- Author
- Editorial Staff
- Subjects
- Infrastructure and Facilities
- Tags
- None noted.
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- June 2023 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
On Monday, 17 September 1945, the Cairns Post newspaper featured a lengthy coverage of the RAN’s shore establishments. This illuminating summary is reproduced below. How many of us can now recall all these establishments?
During the war the growth of RAN establishments was no less remarkable than that of the fleet. Depots in the capital cities overflowed into scattered subsidiaries, and staff offices in other centres attained full stature. Naval stations of various kinds dotted the entire coastline of the continent, and shoots of them sprang up in the adjacent islands.
An increase in ships from 16 to 321 and of personnel from 5440 to 36,600 men, with the addition of 2500 WRANS, largely accounted for this expansion. But special radar, degaussing, anti-submarine, Fairmile, and other schools necessitated separate staffs and buildings to house them and their equipment.
How much of this vast organisation and how many of the highly specialised units will be retained has not yet been decided by Federal Cabinet, but undoubtedly the activities of some units specially created for the war with Japan will soon cease. Whether Australia is to have aircraft carriers and other adjuncts to naval strength also lies in the hands of Cabinet.
In his farewell address, the former First Naval Member, Admiral Sir Guy Royle, emphasised that the defence of Australia, with its numerous adjacent islands, and the vast oceans separating it from its nearest ally, must be primarily by naval forces, which should include aircraft carriers and the shore-based aircraft which operate with them. Australia already possesses all facilities for servicing carriers and training members of a fleet air arm. The British Pacific carrier force depended to some extent on Australian fleet air arm stations established for them, and when the RN leaves for home waters these could be used by the RAN.
Streams of men pouring out of the RAAF, including some of the world’s greatest airmen, could man any number of carriers. Some of them, in fact, have already had experience in the British carrier task forces, writes a staff correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ship Routine Ashore
All shore establishments and depots are run to the same routine as ships. Even in a city office the officers and ratings come aboard and go ashore, and the leave bus becomes the liberty boat. Everyone speaks of the floor as the deck, and the wall as the bulkhead. Time is measured by bells.
During the war Navy Office itself grew out of its premises in St. Kilda Road, Melbourne. Extensive buildings were erected in Albert Park to house signals and communications, recruiting and mobilisation, and other surplus staff, including civilians, which could no longer be accommodated in St. Kilda Road. Flinders Naval Base, where the Royal Australian Naval College is situated, was modernised and accommodation added for 500 WRANS. HMAS Lonsdale at Port Melbourne, pre-war depot of the RANR, was used also for gunnery training, and to receive new entries to the WRANS. For a time, the Forrest Hills High School was taken over for communications and signals before they were removed to Albert Park.
Sydney Base Transferred
Before the war, Sydney naval base was on Garden Island, but it was subsequently transferred to the extremity of Potts Point, where a number of old homes had been resumed by the Department of the Interior in connection with the construction of the Captain Cook Graving Dock. Of these, naval base headquarters first occupied Tarana and Bomera outside the old sandstone walls on which stand naval sentries with fixed bayonets. Recently, Kismet, on the other side of the road, was converted into a wardroom and living quarters for headquarters’ officers.
Further up Wylde Street, Charlemount Private Hospital (Jenner) was taken over to provide quarters for WRANS. Then a few weeks ago a new building was finished almost next door for the communications office, which had to be greatly augmented on the arrival of the British Fleet, and additional base staff which the growth of the RAN had necessitated.
Early in 1942, Balmoral Naval Depot was commissioned as HMAS Penguin, the name previously used by Garden Island. It comprises a drafting pool for the Sydney command, health rehabilitation depot for sea-going men, a fire-fighting school worked in conjunction with the RN, a navigation school under Commander F.G. Rednall, a medical sick bay, and WRANS quarters. New South Wales naval officers who return from overseas are sent on foreign service leave from Balmoral and go back there to await further appointment.
HMAS Rushcutter was a reserve depot for Sydney command before the war. When officers have finished their courses at Flinders they go to Rushcutter Bay to attend special schools. One of the most important was the anti-submarine school, which expanded enormously during the war years. The anti-submarine school began in September 1939. In 1941, the whole Rushcutter depot was used exclusively for anti-submarine training. More than 500 officers and 1500 ratings qualified in submarine detection during the war.
Near the beginning of the war the radar school was established as part of Rushcutter, but in a different location. Its work increased so greatly in size and importance that it was commissioned as a separate ‘ship’ in March 1945 as HMAS Watson. Officers and ratings trained in this school include French, Dutch, Americans, and men of other Allied nationalities. Experts consider it the equal in scope and efficiency of any radar school in the world. It gives instruction according to British and American practice and also deals with Australian equipment specially designed for use in the Pacific.
At the beginning of the war in Europe, certain RANVR officers who had been yachtsmen were sent to the Royal Navy on loan. After having served in 80-ton motor launches, called Fairmiles, they returned to help in the establishment of a Fairmile school at Rushcutters Bay in 1942. A Fairmile carries three officers and 14 ratings. Altogether, 35 of these craft were commissioned. They were particularly useful for some operations previously carried out by destroyers. Two of these vessels were lost in northern battle areas.
Harbour Launches
Harbour Defence Motor Launches were first commissioned in October 1942. They carry two officers and eight men each. Altogether, 20 HDMLs were built. Training in the use of both kinds of launches was given at Rushcutters Bay, from which the boats still operate, although the school has closed. Canonbury Hospital, taken over for naval convalescents, is the remaining unit under the aegis of Rushcutter.
Garden Island and the city offices and units associated with it are known in the navy as HMAS Kuttabul, a name taken from the old ferry sunk by the midget submarine. The ferry had been used as quarters by ratings employed at Garden Island. Commander A. Fowell, RAN, is captain of the depot.
Other units forming part of this establishment are the Sea Transport Office, under Commander A.V. Knight, which controls all RAN and RN movements: Naval Control, which supervises merchant shipping movements; the naval recruiting office: DEMS for the defensive equipment of merchant ships; and the Royal Edward Victualling Yards as regards naval personnel.
One of the most interesting units in this establishment is the degaussing range at Bradley’s Head. This was established in November 1942, by the US Navy, but has already been manned by RAN personnel. Its function is to check the magnetic conditions of all ships, naval and merchant, inward bound. It checks each ship’s degaussing protection, an electrically energised cable around the ship, so that it will give the greatest possible protection against mines and torpedoes. Lieut. S. J. Neall, RANVR, is executive officer, with a staff of three technical officers and eleven WRANS.
New South Wales
At Port Stephens, RAN personnel, Americans, and later AIF, have been trained in amphibious landings. The first ship to receive this training was HMAS Westralia, under the command of Commander A.V. Knight. It was there for several months, and subsequently took part in many successful land landings. The depot is named HMAS Assault.
HMAS Mindari is a gunnery instructional centre in Woolloomooloo. Its principal activity has been the training of Australian and Allied merchant seamen in the use of guns. For this it used a ‘dome,’ on the ceiling of which a cinema projects a plane. Members of the class shoot at this with Oerlikons and Bofors guns while attempts to distract their aim are made by the realistic sound of guns and planes.
HMAS Maitland attends to northward and southward bound convoys, and there are also staff officers at Newcastle and Port Kembla. HMAS Harman was a small wireless telegraphy station at Canberra before the war, but it has since been considerably expanded.
Other States
In Queensland, the Brisbane depot, HMAS Moreton and the Townsville depot, HMAS Magnetic, were only staff offices before the war. HMAS Kuranda, at Cairns, is a completely new depot for communications ratings. On Thursday Island is the naval base HMAS Carpentaria.
HMAS Melville at Darwin was formerly a small staff office. It carries a big staff to look after the boom defence outside Darwin. In Western Australia, the principal naval depot, HMAS Leeuwin, in Fremantle, is commanded by Commodore C.J. Pope. There are also small naval establishments at Albany, Geraldton, and Broome, all of which have sprung up since the war started.
Adelaide depot, HMAS Torrens, has grown like all other depots. There is also a naval officer and a staff office at Whyalla to supervise the docking of HMA Ships for repair. At Hobart, the naval office has become a naval depot, HMAS Huon.
New Guinea
Shoots thrown off from the mainland are HMAS Basilisk at Port Moresby, HMAS Ladava at Milne Bay, HMAS Madang at Madang, and HMAS Lusair at Torokina. There are also port directors with their staffs at 12 other island ports.
Future Strength
How much of this vast organisation will be retained depends on the strength of the permanent Royal Australian Navy, and that is a matter for Cabinet decision. It would appear that certain units, such as DEMS and Naval Control and the island stations, must soon be eliminated. Establishments on the western side of the continent will at least shrink. Others, like sea transport, will have to be retained for a considerable time until the thousands of RN personnel have been sent back to the United Kingdom. Recruiting must continue until peace in the Pacific is ensured. Some units, like the Captain Cook Graving Dock, will, of course, remain permanently.
It seems safe to assume that much of the huge naval edifice built in the shadow of invasion will remain in place in case war clouds again appear.