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23.01.2022 This year marks the 80th anniversary of the battle of Cape Spada, the event which made HMAS Sydney (II) and her crew renowned throughout the Mediterranean and t...he world. On 19 July 1940, Sydney engaged two Italian cruisers, Bartolomeo Colleoni and Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, near the north-western edge of Crete. In an extraordinary show of marksmanship, Sydney succeeded in sinking one ship and severely damaging the other. As well as being published in newspapers far and wide, the event was recorded by many members of the Sydneys crew, who wrote about their victory in excited tones. In their own words, this is how the day unfolded: https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/battle-of-cape-spada Photo: The Bartolomeo Colleoni being torpedoed by a British destroyer after she had been abandoned by her crew.

23.01.2022 The First England to Australia Submarine Voyage Diaries, particularly those kept by seamen, are not only an important primary historical source but are first-class reading entertainment. The following extracts from the diary of AB J Marsland describe the passage of HMA submarines AE1 and AE2 from Portsmouth to Sydney in early 1914. The RAN’s first submarines were short lived. AE1, Lieut.-Commander T F Besant, RN, was lost with all hands six months after this diary was written...Continue reading

23.01.2022 #DYK 80 years ago today, a Navy Office letter to the Commodore-in-Charge authorised the entry of women into the Royal Australian Navy as 'The Women's Royal Aust...ralian Naval Service' (WRANS), representing the first wave of women in #AusNavy. The WRANS formed in response to increased wartime demands for naval personnel during the Second World War. In 1984, separate women's service was abolished, the WRANS regulations repealed, and the WRANS was incorporated into the Permanent Naval Forces. : Find out more about WRANS' history here: http://bit.ly/WRANS80 : Australian War Memorial #YourADF #OurPeople

21.01.2022 Pets of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1940 Photographs by G A Hill who was serving aboard HMAS Vendetta

21.01.2022 HMAS AUSTRALIA (I) THE FORGOTTEN FLAGSHIP: A Zoom Presentation Tue 15 Sep, 10:00 am - 11:00 am https://www.navyhistory.org.au//hmas-australia-i-the-forg/

21.01.2022 #OTD in 1942 HMAS Voyager was grounded and destroyed by fire at Betano Bay in Timor. On 23 September 1942, HMAS Voyager brought the 2/4th Independent Company to... Timor to reinforce Australian troops already on the island. The ship came close in shore to land and troops were disembarking when currents caught and sunk the ship on its anchors causing her to ground. They spent the night and following morning frantically attempting to dislodge the ship but to no avail. The next day Japanese bombers attacked the ship relentlessly and the decision was made to abandon all attempts to free her. On 25 September Captain Robison, and a member of the crew, set fire to the ship, burning its remains. The Voyagers crew were later evacuated by HMAS Warrambool. Learn more: https://www.awm.gov.au//hmas-voyager-wrecked-and-burning-b Image: Lieutenant Charles Bush, official war artist with the Military History Field Team, sketching the wreck of HMAS Voyager in December, 1945. Photographer: Keith Benjamin Davis. 121482 Artwork:HMAS Voyager wrecked and burning at Betano Bay. Artist: Charles Bush. 1946 ART26358.

21.01.2022 Launching of catapult test tank 'CHLOE' off HMAS Melbourne alongside Garden Island in 1957. Source: British Movietone Dateline: Sydney, Australia Date: 02/04/1957 12:00 AM... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ync0LulDY

19.01.2022 On 23 May 1969 RAN Clearance Diving Team 3 at Vung Tau, Vietnam removed a 27kg explosive charge from the hull of a ship, and captured the Viet Cong divers responsible for placing the charges. It was the first action in which Australian naval personnel were engaged in underwater combat. CPO Albert Victor Rasleigh was awarded the BEM, and LS Jeffrey Lynden Garrett was MID, for gallantry. -------------------------------------------------------...Continue reading

19.01.2022 HMAS Sydneys Sea Furies in formation.

19.01.2022 THE KERR Sydney-Emden Medal On 9 November 1914 the RAN cruiser HMAS Sydney engaged and destroyed the German light cruiser and commerce raider SMS Emden. This one and a half hour gun battle off the Cocos Keeling Islands in the Indian Ocean was the Royal Australian Navys first naval engagement. ...Continue reading

18.01.2022 Youtube video of HMAS Vampire refueling from HMAS Sydney in November 1972 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q44cFABSe40 This occurred during a trip to Vietnam when HMAS Sydney delivered a cargo of defence aid for Vietnam and Cambodia. ... HMAS Vampire met HMAS Sydney at 1930 on 21st Nov 1972 and escorted during her arrival and unloading at Vung Tau. They left Vung Tau together on 24 Nov and conducted a RAS before separating. HMAS Sydney set course for Hong Kong. En route the ship took in tow a disabled Panamanian merchant vessel, Kaiwing, and towed her to Hong Kong. After her visit to Hong Kong, Sydney returned to Australia. HMAS Vampire headed to Malaysia and resumed her Far East deployment that lasted until March 1973.

18.01.2022 Two portraits by British born painter Henry Jerrold-Smith (1899-1979) were recently donated to the Australian War Memorial. A veteran of the First World War Jer...rold-Smith studied at the #RoyalAcademy, London, under John Singer Sargent and William Orphen prior to immigrating to Sydney for health reasons in 1924. He set up a studio in Turramurra where he worked and taught portrait painting. Able Seaman Wallace Ross, Royal Australian Navy, was killed in action on 9th August 1942 when the HMAS Canberra (I) sunk off the coast off Savo Island in the Solomon Islands. Bertha Ross joined the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service and became the Admiral's driver in Sydney following the death of her son. The commemorative portraits of mother and son were commissioned in 1946 by the Ross family. Images: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2639388 https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2639389 #MyAWM #AWMemorial #ww2 #WRANS #RAN #Portraits #HMASCanberra #Lestweforget #SWW #painting #family #awmartcollection

18.01.2022 The Society's next online Presentation is on 25 August 2020 Identifying Friend or Foe The Hilfskruezers Tue 25 Aug, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (AEDT) Presented by Commodore Bob Trotter OAM RAN Retired... Zoom Meeting https://www.navyhistory.org.au//identifying-friend-or-foe/

18.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1943 the HMAS Hobart was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off San Cristobal in the Solomon Islands. Thirteen were killed in the attack. Although ...badly damaged the Hobart was able to reach Espirtu Santo the following day. Learn more: http://ow.ly/cc4b50AzCnO Photo: A burial at sea aboard cruiser HMAS Hobart after the attack.

18.01.2022 In the darkness of the early hours of the morning of 9 August 1942 the RAN heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra was severely damaged off Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) in... a surprise attack by a powerful Japanese naval force in an action that became known as the Battle of Savo Island. Canberra was hit 24 times in less than two minutes and 84 of her crew were killed including Captain Frank Getting. Following an order to abandon ship the Canberra was sunk around 8am by a torpedo from a US destroyer. Learn more: http://ow.ly/lkkD50APMTB Photo: A view of the starboard forecastle deck of the Kent class cruiser HMAS Canberra framed by the barrel of one of its eight inch guns from the forward A turret.

17.01.2022 The Royal Australian Navy From Coal to Oil and Coal Loader Tour 3 May 2021 This two-part event includes a presentation on the use of coal as a fuel by the Royal Australian Navy and a tour of the historic coal loader at Waverton, Sydney.... With the advent of coal fired boilers in ships, from the 1840’s, the supply of coal of the right quality continually exercised the minds of the boiler designers and naval engineering officers. To that end the Royal Navy, from its earliest steam powered ships, undertook continuing and exhaustive testing of coals to meet the required standard. Coal that met the standard was declared Admiralty Coal. The coal chain that mined and moved coal from the mines and finally into the boilers involved physical hard work at every stage. The miners, the coal lumpers, the coal trimmers and the stokers were connected in a chain that involved back breaking physical labour. With the transition to oil fuelled boilers, the burden of physical labour in refuelling ships was removed. This presentation and tour examine the evolution of this fascinating but often overlooked aspect of naval operations. Three Hour Cruise Date and Time Monday 3 May 2021 10:30 am 12:30 pm AEST Location Balls Head Coal Loader, 2 Balls Head Drive, Waverton, NSW 2060 More details on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-royal-australian-navy-f

17.01.2022 This scripted Fleet Air Arm recruiting video produced in 1980 shows a variety of sailors, officers and aircraft in action aboard the aircraft carrier and flagship at that time, HMAS Melbourne. Included in the video is Melbourne's then commanding officer, Commodore (later Rear Admiral Sir) David Martin who later became Governor of New South Wales. https://youtu.be/94ki39pQZIM

16.01.2022 My experiences with HMAS Melbourne Introduction I recently had a brief article about HMAS Melbourne, the aircraft carrier, published and consequent on that I was asked to give this talk. It will be a brief history, some description of the ship with a few anecdotes thrown in. I see that I have also been asked to provide some comments on HMS Ark Royal....Continue reading

16.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1942 HMAS Nestor was in the Mediterranean, north of Tobruk, when she was attacked by several bombs. At approximately 6pm an Italian bomber attacke...d Nestor, killing four men and severely damaging the engine rooms. She was taken in tow by RN destroyer HMS Javelin but despite efforts by her crew the decision was made to scuttle the ship after safe evacuation. Shortly after 7am the following morning, the ship was sunk by HMS Javelin. View images of the sinking: http://ow.ly/7GeX50A2zDP Photo: The rescued crew from HMAS Nestor aboard HMS Javelin.

15.01.2022 Grey Funnel Line This is a Royal Australian Navy documentary and subtle recruiting film. It details the 1973 task group deployment of HMA Ships Derwent, Perth and Supply to the Indian Ocean including port visits to Mauritius, Mombasa, Massawa (Ethiopia), Bandar Abbas (Iran) and Karachi. It displays the diplomatic and military tasks that Australian warships undertake while deployed overseas. https://youtu.be/eFh80-vwlPE

15.01.2022 Those they left behind - RAN Memorials in the Lyness Naval Cemetery in Orkney By Commander David Hobbs, MBE, RN (Rtd) "The atmosphere was always one of monotony and frustration at not being involved in the exciting things that were happening in other spheres of the war...We did spend a fair amount of time at sea, usually on a sweep as far as the Norwegian coast, but after four or five days we returned to Scapa, or to Rosyth (which we much preferred)." - Andrew C Barrie...Continue reading

15.01.2022 An emotional reunion for survivors A group of former Vietnamese ‘boat people’ were recently reunited with the #AusNavy aircraft that took part in their rescue... almost 40 years ago. Flown by the late Sub Lieutenant Dave Marshall with observer Lieutenant Steve Langlands and Leading Seaman George Casey, it was on its final mission on June 21, 1981, when flames were spotted three miles away. The flames were a signal from the disabled vessel Nghia Hung, containing 99 Vietnamese refugees aged from seven months to 65 years, en route from Vietnam to Singapore. The #HMASMelbourne based Grumman Tracker S-2G 851 is now an exhibit at the HARS Aviation Museum at Albion Park, NSW. It’s like meeting an old friend, a brave bloke who rescued me from a tragic accident, Stephen Nguyen, who was 20 at the time of his rescue said. I have feelings of owing him a lot. To the MG-99, Tracker 851 is an unforgettable memoir along with the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Torrens, the destroyer, and of course the crew.

14.01.2022 Australian Navy News 17 June 1960 Article from HMAS Queenborough regarding Hong Kong

14.01.2022 Captain Frederick Melbourne Piggott RD RNR was born in the UK in April 1915 and moved to Australia in 1943 where he trained young men to handle a Dutch submarine. This article is a personal reminiscence of his wartime service in submarines. ************************************** PRIOR TO WORLD WAR II and general hostilities, I had been serving as an officer in the Merchant Service with the Blue Funnel Line of Messrs. Alfred Holt & Co. Ltd. Previously I had been a cadet from 1...Continue reading

13.01.2022 On this day in 1914 the first Australian and New Zealand contingent sailed from Albany, Western Australia, bound for Egypt. 30,000 men and thousands more horses... were loaded onto 38 Australian and 10 New Zealand troopships. On 3 December, the convoy arrived in Alexandria, Egypt. For many of the troops that disembarked there, the port of Albany they left a month earlier would be their last sight of Australia. Continue Reading: http://ow.ly/lj9r50C2gF9 #WeRememberThem #RemembranceDay Image: The flagship of the Ist Convoy HMS Orvieto (A3) lying at anchor in King George Sound, Albany, WA (left). The light cruiser at rear is either HMAS Melbourne or HMAS Sydney. Photographer: Phillip F. E Schuler PS0017

13.01.2022 Calling Mrs Boye Calling Mrs Boye on Vanikoro. So began a message from Japanese forces to Ruby Boye in 1942. What followed was a terse and direct threat for Ruby to discontinue her operations. Over the course of World War II, Ruby Boye operated the radio at Vanikoro in the Solomon Islands as Australias only female coastwatcher. Her service warranted a personal visit to Vanikoro by Fleet Admiral William F. Bull Halsey Jr, USN, and earned her a British Empire Medal (BEM). ...Continue reading

13.01.2022 4 INCH BREECH LOADER MK V111

12.01.2022 HMAS Vendetta in the Mediterranean 1940/41 Photos from the Gordon Hill collection.

12.01.2022 The beginning of the journey for the Chilean Navy FFGs. The Almirante Lattore FFG14 and the Capitan Prat FFG 11, farewelled out of Sydney Harbour, escorted by HMAS Sydney DDG 42. The images were sent to me and were taken by Darryl Bullock. With thanks.

12.01.2022 HMAS Vendetta approaching HMS Valiant in the Mediterranean in 1940/41 From Gordon Hill collection

11.01.2022 Launching of catapult test tank CHLOE off HMAS Melbourne alongside Garden Island in 1957. Source: British Movietone Dateline: Sydney, Australia Date: 02/04/1957 12:00 AM... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3ync0LulDY

11.01.2022 Lt. Cdr. Pally Carr, as he was affectionately known, was unique in Naval history as the only serving Naval officer in the R.A.N. to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. Born in 1908, Lt. Cdr. Carr was formally educated in Melbourne and in 1918, attended Geelong Grammar School where he spent four years. In 1922 he was selected as a Cadet to attend the R.A.N. College at Jervis Bay. He excelled as Chief Cadet Captain in 1924 and was Kings Medallist winner as the best all ...Continue reading

11.01.2022 The beginning of the journey for the Chilean Navy FFG's. The Almirante Lattore FFG14 and the Capitan Prat FFG 11, farewelled out of Sydney Harbour, escorted by HMAS Sydney DDG 42. The images were sent to me and were taken by Darryl Bullock. With thanks.

10.01.2022 Mostyn Berryman, born November 9, 1923, died August 6, 2020. Able Seaman Moss Berryman, who has died aged 96, was the last survivor Operation Jaywick, perhaps the most long-ranged and daring special forces raid of the Second World War. https://navalinstitute.com.au/obit-canoe-commando-in-sing/

10.01.2022 The transit from peacetime tempo to the demands of wartime training left strong impressions on the many trainees during their introduction to the Navy in WW2. We were all Acting Temporary Sub-Lieutenants RANVR, on probation, which as an officer must be very close to no rank at all, and about to commence indoctrination into the wartime Navy. As a baby I was at the opening of Flinders Naval Base in 1921 when Rear-Admiral Dumaresq held me in his arms, my father being on the staf...Continue reading

10.01.2022 https://www.facebook.com/135359946489052/posts/4625487420809593/

09.01.2022 #OTD in 1969 HMAS Brisbane returned to Sydney at the end of the Brisbane's first deployment to Vietnam. A turret from HMAS Brisbane is on display outside the Me...morial. Learn more: https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/unit/hmas-brisbane Image: Vietnam. July 1969. Sailors gathered around inspecting the damage to the 5 inch gun on the bow of HMAS Brisbane after a shell burst in the barrel during a firing mission on 22 July 1969. HMAS Brisbane spent the following 15 days on the Vietnam gunline with only one gun operational before retiring to Subic Bay for repairs. P03277.001

09.01.2022 The oldest commission in the Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Cerberus, has marked 100 years of service on 01 Sept 2020 with the unveiling of a commemorative plinth,... at the original site of the establishments first commissioning. The Cradle of the Navy and home of the sailor currently provides training for all three services with approximately 6000 Navy, Army and Air Force personnel undergoing training annually. https://www.navy.gov.au/establishments/hmas-cerberus

08.01.2022 RAN Aviation and Air Combat - First and Last? The tactical advantages of possessing organic aviation at sea have long been recognised by the worlds major navies. In the Royal Australian Navys case, attempts to establish an aviation policy began as early as 1913 and, although there have been occasional setbacks, organic air power continues to play an indispensable role in maritime operations. The helicopters of todays Fleet Air Arm (FAA) operate as an integral component of ...Continue reading

08.01.2022 HMAS Sydney III Photos from the State Library of Victoria Argus Newspaper Photographs circa. 1948-1949 https://viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE139338&mode=browse

07.01.2022 Hawker Sea Fury Mark 11 The Sea Fury was a British fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by Hawker Aircraft Limited and was one of the fastest production single reciprocating engine aircraft built. Development began in 1943, for the Royal Air Force (RAF), with the aircraft initially named the Fury and based on the then in-service Typhoon and Tempest fighters also built by Hawker. At the end of the war the RAF cancelled their order; however, the Royal Navy (RN) consider...Continue reading

07.01.2022 He went back to his gun Dr Ray Leonard served on HMAS Armidale with Teddy Sheean. He was there on the 1st of December 1942, when Armidale was sunk and Teddy ...turned his back on the opportunity to survive, returned to his gun and fired on the enemy to try to save his mates. In the lead up to the Investiture Ceremony on 1 December, in which the Governor-General will present the Sheaan family with Teddy Sheean's Victoria Cross, Dr Leonard remembers that fateful day, the experience and what Teddy did. Royal Australian Navy Defence Australia Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs Australian War Memorial Australian Army Royal Australian Air Force

07.01.2022 Between the first and second World Wars, despite tight budgets, the Royal Australian Navy was making use of radio-controlled targets for gunnery practice. The first image from the Society’s archive shows a High-Speed Battle Practice Target Boat (HSBPT) alongside Garden Island Sydney in the 1930s. In the second image from the NSW State Archives shows a HSBT at a mooring with the three-funnelled HMAS Australia in the background. Also in the photo is HMAS Adelaide (outboard of Australia) and in the midground behind the HSBT is the steam tug Wattle

07.01.2022 WATCH || As #AusNavy's HMAS Armidale II conducts a commemoration service at the site of HMAS Armidale (I)'s sinking during World War II, to remember the loss of the former Royal Australian Navy corvette and deaths of 100 crew members. Lest we forget. #YourADF #TYFYS

06.01.2022 The following is a summary of a paper by Captain Marcus Peake RAN Retd, Webmaster of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia (FAAAA). The full story, published in August 2016, is available on the FAAAA website at https://www.faaaa.asn.au/snippets-history-operation-bursa/. This summary was compiled by Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN Operation Bursa 1980 1989...Continue reading

06.01.2022 The following is a summary of a paper by Captain Marcus Peake RAN Ret’d, Webmaster of the Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia (FAAAA). The full story, published in August 2016, is available on the FAAAA website at https://www.faaaa.asn.au/snippets-history-operation-bursa/. This summary was compiled by Midshipman Lloyd Skinner, RAN Operation Bursa 1980 1989...Continue reading

06.01.2022 On this day in 1914 the Royal Australian Navy fought its first single ship action at sea. As the convoy carrying the first Australian and New Zealand troops ove...rseas passed within eighty kilometers of the Cocos Islands, a signal was received reporting a strange warship approaching the cable station there. HMAS Sydney was immediately detached from her escort duties with the convoy and sped off towards the islands, encountering the German raider cruiser SMS Emden. In the engagement that followed the Sydney sustained some early damage but a large fire took hold of Emden. Incapable of firing back and hoping to save lives it headed North Keeling Islander where Emden was grounded. Learn more: http://ow.ly/DdVD50CaUJp Image: 'Emden beached and done for', 9 November 1914 Artist: Arthur Burgess. ART00191

06.01.2022 Have you ever heard of the Emden Bell? Recovered from the wreck of the first enemy ship sunk by the Royal Australian Navy during the First World War, the bell w...as twice stolen and recovered in high-profile cases that captured the public imagination and made newspaper headlines around the country. The bell came from SMS Emden, a German cruiser that had been stalking shipping routes across the Indian Ocean and south-east Asia from August 1914, wreaking havoc on Allied shipping. Emden became the scourge of the Allied navies, capturing or sinking 21 vessels before being attacked, driven aground and destroyed by HMAS Sydney at the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on 9 November 1914. The ship’s bell was one of many relics removed from the wreck by the Royal Australian Navy and retained as a war trophy. It’s an object Memorial Curator Dianne Rutherford knows well. While the battle between SMS Emden and HMAS Sydney is one of the more significant actions in Australian military history, it is the story that came after of a battle damaged bell, a determined German immigrant, and a tenacious director that is perhaps one of the more interesting aspects of the story, Rutherford said. It’s a bit of a true crime, cracking detective yarn, and is a very interesting part of the Memorial’s history. Claire Hunter explores the twists and turns in The Curious Case of the Emden Bell: http://ow.ly/zhXb50CjljE Image: Former Memorial Director John Treloar, a First World War veteran, became one of the main investigators examining the case. 023405

05.01.2022 Women in the RAN a Personal Perspective By Telegraphists S.V.T and D.G.H. This article first appeared in the Australian War Memorial publication HMAS in 1943. Ed....Continue reading

04.01.2022 #flashbackfriday to wartime Fremantle 1945 - interesting views of the Admiralty Floating Dock No 17 (A.F.D. 17) moored alongside A Shed, Victoria Quay (yes, we'...re continuing the A Shed theme). The dock had been based at the Royal Navy Depot at Reykjavik, Iceland and was undertaking the longest ocean tow in history, at that time, from Reykjavik to Sydney, a 16,000-mile voyage lasting nine months. AFD 17, which had been re-assigned to the British Pacific Fleet in Sydney, departed Iceland on 13 September 1944, calling at the Clyde, Gibraltar, Aden, Cochin and Fremantle, before finally arriving in Sydney at the end of May 1945. The dock had suffered some damage during the many legs of the voyage to Sydney and consequently did not become operational on arrival. She was repaired at Morts Dock and Cockatoo Dockyard, however, saw no active duty with the British Pacific Fleet. When the war ended, she was transferred on loan to the Royal Australian Navy before finally being purchased by the Australian Government for 75,000 pounds in 1948. In her 22 years of service with the RAN, AFD 17 completed 641 dockings of RAN and Royal Navy vessels including tugs, frigates and submarines. Her last docking was the Royal Navys submarine HMS Taciturn in March 1964. Soon after she was withdrawn from service and sold for scrap. Before the dock was towed away to the breakers yard, her two electric cranes were installed at Fitzroy Wharf where they remained in use until the wharf was closed in 1991. In the photo looking west you can also see the submarine boom in the background. Images - State Library of Western Australia - 047158PD and 047105PD Information - Royal Navy Research Archive UK. Lost Perth Fremantle As it was, As we were Fremantle History Society Images of Western Australian History Perth Reflects Streets of Fremantle Freo StreetWise Visit Fremantle The Fremantle Society Fremantle Shipping News Gage Roads Brewing Co

04.01.2022 They Also Served LCDR Frank Derek Simon RD RANR (S) Sixteen-year-old New Zealander, Frank Derek Simon, came to Australia in 1936 to take up an apprenticeship with a local shipping company. He stayed with his aunt and uncle in Sydney who became his guardians and he grew up with his young cousins. One of these, Alison Lavick nee Paykel, provided the Naval Historical Society with three volumes of his memoirs extending from his apprenticeship, to his service in the RAN througho...Continue reading

04.01.2022 Mostyn Berryman, born November 9, 1923, died August 6, 2020. Able Seaman ‘Moss’ Berryman, who has died aged 96, was the last survivor Operation Jaywick, perhaps the most long-ranged and daring special forces raid of the Second World War. https://navalinstitute.com.au/obit-canoe-commando-in-sing/

04.01.2022 The Societys next online Presentation is on 25 August 2020 Identifying Friend or Foe The Hilfskruezers Tue 25 Aug, 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (AEDT) Presented by Commodore Bob Trotter OAM RAN Retired... Zoom Meeting https://www.navyhistory.org.au//identifying-friend-or-foe/

03.01.2022 HMAS Sydney's Sea Furies in formation.

03.01.2022 The following describes the experiences of a young Royal Navy conscript, Gordon Cansdale who served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1945 to 1947. Gordon describes the highs and tragic lows of service in the carrier HMS Theseus which visited Australia in 1947 to demonstrate naval air power and the capabilities of an aircraft carrier. Gordon later settled in Australia where he has lived for more than 63 years. The Good Times and The Bad Times By Gordon Cansdale...Continue reading

02.01.2022 HMAS Waterhen seen from HMAS Vendetta In the Mediterranean during WWII

02.01.2022 Echoes of Voices from Overseas Australian War Memorial by Jennifer Selby Hello, Western Australia, here we are on the deck of a cruiser somewhere in the Middle East, I may not tell you exactly where ... In 1941 an ABC Field Recording Unit went aboard the cruiser HMAS Perth to record messages to be broadcast on the Voices from Overseas program, and this is how the broadcast began. Official Photographer George Silk captured many images of Perth's crew over several months in 1941, and photographed the recording session. Next the cheerful voice of Patrick Kelly, a stoker in Perth, can be heard sending greetings and reassurances to loved ones back home: We’re doing all right over here and our chins are up, so don’t worry. Kelly enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1935, aged 20. By 1940 he was in the Mediterranean, where Perth would see heavy action around Greece, Crete, and Syria. Speaking on behalf of several Western Australians, Kelly signs off: We’re all hale and hearty and in the pink, so everything’s right. So au revoir ’til we see you. Goodbye. Patrick Kelly was one of 357 Australians who died when Perth was sunk by the Japanese on 1 March 1942, during the battle of Sunda Strait. In 1942 the ABC lent the original Voices from Overseas discs for copying and subsequent sale to aid the Red Cross in their fundraising efforts. Relatives and friends were invited to the Myer Emporium, where they could order their copy of a loved one’s recording. For many families this short recorded message would become their most tangible reminder of someone they lost, a way of ensuring his voice lived on. This fragile metal-core disc was recently donated to the Sound Collection by Patrick Kelly's niece making certain that his voice would be preserved for future generations to hear. Listening to this young man's voice 70 years after he died is a reminder of the sacrifice made by him and by so many other Australians. Listen to the recording https://www.awm.gov.au//de/files/S05248-Patrick-Kelly1.mp3 Original Article https://www.awm.gov.au//blog/echoes-of-voices-from-overseas

01.01.2022 Historic Victoria Cross Report of the Expert Panel re Teddy Sheean https://www.pmc.gov.au//historic-vc-expert-panel-report.pdf Further readings on the loss of HMAS Armidale and the award of Victoria Crosses in Navy are available via the following links; ... One hundred Australians awarded the Victoria Cross, December 2018 NHR, https://www.navyhistory.org.au/one-hundred-australians-awa/ Occasional Paper 9: The Sinking of HMAS Armidale on 1 December 1942, https://www.navyhistory.org.au/occasional-paper-9-the-sink/

01.01.2022 One of the lesser known tragedies of the Second World War is the sinking of the Grimsby class sloop HMAS Parramatta. At the time, Parramatta was serving in the ...Mediterranean assisting with supplying the Allied garrison at Tobruk, which was under siege by German and Italian forces. In the early hours of the 27th November 1941 while escorting a convoy, Parramatta was hit by a torpedo fired from German submarine U559. The torpedo caused the ship’s magazine to explode and the ship rolled rapidly to starboard and sank within minutes. Acting Commander Jefferson Walker had time to order the crew to abandon ship but only about a third of the ship’s complement was able to escape. In total there were 24 survivors, but 138 men, including all officers, lost their lives. Read more: http://ow.ly/BRLB50CpN3l Image: Three surviros of the sinking of HMAS Parramatta, on which all three served. Ordinary Seaman W Woods, H Moss, and T Fryer. P00490.018

01.01.2022 HMAS Quiberon was engaged in a night action against an escorted Italian military convoy on 1-2 December 1942. Acting in concert with the remainder of Force 'Q', the Australian destroyer had initiated the Allied interdiction campaign, which would eventually paralyse Axis shipping in the Sicilian Channel and isolate the enemy's ground forces in Tunisia. Force 'Q' was commanded by Rear Admiral CHJ Harcourt, RN, and at the end of the highly successful engagement he ordered his th...Continue reading

01.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1941 HMAS Waterhen and HMS Defender were attacked by a squadron of 15 dive-bombers off the coast near Salum, in Egypt, at 7.45pm. Waterhen was imm...obilised but luckily there were no casualties. Defender responded to Lieutenant Commander Swains decision to abandon ship and came alongside the stricken ship to remove everyone on board. At 1.50am on 30 June 1941, the Waterhen, or Chook as she was warmly referred to by her crew, rolled over and sank. She was the first ship of the Royal Australian Navy to be lost by enemy action in the Second World War. Read more: http://ow.ly/dvA850AhewF Photo: The Australian W Class Destroyer HMAS Waterhen takes water over her bow after the attack.