Following the 1932-33 Ashes series held in Australia in which English captain Douglas Jardine employed ‘Bodyline’ tactics to combat the batting skills of Don Bradman a much lighter match was ...
Occasional Paper 42: The day the entire German fleet surrendered – 100 years ago
Armistice Day is remembered as the day World War One ended, but for naval historians Britain’s greatest victory came 10 days later. Operation ZZ was the code name for the ...
Occasional Paper 40: Secret History of the First Australian to be given Penicillin
On Thursday 9th August 2018 the ABC 7.30 Report broadcast a story by Tracy Bowden about the first use of penicillin in Australia. Tracy has given permission to the Naval ...
Occasional Paper 39: Compelled to Resign THE STORY OF COMMANDER PAUL HUGILL HIRST RAN 1899-1963
by Lieutenant Commander Terry Feltham RAN Ret’d “Just because something ends doesn’t mean it never should’ve been. Remember, you lived, you learned, you grew and you moved on”. Anon. Why ...
Occasional Paper 37: ALLAN CHARLES GREEN [1878-1954], the man behind the Photos
In the State Library of Victoria we have an amazing photographic collection of ship photo thanks to Allan Green. He was born in Daylesford, in the Central Victorian goldfields on ...
Occasional Paper 36: HMAS Sydney (3) Delivery to Australia: 1949
Our thanks go to Debbie Irwin for the letter by her uncle, Stoker Mechanician James (Jim) Ashwood of HMAS Sydney (3) to his sister Nancy dated 8 May 1949 about ...
Occasional Paper 35: Loss of HMAS Parramatta (II): First Hand Accounts
Recently the Naval Historical Society of Australia was favoured with two handwritten letters from survivors of the sinking of HMAS Parramatta (II) off Tobruk overnight 27 November 1941. The first ...
Occasional Paper 34: Paddle Steamer PS Weeroona
Recently the attention of the NHSA was drawn to the possibility of a paddle-steamer serving in the RAN. It appears that the closest was PS Weeroona built as a Port ...
Occasional Paper 33: HMAS Cerberus – Early History and Observations
This paper was developed after locating a 1970 HMAS Cerberus Wardroom mess dinner menu. The menu included observations by prominent citizens about HMAS Cerberus and its location at Westernport amongst ...
Occasional Paper 32: HMAS Voyager (I) or What’s in a Coat of Paint?
During WWII ships of the RAN were painted in a number of different colour schemes as these photos of Voyager illustrate and information on both peacetime and wartime camouflage paint ...
Occasional Paper 30: HMAS HOBART
Several events concerning the three HMA Ships Hobart come together with a memorial and commemoration service at the Garden Island Chapel on Sunday 22nd July 2018 at 10.00am. HMAS Hobart ...
Occasional Paper 17: Fleet arrival in Sydney – 4 October 1913
At an Imperial Conference held in 1909, it was decided to deploy toAustralian waters a naval unit consisting of at least a battle cruiser, three second class cruisers, six destroyers, ...
Occasional Paper 15: Battle of Bita Paka 11 September 1914
German New Guinea, colonised in 1884, maintained a wireless station at Bitapaka in New Britain. In 1914 the station was a target for Naval Reservists and others of the Australian ...
Occasional Paper 12: PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: AFTERMATH OF JAPANESE SUBMARINE ATTACK: SYDNEY HARBOUR
The following are accounts of individual contributions made by two remarkable people in the aftermath of the Japanese midget submarine attack in Sydney Harbour on 31 May1942. Actions by these ...
Occasional Paper 7: HMAS VAMPIRE MEMORIAL ADDRESS 9 APRIL 2017
On 9 April 1942, HMAS VAMPIRE (I) was sunk by Japanese bombers in the vicinity of Batticaloa, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with the loss of eight lives. This action was commemorated ...
Occasional Paper 6: Royal Australian Navy Ships Honour Roll
Given the 75th anniversary commemoration events taking place around Australia and overseas in 2017 to honour ships lost in the RAN’s darkest year, 1942 it is timely to reproduce the ...
Occasional Paper 3: TOBRUK – THE LIFTING OF THE SEIGE
December 9, 2016 is the 75th anniversary of the lifting of the siege of Tobruk, the port on the north coast of Libya, that proved such a thorn in Rommel’s ...
Occasional Paper 191: Aviation in the Royal Australian Navy, the first 65 Years, 1917 to 1982
The following story is based on a Royal Australian Navy News story first published on Friday 23 April 1982, page 4. Australian Naval aviation this month celebrated the 65th anniversary ...
Occasional Paper 190: Captain Cook Graving Dock 80th Anniversary: Engineering and Art
By Lorraine Fildes and Colin Randall This paper was compiled to mark the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Captain Cook Graving Dock at Garden Island in Sydney Harbour ...
Kongsberg Missile Systems
The following has been largely compiled from available media sources. Norway is a mountainous country in distant northern Europe, dominated by picturesque fjords with ready access to the sea. For ...
Golden Lace and Silken Ribbons
A recent article found on the UK Forces Net asks the question: Is the braid used on Royal Navy officers’ uniforms really made of precious metal? This article tells us ...
The World’s First Autonomous Vessel
In terms of Autonomous Vehicles, thoughts turn to new initiatives stemming from recent technology which significantly reduces manpower requirements and in the case of the armed forces also reduces potential ...
Offshore Support Vessels and the Loss of HMNZS Manawanui
Over recent times, second-hand general-purpose offshore support vessels emanating from the North Sea oil industry have become workhorses used by the Australian and New Zealand navies and associated services. In ...
Graeme Keith Andrews OAM: 1938–2024 A life dedicated to maritime heritage
Graeme Andrews developed a passion for the sea early in life and became one of the country’s foremost authorities on maritime heritage. Through his writing, research, and involvement in preserving ...
Sandakan: From Hell to Eternity
The December 2023 edition of this magazine contained an article titled Newcastle Reminiscences, compiled from the recollections of 97-year-old Mrs Thelma Tame. Her uncle was the late Major William Sticpewich ...
