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

Ship histories and stories

HMAS Bombo and Able Seaman Robert Klippel RANR

A.N. Other · Sep 16, 2022 ·

By Colin Randall Less than two hours south from Sydney lies the picturesque coastal town of Kiama. On the outskirts sits Bombo Heads with a huge bite taken out of ...

The Royal Charter Tragedy

Editorial Staff · Sep 16, 2022 ·

A shipping venture to service the Australian colonies had unforeseen consequences for gold miners who had struck it rich and were returning to their homelands with wealth. After nearly two ...

MV Fairsea and Fire at Sea

A.N. Other · Sep 1, 2022 ·

A recently joined member of our Society, Kristiane Molloy, has provided an interesting story of her first voyage as a twenty-one-year-old nurse in 1969. She was a passenger aboard the ...

Occasional Paper 144: HMAS Nizam – Typhoon 1945

William F. Cook, MVO, Captain, RAN (Rtd) · Aug 31, 2022 ·

First published in the December 1994 edition of the Naval Historical Review On 12 September, 1945, HMAS Nizam, a fleet destroyer of the 7th Destroyer Flotilla, sailed from Tokyo Bay, ...

Occasional Paper 145: The Royal Australian Navy’s Involvement in the Burma Campaign and the part played by HMAS Norman

Lorraine Fildes · Aug 31, 2022 ·

By Lorraine Fildes The Burma Campaign was a series of battles fought in the British colony of Burma. The campaign was waged against the Japanese in Burma, eastern India and ...

Letter: HMAS Melbourne Repairs

John Jeremy, AM Vice President NHSA · Jun 26, 2022 ·

The following letter has been received from John Jeremy who for many years served at Cockatoo Island Dockyard being its last Chief Executive. Dear Walter, The March 2022 edition of ...

Letter: HMAS Wagga – Seeing the Light

Editorial Staff · Jun 26, 2022 ·

On 21 April 2022 we received a request from our dedicated member David Williams for help in identifying some objects from the corvette HMAS Wagga held in the City of ...

Book Review: Sea Monsters – Savage Submarine Commanders of WWII

Book reviewer · Jun 26, 2022 ·

 Sea Monsters – Savage Submarine Commanders of WWII, by Tony Matthews. Soft cover of 348 pages with b&w photographs. Published by Big Sky Publishing, Sydney, 2021. This book discusses the ...

Finding HM Bark Endeavour

A.N. Other · Jun 25, 2022 ·

By Fairlie Clifton Much of the modern history of Australia and New Zealand arises from the discoveries of James Cook and his fine ship Endeavour. For this reason Endeavour is ...

Occasional Paper 134: A Long Salty Voyage Home – The Delivery of Victoria’s First Torpedo Boat H.M.V.S. Childers

Gillett, Ross · Apr 1, 2022 ·

By Ross Gillett When the Victorian Government’s first-class torpedo boat HMVS Childers had moved safely out of Portsmouth on 3 February 1884, the 26-year-old commander, Lieutenant Martyn Jerram, went down ...

I Name this Ship….

A.N. Other · Mar 24, 2022 ·

By Mary White The following article is taken from the July 1948 edition of The Navy magazine and is reproduced by kind permission of the Editor. The parish of St. ...

Occasional Paper 131: Destroyer doomed from the start – the rewritten story of USS Peary’s final combat action in Darwin 1942

Lewis, Tom, AOM, Lieutenant RAN · Mar 2, 2022 ·

Discovery of propellers from the ship explains why Peary was the only warship of several vessels to be sunk By Dr Tom Lewis[1] This paper was previously published in The ...

Book Review: Like a Wicked Noah’s Ark – The Nautical School Ships Vernon and Sobraon

Book reviewer · Mar 1, 2022 ·

Like a Wicked Noah’s Ark – The Nautical School Ships Vernon and Sobraon A paperback of 362 pages by Sarah Luke, published by Arcadia, 2020. RRP $44.00.  As the old saying ...

A Brief History of the Australian Hydrographic Service

A.N. Other · Mar 1, 2022 ·

By Kevin Slade, PSM & John Perryman, CSM  This article first appeared in the 2020 edition of Navy Outlook and is reproduced by kind permission of the editor of that ...

Book Review: HMAS Castlemaine: The Corvette that came Home

Book reviewer · Dec 29, 2021 ·

This impressive new paperback by Kerry Hodges has 207 pages well stocked with illustrations, photographs, maps and diagrams, and was recently published by Seabooks Press. The book may be purchased ...

Occasional Paper 127: Commitment, Persistence and Science; Behind the Search for HMAS Sydney II

A.N. Other · Dec 7, 2021 ·

  By Commodore Bob Trotter OAM RAN & FIEAust (Retd)© Bob Trotter is an engineer and submarine specialist. He retired from the RAN in 1998 and after a period with ...

Occasional Paper 128: HMAS Nepal

Swinden, Greg · Dec 7, 2021 ·

By Commander Greg Swinden RAN HMAS Nepal was one of eight N Class destroyers laid down in British shipyards during 1939 for service in the Royal Navy. Five of these ...

Letter: HMVS Cerberus and her Flag

Letter Writer · Sep 27, 2021 ·

The following email was received from Jim Lorrimar of Perth, Western Australia. With regard to the June edition of the NHR which I recently received, I was admiring the Australia ...

The Koolama Incident

Editorial Staff · Sep 27, 2021 ·

One of the most intriguing wartime dramas occurred off the Western Australian coast in February 1942 concerning attacks made by Japanese aircraft on the motor vessel Koolama. The story of ...

Reunion for Rescue of Vietnamese Refugees (MG99) by HMAS Melbourne, 21 June 1981

David Stratton · Jul 16, 2021 ·

On Sunday 21 June 1981 HMA Ships Melbourne and Torrens were participating in Exercise Starfish 81 in the South China Sea when they rescued 99 Vietnamese refugees, now known as ...

The HMAS Australia II Story by Kez Hasanic

David Stratton · Jul 10, 2021 ·

HMAS Australia May 4 1942

Online presentation about HMAS Australia II by Kez Hasanic. The HMAS Australia II Story ...

A Warship named Bradman

A.N. Other · Jun 29, 2021 ·

By John Smith  One would have thought that the Australian Fleet would have been proud to have a warship named BRADMAN to honour our most famous cricketer, Sir Donald Bradman. ...

HMAS Quickmatch to the Rescue

A.N. Other · Jun 29, 2021 ·

Also published as Occasional Paper 156, March 2023 By Max Hayles and R.C.H. Mason The first part of this story by Max Hayles appeared in the June 2007 edition of ...

The Grounding of HMAS Adelaide (II) FFG01

A.N. Other · Jun 29, 2021 ·

By Phillip Hart with contribution from Greg Mapson This article is a personal recollection of the grounding of HMAS Adelaide that occurred nearly forty years ago. SBLT Phillip Hart was ...

Book Review: Aus-Ships 2021: Fifth Edition

Book reviewer · Jun 20, 2021 ·

Aus-Ships 2021: Fifth Edition by Robert Fildes and Rex Cox. The previous edition was offered as a CD and now this revised and improved edition comes as a USB. This ...

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