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You are here: Home / Archives for Article topics / Naval history / Ship histories and stories

Ship histories and stories

Occasional Paper 39: Compelled to Resign THE STORY OF COMMANDER PAUL HUGILL HIRST RAN  1899-1963

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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

Colthorpe, P.D., Lieutenant, RAN · May 20, 2025 ·

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 36: HMAS Sydney (3) Delivery to Australia: 1949

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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

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 32: HMAS Voyager (I) or What’s in a Coat of Paint?

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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

Editorial Staff · May 20, 2025 ·

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 29: Captain Frederick Melbourne Piggott RD RNR

A.N. Other · May 20, 2025 ·

Captain Frederick Melbourne Piggott RD RNR was born in the UK in April 1915 and moved to Australia in 1943 where he trained young men to handle a Dutch submarine. ...

Occasional Paper 23: HMAS Darwin Decommissioning

A.N. Other · May 18, 2025 ·

On 8 December 2017 the guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin was decommissioned in a ceremony at Fleet Base East, Garden Island in the presence of former crew and hundreds of ...

Occasional Paper 22: Attack Class Patrol Boats

A.N. Other · May 18, 2025 ·

 The following is an article from”All Hands” December 2017 edition of the Australian Maritime Museum Volunteers’  Quarterly Newsletter. By Wal Robson The museum’s popular patrol boat has a significant birthday ...

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 17: Fleet arrival in Sydney – 4 October 1913

Editorial Staff · May 18, 2025 ·

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 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 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 6: Royal Australian Navy Ships Honour Roll

Editorial Staff · May 15, 2025 ·

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 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 4: Naval Historical Society of Australia PRESENTATION– 26 SEPTEMBER 2016 HMAS MELBOURNE II

A.N. Other · May 15, 2025 ·

By Tom de Voil Introduction I recently had a brief article about HMAS MELBOURNE, the aircraft carrier, published and consequent on that I was asked to give this talk. It ...

Occasional Paper 191: Aviation in the Royal Australian Navy, the first 65 Years, 1917 to 1982

Editorial Staff · Mar 1, 2025 ·

Sopwith Pup from HMAS Sydney with HMAS Melbourne in the background

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Book Review: Abide With Me – The HMAS Voyager Tragedy

Kingsley Perry · Mar 23, 2024 ·

Abide With Me – The HMAS Voyager Tragedy by Elizabeth McCarthy This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the collision between HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager off the New South ...

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