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Box-Brownies’ : HMAS Platypus 1940-44

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Author
Subjects
Ship histories and stories, WWII operations
Tags
None noted.
RAN Ships
Publication
March 2025 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)

 

Good clear images of the veteran depot ship HMAS Platypus (I)during the Second World War, are a rare commodity.

Box

A few years back the editor received a number of photographs, mostly, old ‘box-brownies,’ which well illustrated life aboard and some activities ashore.

HMAS Platypus Crest

To give the reader an idea of what the crew endured during these war years, plus an image of the ship’s overall condition, I have ‘married’ the illustrations with some comments by the commanding officer from his Report of Proceedings (ROP).

The images are presented in chronological order.

In this 1942 view HMAS Platypus sits peacefully in Darwin Harbour
Internal view of HMAS Platypus’ workshop
A slightly faded view of the aft 40-mm Bofors gun aboard HMAS Platypus
The original ‘box-brownie’ caption described this onboard view as ‘Throwing a Bone’ on boat deck.
Onboard picture show, February 1944.
Crossing the Line, “The Royal Barber’ in action.
Crossing the Line ceremony
Returning from a sports afternoon, staged ashore on Morotai
Crew members head back to the ship’s boats after the formal Japanese surrender ceremony on Morotai Island, north of North Maluku.
This fine model of HMAS Platypus is held by the Naval Historical Society of Australia on Garden Island

 

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