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 ...
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
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 ...
Lieutenant-Commander R.W. Rankin of HMAS Yarra
On 14th August, 1992, shortly after HMAS CRESWELL’S annual Passing Out Parade, Miss Trish Rankin presented her father’s medals to Captain C.S.H. Harrington, RAN, Commanding Officer of HMAS CRESWELL. Fifty ...
RAN College – History Of 1913 Entry
In July 1991, Rear Admiral H.A. Showers, CBE, RAN (Rtd) died in Sydney. With his passing the last link with the historic first entry to the Royal Australian Naval College ...
Campaign Medals – Maori Wars – 1860-1861
The New Zealand Medal to the Victorian Naval Service 1860/61 There had been fighting between the Maoris, who had first settled in New Zealand c825, and the white settlers, but ...
Sydney – Convict Colony or a ‘normal’ British Colony?
RAN Ships and Their Commanders at the Outbreak of WW2
Commodore in command of Australian Fleet at the outbreak of 1939-45 War: Commodore 2nd Class W.R. Patterson, C.V.O. (R.N.) Commanding Officers, H.M.A. Ships at the outbreak of 1939-45 War: ADELAIDE: ...
ANZAC Class Frigates – Naming Issues
The New Anzac Class Frigates, the first of which will be delivered during 1995, have been named to commemorate previous ships of the Royal Australian Navy, all of which had distinguished ...
Faces of the Past (early 1942)
Top Row (l-r) Captain Esdale, Paymaster Capt. Trivett, Lt Cmdr Lewis, Lt Cmdr Wilkinson, Engineer Capt. Doyle. Middle Row (l-r) Commander Clark, Commander Langford, Commodore Muirhead-Gould, Paymaster Cmdr E. Kinesford-Smith, Stubbs Chaplain Bottom ...
Obituary: Commodore Rodney Rhoades – The man who fed Tobruk
Commodore Rodney Rhoades RAN, who commanded HMAS Vendetta of the celebrated “Scrap Iron Flotilla” which supplied Tobruk during the World War II siege, has died in Sydney. He was 83. ...
HMAS CERBERUS – An Overview
Often referred to as The Cradle of the Navy, HMAS CERBERUS is the premier training establishment of the Royal Australian Navy and has a complement of 132 Officers, 310 Senior ...
