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 ...
Biographies and personal histories
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 ...
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 ...
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 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] ...
NEW ERA WARSHIPS – 1895
Coastal and Harbour defence by torpedo boats – a lecture by Commander Bosanquet, New South Wales Naval Forces. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper of 1 October 1895 featured an informative article ...
FULL CIRCLE To hell, and then home by submarine
The story of Able Seaman Hilton (Harry) George Weigand, RAN by Tony Vine When Harry Weigand walked off the submarine HMAS Oxley in Malta in 1928 to return home to ...
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 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 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 ...
Occasional Paper 29: Captain Frederick Melbourne Piggott RD RNR
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 27: Royal Naval House, ‘Johnnies’: Some Personal Reminisces
Royal Australian Naval House has always been known affectionately as ‘Johnnies’, although the origin of the name is hard to trace. From 1968 to 1970 a young Able Seaman Brian ...
Occasional Paper 20: Surgeon LCDR Jack Rupert Law Willis, RAN 1888-1971 MB BS Melb
Surgeon LCDR Jack Rupert Law Willis, RAN 1888-1971 MB BS Melb These biographical notes on LCDR Jack Willis who served in HMAS Prince of Wales during World War 1 were ...
Occasional Paper 19: Surgeon Commander Alexander Ruan Caw, RAN MB BS. Adelaide 1879-1924
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 Surgeon ...
Occasional Paper 8: THE GUSTAVO STEFANINI STORY
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 5: Ken Brown: Service in HMAS Nestor
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 ...
Lower Deck Memories – 1908 to 1911
By L.H. Blakeney Mr. Blakeney wrote these memoirs in 1973 at the age of 83. He had previously served in the Navy for 49 years, beginning as a cadet in ...
Graeme Keith Andrews OAM: 1938–2024 A life dedicated to maritime heritage
Graeme Andrews developed a passion for the sea early in life and became one of the country’s foremost authorities on maritime heritage. Through his writing, research, and involvement in preserving ...
Book Review: Admiral VAT Smith: The extraordinary life of the father of Australia’s Fleet Air Arm
Hardback by Graeme Lunn, fully illustrated with colour plates, published by Avonmore Books, 2024. RRP $49.95. While few of Australia’s naval leaders have attracted full biographies, Admiral Sir Victor Alfred ...
A Non-Combatant at War: Palestine, Greece and Crete 1941 – Pt III
Dr. Richmond Jeremy OBE MB ChM FRCP FRACP 1899 – 1995 Parts I and II of this series are contained in the March and June 2024 editions of this magazine. ...
Lord Brassey, The Naval Annual, the Naval Artillery Volunteers and his Steam Yacht Sunbeam
By Dr J.K. Haken Thomas Brassey, later Lord Brassey, was a lawyer and Member of Parliament, and on a number of occasions between 1865 and 1895, a Civil Lord of ...
On the Australia Station
A tribute to the memories of Signalman Frederick Randall RN and Able Seaman John Reardon RN and RAN, who as young men contributed to the establishment of the Australia Station. ...