- Author
- A.N. Other and NHSA Webmaster
- Subjects
- History - general, Ship histories and stories
- Tags
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- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 1991 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
Area Battle Honours for World War II awarded to the RAN
| BATTLE HONOUR | LIMITS OF AREA. SHIPS, ETC – ELIGIBILITY |
| PACIFIC 1941-45 | The South West Pacific area (as defined on 3 April 1942) with the exception of that part bounded on the west by the western boundary of the Area, on the north by 7°N, on the east by 108°E and on the south by 7°S. Ships which gave direct support to the guerilla campaign in Timor; or sank Japanese submarines; or took part in the Borneo operations in 1945; or operated in support of the Australian land forces in the Solomon Islands in 1945; or participated in minor bombardments (unless the battle honour NEW GUINEA 1942-44 is applicable); or where employed as escorts to convoys (unless the battle honour NEW GUINEA 1942-44 is applicable), during the period 1 January 1942 to 14 August 1945. |
| INDIAN OCEAN 1941-45 | All of the Indian Ocean north of 2°30’S with the exception of that part east of 95°E and south on 70N.Ships which sank Japanese submarines or were employed as escorts to convoys in the area during the period 8 December 1941 to 15 August 1945. |
Campaign Battle Honours for World War II awarded to the RAN
| BATTLE HONOUR | LIMITS OF AREA. SHIPS, ETC – ELIGIBILITY |
| NEW GUINEA 1942-44(superseding RAN PACIFIC 1942-45 awarded by MOD(N)) | 21 July 1942 to 30 September 1944.Ships which took part in the New Guinea Campaign, ie operations against
enemy held territory in New Guinea (including Papua and Netherlands New Guinea), New Britain, the Bismarck Archipelago, New Ireland and Morotai Island and ships employed as escorts to convoys for this campaign.
|
Campaign Battle Honours awarded since 1945 are set out below:
| BATTLE HONOUR | LIMITS OF AREA. SHIPS, ETC – ELIGIBILITY |
| KOREA 1950-53 | The Korean Operational area.Awarded by the Admiralty MOD (N) to all ships and Fleet Air Arm squadrons allotted for duty in this area between 27 June 1950 and 27 July 1953. |
| VIETNAM 1967-71 | The Vietnam Operational Area.All HMA ships and Fleet Air Arm squadrons allotted for duty in this area during this period. |
Notes
1. In the above, the expression `all ships’ includes Fleet Air Arm squadrons, both carrierborne and shorebased.
2. Ships employed as escorts to convoys should have completed at least 14 days in the area. Ships which did not complete the specific period of convoy duty in the area may still be awarded the battle honour as a result of an engagement with the enemy.
BATTLE HONOURS AWARDED
| Battle Honour | Date |
| ARMADA 1588 | 21-29 July, 1588 |
| CADIZ 1596 | 21 June, 1596 |
| DOVER 1652 | 19 May, 1652 |
| MONTECRISTO 1652 | 28 August, 1652 |
| KENTISH KNOCK 1652 | 28 September, 1652 |
| PORTLAND 1653 | 18-20 February, 1653 |
| GABBARD 1653 | 2-3 June, 1653 |
| SCHEVENINGEN 1653 | 31 July, 1653 |
| PORTOFARINA 1655 | 4 April, 1655 |
| SANTA CRUZ 1657 | 20 April, 1657 |
| LOWESTOFT 1665 | 3 June, 1665 |
| ORFORDNESS 1666 | 25 July, 1666 |
| BUGIA 1671 | 8 May, 1671 |
| SOLE BAY 1672 | 28 May, 1672 |
| SCHOONEVELD 1673 | 28 May and 4 June, 1673 |
| TEXEL 1673 | 11 August, 1673 |
| BARFLEUR 1692 | 19-24 May, 1692 |
| VIGO 1702 | 12 October, 1702 |
| GIBRALTAR 1704 | 24 July, 1704 |
| VELEZ MALAGA 1704 | 3 August, 1704 |
| MARBELLA 1705 | 10 March, 1705 |
| PASSERO 1718 | 31 July, 1718 |
| PUERTO BELLO 1739 | 22 November, 1739 |
| FINISTERRE 1747 | 3 May, 1747 |
| USHANT 1747 | 14 October, 1747 |
| CAPE FRANCOIS 7757 | 21 October, 1757 |
| SADRAS 1758 | 25 April, 1758 |
| LOUISBURG 1758 | 6 July, 1758 |
| NEGAPATAM 1758 | 3 August, 1758 |
| LAGOS 1759 | 17-18 August, 1759 |
| PORTO NOVO 1759 | 10 September, 1759 |
| QUEBEC 1759 | July-13 September, 1759 |
| QUIBERON BAY 1759 | 20 November, 1759 |
| BELLE ILE 1761 | 7 June, 1761 |
| MARTINIQUE 1762 | 16 January-16 February, 1762 |
| HAVANA 1762 | 6 June-13 August, 1762 |
| LAKE CHAMPLAIN 1776 | 11 and 13 October, 1776 |
| ST. LUCIA 1778 | 15 December, 1778 |
| ST. VINCENT 1780 | 16 January, 1780 |
| CHESAPEAKE 1781 | 16 March, 1781 |
| DOGGER BANK 1781 | 5 August, 1781 |
| USHANT 1781 | 12 December, 1781 |
| ST. KITTS 1782 | 25-26 January, 1782 |
| SADRAS 1782 | 17 February, 1782 |
| THE SAINTS 1782 | 12 April, 1782 |
| PROVIDIEN 1782 | 12 April, 1782 |
| NEGAPATAM 1782 | 6 July, 1782 |
| TRINCOMALEE 1782 | 3 September, 1782 |
| MARTINIQUE 1794 | 5-22 March, 1794 |
| FIRST OF JUNE 1794 | 1 June, 1794 |
| GENOA 1795 | 13-14 March, 1795 |
| CORNWALLIS’ RETREAT 1795 | 17 June, 1795 |
| GROIX ISLAND 1795 | 23 June, 1795 |
| CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1795 | 14 July-16 September, 1795 |
| ST. LUCIA 1796 | 27 April-24 May, 1796 |
| ST. VINCENT 1797 | 14 February, 1797 |
| CAMPERDOWN 1797 | 11 October, 1797 |
| NILE 1798 | I August, 1798 |
| DONEGAL 1798 | 12 October, 1798 |
| MINORCA 1798 | 7-15 November, 1798 |
| ACRE 1799 | 17 March-20 May, 1799 |
| COPENHAGEN 1801 | 2 April, 1801 |
| GUT OF GIBRALTAR 1801 | 12-13 July, 1801 |
| EGYPT 1801 | March-September, 1801 |
| CAPE TENEZ 1805 | 4 February, 1805 |
| TRAFALGAR 1805 | 21 October, 1805 |
| BAY OF BISCAY 1805 | 4 November, 1805 |
| CAPE OF GOOD HOPE 1806 | 8-18 January, 1806 |
| SAN DOMINGO 1806 | 6 February, 1806 |
| CURACOA 1807 | I January, 1807 |
| CAYENNE 1809 | 14 January, 1809 |
| MARTINIQUE 1809 | 30 January-24 February, 1809 |
| BASQUE ROADS 1809 | 11 April, 1809 |
| GUADELOUPE 1810 | 28 January-5 February, 1810 |
| AMBOINA 1810 | 17 February, 1810 |
| BANDA NEIRA 1810 | 9 August, 1810 |
| TERNATE 1810 | 29 August, 1810 |
| LISSA 1811 | 13 March, 1811 |
| TAMATAVE 1811 | 20 May, 1811 |
| JAVA 1811 | July-September, 1811 |
| PELAGOSA 1811 | 29 November, 1811 |
| SAN SEBASTIAN 1813 | August-8 September, 1813 |
| GLUCKSTADT 1814 | 5 January, 1814 |
| CATTARO 1814 | 5 January, 1814 |
| ALGIERS 1816 | 27 August, 1816 |
| BURMA 1824-26 | 5 March, 1824-24 February, 1826 |
| NAVARINO 1827 | 20 October, 1827 |
| ADEN 1839 | 19 January, 1839 |
| SYRIA 1840 | 10 September-9 December, 1840 |
| CHINA 1841-42 | 7 January, 1841-21 July, 1842 |
| NEW ZEALAND 1845-47 | 1845-47 |
| BURMA 1852-53 | 10 January, 1852-30 June, 1853 |
| BALTIC 1854-55 | 28 March-20 September, 1854; 17 April – 10 December, 1855 |
| CRIMEA 1854-55 | 17 September, 1854-22 November, 1855 |
| CHINA 1856-60 | 1 October, 1856-26 June, 1858; 1 August-24 October, 1860 |
| LUCKNOW 1857-58 | 1857-58 |
| AMORHA 1858 | 5 March, 1858 |
| NEW ZEALAND 1860-66 | 1860-66 |
| ABYSSINIA 1868 | 13 April, 1868 |
| ASHANTEE 1873-74 | 9 June, 1873-4 February, 1874 |
| ALEXANDRIA 1882 | 11 July, 1882 |
| BENIN 1897 | 8-28 February, 1897 |
| SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1900 | 1899-1900 |
| CHINA 1900 | 10 June-31 December, 1900 |
| HCLIGOLAND 1914 | 28-Aug-1914 |
| FALKLAND ISLANDS 1914 | 8-Dec-1914 |
| CAMEROONS 1914 | 1914 |
| DOGGER BANK 1915 | 24-Jan-1915 |
| SUEZ CANAL 1915 | 2-4 February, 1915 |
| DARDANELLES 1915-16 | 19 February, 1915-8 January, 1916 |
| MESOPOTAMIA 1914-16 | 1914-16 |
| JUTLAND 1916 | 31-May-1916 |
| DOVER 1917 | 21-Apr-1917 |
| ZEEBRUGGE 1918 | 23-Apr-1918 |
| OSTEND 1918 | 10-May-1918 |
| BELGIAN COAST 1914-18 | 4 August, 1914-19 October, 1918 |
| RIVER PLATE 1939 | 13-Dec-1939 |
| NARVIK 1940 | 10 and 13 April, 1940 |
| NORWAY 1940-45 | 8 April-8 June, 1940; and later years |
| DUNKIRK 1940 | 26 May-4 June, 1940 |
| ‘Scharnhorst’ 1940 | 8-June-1940 |
| CALABRIA 1940 | 9-July-1940 |
| SPADA 1940 | 19-July-1940 |
| TARANTO 1940 | 11-November-1940 |
| SPARTIVENTO 1940 | 27-November-1940 |
| MATAPAN 1941 | 28-29 March, 1941 |
| SFAX 1941 | 15-16 April, 1941 |
| GREECE 1941 | 24-29 April, 1941 |
| CRETE 1941 | 20 May-1 June, 1941 |
| ‘Bismarck’ 1941 | 23-27 May, 1941 |
| CAPE BON 1941 | 13-December-1941 |
| LIBYA 1940-42 | September, 1940-June, 1942 |
| SUNDA STRAIT 1942 | 28 February -1 March, 1942 |
| SIRTE 1942 | 22-March-1942 |
| ST. NAZAIRE 1942 | 28-March-1942 |
| DIEGO SUAREZ 1942 | 5-7 May, 1942 |
| CORAL SEA 1942 | 7-May-1942 |
| SAVO ISLAND 1942 | 9-August-1942 |
| DIEPPE 1942 | 19-August-1942 |
| BARENTS SEA | 31-December-1942 |
| GUADALCANAL 1942-43 | August, 1942-February, 1943 |
| NORTH AFRICA 1942-43 | 8 November, 1942-20 February, 1943 |
| SICILY 1943 | 10 July-17 August, 1943 |
| KULA GULF 1943 | 13-July-1943 |
| SALERNO 1943 | 9 September-6 October, 1943 |
| AEGEAN 1943-44 | 7 September-28 November, 1943; and 1944 |
| NORTH CAPE 1943 | 26-December-1943 |
| ADRIATIC 1944 | 1944 |
| ANZIO 1944 | 22-31 January, 1944 |
| NORMANDY 1944 | 6 June-3 July, 1944 |
| SABANG 1944 | 25-July-44 |
| SOUTH FRANCE 1944 | 15-27 August, 1944 |
| LEYTE GULF 1944 | 20-27 October, 1944 |
| WALCHEREN 1944 | 1-November-1944 |
| MALAYA 1942-45 | 1942-45 |
| BURMA 1944-45 | October, 1944-April, 1945; May-August 1945 |
| LINGAYEN GULF 1945 | 5-9 January, 1945 |
| PALEMBANG 1945 | 24-January 1945 |
| OKINAWA 1945 | 26 March-25 May, 1945 |
| JAPAN 1945 | 16 July-11 August, 1945 |
| ATLANTIC 1939-45 | 1939-45 |
| ENGLISH CHANNEL 1939-45 | 1939-45 |
| NORTH SEA 1939-45. | 1939-45 |
| BISCAY 1940-45 | 1940-45 |
| MEDITERRANEAN 1940-45 | 1940-45 |
| MALTA CONVOYS 1941-42 | 1941-42 |
| ARCTIC 1941-45 | 1941-45 |
| KOREA 1950-53 | 1954-53 |
| VIETNAM 1967-71 | 1967-71 |
Single-ship and Boat Service Actions which are denoted by the Name of the Enemy Engaged, and not by a Place name eg:
| Date | Ship | Battle Honour |
| 9.11.1914 | SYDNEY | `Emden’ 1914 |
| 19.11.1941 | SYDNEY | `Kormoran’ 1941 |