A sailor rushed up to the Officer of the Deck in such great excitement that he stammered and stuttered. The Officer lost patience with him finally and said “Sing it ...
Why Knot?
The log is a device for measuring a ship’s speed through the water. An early log, said to have been invented about 1620, consisted of a float or chip designed ...
The Battle of the Coral Sea Remembrance service – May 1989
The old “Aussie” hands gave three cheers to honour Mrs Francomb and her late husband Rear Admiral H.B. Farncomb, C.B., D.S.O., U.S. Navy Cross. ...
HMAS Canberra and HMAS Shropshire Honoured
On the 4th April, 1989,a delightful ceremony took place in the precincts of the Naval Museum on Garden Island, Sydney, in the presentation of much treasured naval memorabilia. Firstly, a beautiful coloured ...
Order of Battle at Midway
The Fighting Tribals
DURING THE 1930S the Tribals were designed to lend heavier gun support to existing flotillas and were influenced by similar contemporary German (Type 1934), Japanese (Asashio Class) and the American ...
The Cruiser Choir
Anon AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR I was organist and choir master at St Andrews Church, Wahroonga. I mention this fact because it has a bearing on the short story ...
Warramunga to the Rescue of SS Starr King
DURING 1943 several Japanese submarines operated off the east coast of Australia. In all about 14 ships were torpedoed by these subs. Surface escorts for ships operating off the coast ...
HMAS Waterhen – a history
Sydney – Emden Action: a short history
IN OCTOBER 1914, Sydney and her sister ship Melbourne detached from the Flagship (Australia) and returned to Australia to form a unit of the escort of the first Anzac convoy ...
FFG5 Builds in Two Dockyards 600 Miles Apart
A TECHNIQUE successfully employed by Germany for the building of U boats is being employed in the building of the two guided missile frigates building in Australia. The frigates FFG5 ...
When it all Began – the Arrival of the First Royal Australian Naval Fleet
Flag Officers Commanding Australian Fleet, 1913-1986
Vice-Admiral Sir George E. Patey, KCMG, KCVO, MVO 1913-1916 Rear-Admiral Sir William Christopher Pakenham, KCB, MVO 1916-1917 Rear-Admiral Arthur Cavenagh Leveson, CB 1917-1918 Rear-Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, KCMG, CB, CMG ...
Sirius, HMS – Wreckage Recovered from First Fleet Flagship
Out of the Past – HMS Cambrian
The 2nd class cruiser HMS CAMBRIAN was built at Pembroke Dock, England in 1893. She served on the Australia Station from 1903 and shared her time in Australia and New ...
HMAS Moresby, Survey Ship
HMS SILVIO was one of four World War I Royal Navy Minesweepers converted to Survey Ships in 1922-25. Sister ships were Iroquois, Ormonde and Herald. In 1925 Silvio was lent ...
Man O’War Steps Restored – 1973
After over a century of use by members of both the Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, the Man O’War Steps at Farm Cove were restored and extended early ...
Lingayen Gulf Signals – 6 to 9 July, 1945
From CTG 77.3 to Australia ‘Sorry the Hell Birds concentrated on you. My deep regrets for losses in the stout ship’s company.’ From Australia to CTG 77.3 ‘Thank you very ...
The Old Fou Fou Band
No self respecting warship in the World War I era was without its Fou Fou Band. Originality was the keynote of a successful Fou Fou Band and from this photograph of ...
The Chequered Career of HMAS Penguin
STANDING PROUDLY IN THE GROUNDS of HMAS Penguin at Balmoral, Sydney, is the figurehead of the old Wild Swan Class sloop that gave the establishment its name. It is of ...
Minesweeping in the old Protector
Anon This verbatim account of life in the old gunboat HMAS Protector was found in the editorial files of the late Harry Adlam, but unfortunately it lacked the author’s name. ...
The Invincible Invincible
THE SHIP THAT CHANGED NAVAL THINKING visited Sydney in December and despite a refusal on Government level to use the Captain Cook Graving Dock won vast public support. Here is ...
Crimea Battle was Forerunner of Combined Operations
HMAS Canberra’s 1935 cruise
Showing the Flag Around Australia By Civilian Observer This account of HMAS Canberra’s 1935 cruise was printed in the Sun & Guardian dated 8 December, 1935. The cruise was made ...