sailor (Marine Technical Propulsion Sailor) in 1972. After basic category training, he served on HMAS Melbourne before being posted to the United Kingdom to carry out Submarine training in Aug 1976. Lieutenant Commander Slape transferred to the Officer ranks in 1997 and served on HMAS Onslow and Otama as the Marine Engineer Officer, and HMAS Kanimbla and Manoora as the Engineering Officer.

Lieutenant Commander Slape has held a range of Engineering and Staff appointments. These include; Staff Officer – Technical, Australian Amphibious and Afloat Support Group (Fleet Command); Staff Officer – Engineering, Australian Hydrographic and Metrological Group (Fleet Command); Maintenance Manager – Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Systems Program Office (Defence Materiel Organisation); and Trial Officer – Submarines RAN Test, Evaluation and Acceptance Authority (Director General Navy Capability and Sustainment).

In 1997 Lieutenant Commander Slape was awarded Medal of the Order of Australian (Military Division) for meritorious service and an Australia Day Medallion in 1996 for professionalism and commitment to the highest possible standard. During 2004, he deployed to Banda Aceh on HMAS Kanimbla as part of the international humanitarian response to the Indian Ocean Earthquake (magnitude 9.0) which killed 250,000 people in a single day over a devastating 75 minute period. He has also seen operational service in the Middle East. He is married to Anne-marie and they have 3 adult children, 1 of which graduated in the top 5% of UWS Medical students in 2014, Dana Slape.