By David Michael The majority of young men and women who join the Navy serve with great pride for careers of varying lengths and in their later years look back ...
Article topics
Occasional Paper 205: Rear Admiral Rothesay Cathcart Swan AO CBE RAN (Ret’d)
The following eulogy for Rear Admiral Swan was delivered by Commander Stephen Moss CSC RAN (Ret’d) during the funeral service at the Naval Chapel Garden Island, Sydney on 22 January ...
Occasional Paper 204: THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY IN CAMBODIA 1992 – 1997
The United Nations Transitional Authority Cambodia (UNTAC) was established in 1992 and given the mandate to enforce a cease fire in the war-torn nation and deal with refugees and the ...
Obituary: Rear Admiral Rothesay Swan
On 24th December 2025 99 year old Rear Admiral Rothesay Swan AO CBE RAN peacefully passed away in Sydney. His 43-year naval career was a notable one and included active ...
RUM ISSUES
Information on naval rum issues to the sailors of naval forces in Australia can be confusing due to historical changes in the naval forces responsible for the defence of Australia ...
Occasional Paper 200: Captain Ralph Frank Marston Lowe DSC, ADC, RAN (RTD)
By Dr John Carroll PhD This story by Dr Carroll was first published by the Naval Association of Australia in the White Ensign Magazine in the Red Watch Issue 25/1, ...
Occasional Paper 203: Battle of Bita Paka – the captured German flag
By Andrew Mackinnon For many years the Heritage and Learning Centre at HMAS Cerberus has proudly displayed what was believed to be the original German Imperial Flag flying over the ...
Occasional Paper 202: Mardsen Hordern – last of the Fairmile Motor Launch Commanders
By Walter Burroughs Recently we were saddened to hear of the death of Lieutenant Commander Marsden Hordern, OAM, VRD, RANR, Rtd who passed away peacefully in his sleep at home ...
Occasional Paper 201: ‘Trouble in the Balkans’ The Royal Australian Navy in Yugoslavia
By Greg Swinden During the period 1992-2011 an estimated 150 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel served in one of the most bitter and brutal conflicts of the late 20th Century.[1] ...
Occasional Paper 199: BRACE YOURSELF!
By Lorraine and Robert Fildes Braces on square rigged sailing vessels were used to trim (adjust the angle) of a particular square sail. Hence you would have a port mainsail ...
Naval Traditions, Toasts and Customs
There are many customs and traditions associated with the Royal Australian Navy, most of which were carried over from their Royal Navy origins. These include matters such as the ceremony ...
Occasional Paper 197: The Countess of Hopetoun Incident, December 1915
By Greg Swinden This article was first published in the Naval Historical Review, June 2000 edition. HMAS Countess of Hopetoun (commanded by Boatswain Samuel Waugh, RN), a 23-year-old Torpedo Boat ...
Occasional Paper 198: OPERATION TAMAR – THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY IN RWANDA 1994 – 1995
By Greg Swinden The second United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR II) was named Operation TAMAR by the Australian Defence Force; commencing on 25 July 1994 and ending on ...
Occasional Paper 196: Rosa Angela Kirkcaldie, World War (I) Pioneer Nurse
Rosa Kirkcaldie (1887-1972) was a hospital matron and army nurse born at Homebush, Sydney and trained at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney between 1910 and 1914. She gained her ...
Occasional Paper 195: Finding the HMAS Melbourne(II) 10th February 1964 Bridge Communication Log Book
By Rob Everett One piece of critical evidence to the Royal Commission into the tragic collision between HMAS Voyager and HMAS Melbourne off Jervis Bay during the first watch of ...
Occasional Paper 194: Reflections on the First Gulf War 1990 – 1991
By CDRE Richard T. Menhinick, AM, CSC, RAN (Retd) The Naval Historical Society is grateful to Commodore Menhinick for allowing publication of this, his 2025 Anzac Day address to the ...
Occasional Paper 43: The Press vs RAN Cricket Match 25 January 1933
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 41: SS William Dawes – A Ship is Burning (1942)
This account records an incident in the Japanese submarine campaign off Australia and the efforts of the RAAF and VAOC to protect coastal shipping. As the attractive blonde 17 year ...
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 38: RAN Returns to the Unit System of Machinery Layout
Peter Calthorpe is a member of the Society, married to Liz Calthorpe, the NHSA Librarian and they have two adult daughters. Peter completed 27 years’ service in the Royal Australian ...
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 ...