Ship histories and stories

The Story of the Willie D

Fazio, Lieut. V. RANEM · Jun 21, 2010 ·

Editor’s Note: This story was discovered and contributed by Vince Fazio. He wishes it to be known that he is no relation to the Torpedoman Fazio mentioned in the text. ...

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Malta Revisited

Hill, Gordon · Jun 10, 2010 ·

Memories of HMAS Vendetta in Malta in World War ll The George Cross Island Association Reunion 2004 gave me the opportunity to revisit Malta. I knew that if I put ...

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Book Review: Sydney – Cipher and Search

Book reviewer · Dec 1, 2009 ·

Sydney – Cipher and Search By Captain Peter Hore RN (formerly Head of Defence Studies for the Royal Navy and currently chairman of the research committee of the Society for ...

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Admirable Ancestors

Graham-Smith, Mick · Sep 21, 2009 ·

This is a copy of a lecture recently delivered to the WA Chapter of the Naval Historical Society of Australia by Mick Graham-Smith Firstly, I would like to introduce myself. ...

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The Boatswain, the Mate, and the Kickings

Periodical, Navy League Journal · Jun 21, 2009 ·

Some sound advice: Don’t Put it in Writing! HMS Incredible, 15th August. Sir, I have the honour to submit that I may be granted extra pay as follows. On arrival ...

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The Long Journey Home – Unknown HMAS Sydney Sailor

Swinden, Greg · Jun 21, 2009 ·

He was badly wounded and dying, but somehow he made it into the Carley Float. Whether he fell into it, was blown in by a bursting shell or was placed ...

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Letters: VC for Sheehan is a Pandora’s Box

Letter Writer · Dec 7, 2008 ·

Noting the statement regarding the Sheehan’s family fight for VC, I thought that the enclosures may be of interest to your members. While there is no denying the bravery of ...

Loss of HMAS Yarra – 4 March, 1942

Periodical, Archives · Dec 5, 2008 ·

HMAS Yarra, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Robert ‘Oscar’ Rankin, was sunk while defending a convoy against a vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy squadron commanded by Vice Admiral Nobutake ...

Book Review: Beneath the Dardanelles

Book reviewer · Dec 5, 2008 ·

Beneath the Dardanelles By Vehici and Hatice Basarin Published by Allen and Unwin in paperback, rrp $24.95. Reviewed by Barry Nobes This unusual book purports to present the sinking of ...

RANVR – The Forgotten Few

Wright, Ken · Dec 5, 2008 ·

When Hitler declared war on Great Britain in 1939, here in Australia, the Prime Minister Robert Menzies addressed the nation on 3 September: ‘Fellow Australians, it is my melancholy duty ...

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A Letter from HMAS Sydney

Barrey, R.B., Flying Officer · Sep 5, 2008 ·

Editor’s note: This letter was written by Flying Officer R.B. Barrey who was the pilot of the Walrus Amphibian aircraft in HMAS Sydney in 1941. He did not survive the ...

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HMAS Australia – A ship for a nation

Stevens, David · Sep 5, 2008 ·

‘There would be an element of tragedy in such an end to any ship; but when the ship represents as much, and suggests as much, as the Australia does, the ...

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Obituary: Reinhold von Malapert

Newspaper, London Daily Telegraph · Mar 5, 2008 ·

This Obituary was first published in the UK’s Daily Telegraph and appears here with that paper’s kind permission Capitan-Leutnant Reinhold von Malapert, who has died aged 93, witnessed the last ...

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Minesweeping after WW2 – Loss of Warrnambool

Swinden, Greg · Mar 5, 2008 ·

Following the end of World War II there was a requirement to sweep the thousands of mines laid in defensive minefields throughout Australian waters. During the war the RAN’s minelayer, ...

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The Sinking of MV Koolama, 1942

Wright, Ken · Mar 5, 2008 ·

For anyone fortunate enough to be holidaying in the top end of Western Australia and find themselves on the old section of the Wyndham pier, spare a thought for the ...

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Book Review: Across the Sea to War

Book reviewer · Mar 5, 2008 ·

Across the Sea to War. By Peter Plowman. Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd (2003). ISBN 1877058 06 8 Reviewed by Sandy Saunders An interesting publication which describes in great detail the ...

Reminiscences about the wartime activities of HMAS Australia

A.N. Other · Dec 12, 2007 ·

Being an anonymous reminiscence about the wartime activities of HMAS Australia, first published in the collection entitled HMAS 1945, published by the Australian War Memorial. In the three years of ...

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Search and Rescue: Miracle in the South, 1977

Periodical, Semaphore · Dec 4, 2007 ·

This article was first published in Semaphore, the newsletter of the Sea Power Centre – Australia, Issue 3 January, 2007. Safety fears for missing yachtie Bullimore is typical of the ...

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River Class Frigates in the RAN – a Brief History

Gillett, Ross · Dec 4, 2007 ·

This article first appeared in The Australian Warship Review, Vol. 4/1999. From 1961 to 1998, varying numbers of the long-serving Type 12 (or River class) antisubmarine frigates served in the ...

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Leadership: Vice Admiral Sir John Augustine Collins

Dennard, Luke, Midshipman, RAN · Dec 4, 2007 ·

This essay will discuss the role of Sir John Collins in reference to his career in the Mediterranean and Pacific theatres of World War II as captain and commodore in ...

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The China Fleet – Small Ships WW2

Nesdale, Iris · Dec 4, 2007 ·

This article is an extract taken from the book entitled The Royal Australian Navy – Small Ships at War by the late Iris Nesdale. It is published here with the ...

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Broke of the Shannon – Boston 1813

A.N. Other · Dec 4, 2007 ·

‘And as the war they did provoke, We’ll pay them with our cannon; The first to do it will be BROKE, In the gallant ship the SHANNON’* When the United ...

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HMAS Warrnambool – A Short but Active Life (1941-1947)

Howland, Tony · Sep 12, 2007 ·

This story was compiled by Tony Howland from several websites, including primarily HMA Ship Histories by the Sea Power Centre – Australia, and Shipwrecks by the ABC. HMAS Warrnambool (1) ...

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RAN Heritage Management: The Long Memory

Periodical, Semaphore · Sep 10, 2007 ·

This article was first published in Semaphore, the newsletter of the Sea Power Centre – Australia, Issue 20, November 2006. The Naval Historical Society is grateful for their permission to ...

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Garden Island Boilermakers – Heroes of the Tarakan Disaster

Hicks, George · Sep 4, 2007 ·

Rewritten by George Hicks from an article published by Lew Lind in the magazine Garden Island, January/February, 1970 HMAS Tarakan Type: General Purpose Vessel [ex-Landing Ship (Tank), LST3 Class] Pendant ...

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