At the Chapel of Remembrance, Garden Island, Sydney on Sunday, 15th July 1997 a memorial window commemorating the fifteen RAN destroyers which served in World War II was dedicated and ...
S206 – Officer Competancy Reports
The form used for Britain’s Royal Navy and Marines officer competency reports is the S206. The following are apparently true excerpts taken from people’s 206s. In the RAN it was ...
The Legend of Arnold Green RAN – Follow-Up Stories
Further to the article on Arnold Green in the December 1996 edition, more Arnold Green stories: 1. On assumption of his duties as Resident Naval Officer, Hobart, Arnold Green ...
Obituary: Ian Hunter McDonald RAN (1915-1996)
On 25 November 1996, 55 years to the day of the sinking of HMS Barham, in which he was serving and when 862 of his shipmates lost their lives, Captain ...
Huon Class Minehunters – Launching of HMAS Norman
Harmony at Sea
A copy of an unidentified magazine article came to our notice some weeks ago. It was headed “The Royal Navy”, and dealt with many facets of that Service in a ...
Dumaresq awards and decorations donated to RAN
The awards and decorations of an Australian Rear Admiral who became one of the most innovative naval officers of his time have been donated to the Royal Australian Navy by ...
Prize Money Explained
Recently, in discussing Patrick O’Brian’s books, some of the younger members of the group were intrigued – if not incredulous – when I mentioned that I had received Prize Money ...
The Australian National Flag
Obituary: Rear Admiral Bryn Mussared (1917-1995)
Rear Admiral Bryn Mussared was born in 1917 in Semaphore SA, and entered the Navy in 1932. On passing out from the Naval College, he was awarded ‘maximum time’ and the ...
Report:HMAS Sydney II-Possible and probable causes of loss
The Department of Marine Archaeology, Western Australia has produced a Report No. 104, by W.J. Olsen, investigating the possible and probable causes of the loss of H.M.A.S. “SYDNEY”. It is ...
Nelson’s Signals on the Eve of Trafalgar
In this “Australia Remembers” year, it is fitting to reflect on the 190th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and what “might have been” if Lord Nelson had been defeated ...
Sparrow Force – Timor 1942-1943 – Under false colours?
In February 1942 when the Japanese army invaded Timor a small band of Australians – the `Sparrow Force’ – took to the mountains and began a guerilla war against the ...
Obituary: Lieutenant C.L.M (Jack) Shepperd, MBE DSM
Anybody who served in HMAS NIRIMBA between 1956 and its closure in 1994 would have known Jack Shepperd. He died on Wednesday, 17th August, 1994 aged 86. Apart from family ...
HMAS ADELAIDE (1922-1945)
HMAS ADELAIDE – Light Cruiser HMAS Adelaide (1922 to 1945) Painting by John Bastock Displacement: 5,560 tons standard Length: 460 ft (140.20 m) overall Beam: 50 ft (15.24 m) Draught: 18½ ...
The Two Falkland Islands Wars – 1982 (Part 2)
Battle for Falkland Islands – 1982 The Argentine seizure of the Falkland Islands (las Islas Malvinas) on 2 April 1982 took place at a time when the British Royal Navy ...
The Two Falkland Islands Wars – 1914 (Part 1)
New Diving Launches Arrive
August 16, 1993 saw two new large diving launches constructed by Geraldton Boat Builders of Geraldton, arrive at HMAS STIRLING for handover to the Royal Australian Navy in company with ...
HMAS Sterling-Fleet Base West
HMAS Sydney III – 1948-1973
Veteran aircraft carrier of Korean War (1951-54), Malaysian/Indonesian confrontation emergency (1964) and troop transport of Vietnam conflict (1965-72) Left Foreground: Patrol Boat/Assault Support Right Middle: Australian Army Vessel of Brudenell White/Clive ...
The Captain’s Table
The ocean liner was carrying a group of veterans returning to Europe on a visit. A dozen of his group had been assigned to the Captain’s table but, unfortunately, the ship ran into ...
Book Review: HMAS Canberra – Iron Bottom Sound
HMAS Canberra lies at the bottom of Ironbottom Sound, her eight-inch guns still reaching vainly for the Imperial Japanese enemy which surprised and overwhelmed her with a hurricane of shell ...
HMAS Nirimba – End of an Era – 1993
The Defence Force Establishment at Quakers Hill, N.S.W. spent most of its life as part of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This is fitting since the first non-Aboriginal people to ...
RAN Minesweepers and Minehunters
HMAS Albatross – a brief history
The decision to build an airfield on the land now occupied by the Naval Air Station was taken soon after WWII was declared in 1939. The RAAF occupied the new ...