'MPN11' after just starting at NAS Nowra, after being in the RAAF for fifteen months doing ground school then basic / advanced flying training, it was a shock to hear about the collision. And I now cannot remember the source of that photo. Usually my attempt is to keep those details these days, so it must have been an early addition to the now 12,300 PDF pages maxing out at 4.4Gb to fit on an archive DVD available for download - see above details. Those pages include heaps of info about 'how to deck land' down through the ages with a bunch of stuff I had no idea about in that prehistoric information age.
'MinnieBurner' said above: "...Bruise marks from the shoulder straps were the most noticeable physiological effect...." That was my permanent state - I was strapped in as tight as possible at all times (especially in the Macchi MB326H which had a forward lean in the seat but only a shore based trainer jet). Once on advice from a more experienced but relative peer, I put my A4G seat full down for the catapult shot so that a good view of the instrument panel was obtained (for impending night cat shots). Usually I flew at all times with seat as high as it could go. BIG MISTAKE - even on night shots I launched with the seat full up however the ABBAJABBA (artificial horizon) was easily visible - it was a great bit of kit.
Regarding helmet effects during arrest onboard - not noticeable in the horrendous
- but very welcome stopping forces. After that first one - no problemo.