Two female officers aboard HMAS Success, currently in the Middle East Region on Operation MANITOU, have bravely shaved their heads for Breast Cancer awareness, raising over $13 000 for the McGrath Foundation. On Monday morning Lieutenant Lauren Eggins and Sub Lieutenant Rhian Campbell-McBride said good bye to their locks in the name of charity. In less than 60 hours, organiser Able Seaman Brenton Paine managed to raise $12 353 dollars from Ship’s Company to see two of their female officers face the clippers and there was no going back from there.The largest donor, Sub Lieutenant Thomas Matthews, who contributed $600, received the honour of cutting off the women’s pony-tails. He invited Chief Petty Officer Robert Hackett, who lost his mother to breast cancer, to assist in the chop.

Once the tresses were gone, work-mates took turns revelling in helping shave Lieutenat Eggins’ and Sub Lieutenant Campbell-McBride’s hair to a No2 hairdo. Luckily one of the crew, Able Seaman Adam Vairaktaris was a professional hair stylist for 13 years before joining the RAN and was able to tidy up the new hairdos.

The Commanding Officer of Success, Captain Justin Jones, commended the two officers on their courage. ‘Well done to our two ship mates, and to the Ship’s Company for supporting such a worthy cause’, he said before the cutting began. Since the shave, another $1 000 has been donated, increasing the total to $13 300 from a Ship’s Company of approximately 230 people.

The shave coincided with the Australia vs India Cricket Test which holds the Pink Day, dedicated to the McGrath Foundation. Even though Success is far from home, Ship’s Company will be tuning in to get regular updates on the score.

• Image gallery