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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Battles and operations

Battles and operations

Occasional Paper 41: SS William Dawes – A Ship is Burning (1942)

A.N. Other · May 21, 2025 ·

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 35: Loss of HMAS Parramatta (II): First Hand Accounts

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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 21: Battle of the Atlantic Memorial

A.N. Other · May 18, 2025 ·

In January 2018 advice was received from a Society member that a Battle of the Atlantic memorial is to be constructed in Liverpool, as there is no dedicated memorial to ...

Occasional Paper 19: Surgeon Commander Alexander Ruan Caw, RAN MB BS. Adelaide 1879-1924

A.N. Other · May 18, 2025 ·

  Surgeon Commander Alexander Ruan Caw, RAN MB BS. Adelaide. 1879-1924 These biographical notes on CMDR Alexander Caw who served in HMAS Australia during World War 1 were provided by ...

Occasional Paper 16: HMAS Australia and Atlantic rescue of Coastal CommandSunderland -1940

A.N. Other · May 17, 2025 ·

By LCDR Mac Gregory RANRetired   On Monday 28th October 1940. I was serving as an eighteen year oldMidshipman in HMAS “Australia”, an 8 inch gun cruiser. At that time, ...

Occasional Paper 15: Battle of Bita Paka 11 September 1914

Editorial Staff · May 17, 2025 ·

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 14: HMAS Canberra and the Battle of Savo Island

A.N. Other · May 17, 2025 ·

LCDR Mackenzie Jesse Gregory RAN Ret, (9/02/1922- 27/08/2014) was tomy mind a fine example of the qualities a Naval Officer needed to have. He could communicate well, wasa leader of ...

Occasional Paper 13: LOCAL AUSTRALIAN/USA SUBMARINE INITIATIVE HELPS TURN THE TIDE OF WAR AGAINST JAPAN IN 1942

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

The following story provided by Commodore Bob Trotter OAM RAN (Ret’d), National President of the Submarine Association is about a little-known part of the shared Australia/USA submarine history which helped ...

Occasional Paper 11: THE REMARKABLE SHORT LIFE OF HMAS NESTOR THE SHIP THAT NEVER CAME HOME

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

            The following address was delivered Commander Walter Burroughs RAN Rtd during the 75th anniversary ceremony conducted by the RAN on Garden Island, Sydney 16 June 2017. I am honoured ...

Occasional Paper 9: THE SINKING OF HMAS ARMIDALE ON 1st DECEMBER 1942

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

The following address was delivered by Dr Kevin Smith OAM to members of the Naval Historical Society of Australia in Sydney 18 April 2017. In 1798 at the Battle of ...

Occasional Paper 8: THE GUSTAVO STEFANINI STORY

A.N. Other · May 16, 2025 ·

The following story was provided by Commander Stephen Youll, OAM RAN Retd in relation to the matter of the first RAN ship to sink a submarine in World War 2. ...

Occasional Paper 7: HMAS VAMPIRE MEMORIAL ADDRESS 9 APRIL 2017

Editorial Staff · May 16, 2025 ·

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 5: Ken Brown:  Service in HMAS Nestor

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

  By Warrant Officer Martin Grogan SBLT Ken Brown, RAN Mr Ken BROWN (aged 95) a retired RAN Lieutenant Commander and World War Two veteran was recently awarded the British ...

Occasional Paper 3: TOBRUK – THE LIFTING OF THE SEIGE

Editorial Staff · May 15, 2025 ·

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 1: Battle of Australia Day Commemoration – Sydney 7 Sep 16

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

By Commander Rebecca Jeffcoat  RAN Distinguished Guests, Ladies andGentlemen First I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, the Traditional Custodians of this Land on which we are gathered, and ...

Occasional Paper 192: Exploring a Diorama: The RAN Bridging Train at Suvla Bay during the Gallipoli Campaign

A.N. Other · May 7, 2025 ·

By Geoff Barnes The following story by Geoff Barnes who created a diorama of the RAN Bridging Team at Suvla Bay in 1915 was first published as a blog by ...

The RAN and Cyclone Tracy 1974

David Stratton · Dec 26, 2024 ·

During the early hours of Christmas Day 1974, devastated the city of Darwin with winds in excess of 160 knots, killing 49 people ashore and a further 16 at sea. ...

Naval Art: Well Worth the Visit

David Michael · Dec 12, 2024 ·

This story was first published in the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) Volunteers’ quarterly magazine,  ‘All Hands’, Issue 129 in December 2024. The author, Geoff Barnes is a volunteer with ...

History of Australian Defence Landing Craft and the Balikpapan Class Landing Craft Heavy (LCH) 1971 – 2014

David Michael · Dec 12, 2024 ·

This Historical Booklet (Monograph 200) by Bjarne Kristensen was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in December 2024. This paper discusses the history of Australian Defence Amphibious vessels ...

Australian Submarines in the Cold War — A force Multiplier in the West

Dr Tom Lewis OAM · Dec 3, 2024 ·

This Historical Booklet (Monograph 199) by Dr Tom Lewis was published by the Naval Historical Society of Australia in September 2024. This paper discusses the role of the Royal Australian ...

Bathurst Class Corvettes

David Stratton · Nov 10, 2024 ·

When war looked imminent after the Munich crisis in 1938, the Royal Australian Navy realised it needed a fleet of escort ships to guard convoys and keep the sea lanes ...

Occasional Paper 183: The RAN Bridging Train – Dry Land Sailors

David Michael · Apr 4, 2024 ·

The Bridging Train which existed as a small but highly effective unit of the RAN operated essentially on dry land as field engineers between 1915 and 1917. They served with ...

The Army’s Defence of Merchant Shipping 1939-45

A.N. Other · Mar 6, 2024 ·

By Adrian Rose  In 1644 the Duke of York and Albany’s Maritime Regiment of Foot was raised to protect the crews of Royal Navy warships from attack by French sharpshooters. ...

Book Review: The Yachties. Australian Volunteers in The Royal Navy 1940-45

Book reviewer · Dec 27, 2023 ·

The Yachties. Australian Volunteers in The Royal Navy 1940-45. By Janet Roberts Billett. Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd., North Melbourne Vic. 3051 In 1940 the Royal Navy anticipated a shortage ...

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